Late payment costs UK freelancers billions of pounds a year and an enormous amount of stress. Most of it is avoidable — not because clients are dishonest, but because the right systems weren’t in place from the start. A clear invoice, the right payment terms, and a confident follow-up process make more difference than chasing harder after the fact.
Set the terms before you start
Payment terms should be in your contract, not just on the invoice. Agree them explicitly before work starts. The most common terms for freelance consultants are 14 or 30 days from invoice date. Net 30 is standard but net 14 is increasingly accepted — and you can always offer a small early payment discount if cash flow is important to you.
For larger projects, invoice in stages: a deposit upfront (30–50%), a mid-project milestone, and a final payment on delivery. Never deliver final files before the final payment clears.
Write invoices that are easy to pay
An invoice that requires chasing usually has at least one of these problems: it’s unclear what the payment is for, it’s missing a PO number the client needs, it doesn’t have your bank details, or it was sent to the wrong person.
Always include: your name and address, the client’s name and address, invoice number, date issued, payment due date, clear description of services, total amount including VAT if applicable, and payment details. Send it to the person who approves payments, not just your day-to-day contact.
Follow up without apology
If an invoice is overdue, follow up the next working day. Not a week later. A polite, factual email — “Just checking in on invoice #107, due on [date]. Please let me know if you need anything from my end” — is all it takes most of the time. Most late payments are admin oversights, not refusals.
Escalate after 7 days with a firmer message. After 14 days, reference the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act and state that statutory interest is accruing. Most clients pay before it gets to that point.
Protect yourself at the start of a new relationship
For new clients you don’t know yet, ask for a deposit. Frame it as standard practice, which it increasingly is. A client who pushes back hard on a 30% deposit before work starts is worth pausing on before you commit significant time to their project.
The invoice template with payment terms below includes pre-written payment terms, a follow-up email sequence, and a structured invoice format that covers everything you need.