Score each open invoice as amount × weeks late. A $1,180 invoice at 19 days late outranks a $2,000 invoice at 4 days, because risk compounds with age: the odds of an invoice paying drop meaningfully once it crosses 30 days, and again at 60. Chase the top score first, and always chase before the 30-day cliff, not after it.
The escalation ladder
- Day 3 past due: a friendly re-send with the invoice attached. Most lateness is disorganization, not refusal.
- Day 10: a direct note naming the amount and the date, plus the easiest possible way to pay. Remove every step between them and the payment.
- Day 20: a phone call. Voices collect what emails cannot.
- Day 30: new terms for this client going forward: deposit up front or card on file. This is not punishment, it is pricing their risk.
The pattern matters more than the invoice
One late invoice is weather. The same client late three times is climate: you are functioning as their line of credit, interest-free. Price it, require deposits, or plan their replacement. Your receivables list, sorted by that score once a week, is one of the highest-paid five minutes in your business.
Common questions
Should I charge late fees?
A stated late fee changes behavior even when you waive it. What it mostly buys you is a reason for the day-10 email to exist. Deposits and card-on-file work better than fees for repeat offenders.