Chase an overdue invoice — firmly but politely

Money you're owed, and the awkward job of asking for it. Here's how to get a polite, professional chaser written in seconds — firm enough to work, friendly enough to keep the customer.

⏱ Saves the awkward draft 💷 Free to do 🛠 Works in Claude or ChatGPT

The situation

Chasing money is the job everyone puts off, because it's hard to sound firm without sounding rude — so the email never gets sent and the invoice sits there. AI takes the awkwardness out of finding the right words.

You stay polite, you protect the relationship, and you actually get paid.

What you start with vs what you get

The situation

"Invoice for £480 to a regular customer, was due two weeks ago. I want to chase it without annoying them — I'd like to keep their work."

A chaser that gets paid

Subject: Friendly reminder — invoice #1042

Hi [name], hope you're well. Just a quick note that invoice #1042 for £480 was due on [date] and seems to still be outstanding.

I'm sure it's simply slipped through — could you let me know when I can expect it? Happy to resend the invoice if helpful.

Thanks as always for your business.

The exact words to paste in

Open Claude or ChatGPT, paste this, then add your own details where it says so.

Copy this prompt

Write me a polite but firm email chasing an overdue invoice. I want to get paid without damaging the relationship — this is a [regular / new] customer I'd like to keep. Keep it short, friendly and professional, give them an easy way to sort it, and include a clear subject line. British English. Details: invoice number [x], amount [£x], was due on [date], customer name [x].

Tip: ask it for a second, firmer version too — for if the first one's ignored. Then you've got your follow-up ready and you're never stuck for words at either stage.

Make it yours

Save your own set: a gentle first reminder, a firmer follow-up, and a final notice — all in your tone with your payment terms built in. Then chasing money is a two-second job you actually do. Building that little set of escalating chasers is a common one we set up for people.

More worked examples

Turn notes into a quoteThe original time-saver.Reply to a bad reviewCalm and professional.A month of social postsPlan it all in ten minutes.

Want your own set of these, built around your business?

In one session we'll set up the jobs that eat your week so they're done in seconds from then on.

Book a session