Chase unpaid invoices without spending your week on it
Chasing an unpaid invoice is rarely hard. It's awkward, easy to put off, and it lands in the gaps between the work you're paid to do. If you invoice other businesses, someone has to follow up. This page compares the three ways to do it, so you can pick the one that fits how you work.
Card required. Pro plan, 29 USD a month or 290 USD a year. Cancel online before the trial ends to avoid the first charge.
What chasing unpaid invoices by hand really costs you
It rarely costs one big thing. It costs a lot of small ones:
- Attention. You have to remember who owes what, who you've already nudged and what you said last time.
- Delay. Awkward emails get postponed. A reminder that goes out late is a reminder the client can ignore a little longer.
- Tone. Writing the third message to a client you like is harder than the first. It's easy to sound too soft or too sharp.
- The relationship. When you chase in a hurry or in frustration, the client remembers how you said it.
None of this means doing it yourself is wrong. If you have two or three clients and they nearly always pay, a calendar reminder and a good email template may be all you need.
Three ways to chase: yourself, automated, or outsourced
| Do it yourself | Automated with FetchDue | Outsourced credit control | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sends the reminders | Do it yourselfYou, each time | Automated with FetchDueThe software, on a schedule you set | Outsourced credit controlThe provider, typically on your behalf |
| Your time | Do it yourselfEvery reminder, every invoice | Automated with FetchDueSet up once; you review replies | Outsourced credit controlHand-over, updates and decisions on escalation |
| Control of tone | Do it yourselfFull | Automated with FetchDueYou choose the sending hours, the software starts polite and gets firmer, and you review replies before they go out | Outsourced credit controlDepends on the provider; check how they word and send messages |
| Contact with your client | Do it yourselfYours | Automated with FetchDueYour name and your invoice | Outsourced credit controlUsually the provider, often in your business's name; debt collection agencies contact clients in their own name |
| Cost | Do it yourselfYour time | Automated with FetchDueOne Pro plan | Outsourced credit controlSet by each provider; check their terms and fees |
| Best when | Do it yourselfYou have few late payers | Automated with FetchDueOverdue invoices are a regular thing and you want to stay in charge | Outsourced credit controlYou want a team to run some or all of your chasing |
FetchDue sits in the middle: the reminders go out on their own, but the decisions stay with you.
When an outsourced credit control service makes sense, and when it doesn't
Outsourcing can make sense when late payment is a large, ongoing problem and you'd rather someone else ran the day-to-day chasing. For a large or disputed debt, a debt recovery agency or solicitor may be a better fit.
Outsourced credit control usually means a team chasing in your business's name. A debt collection agency usually contacts clients in its own name.
It's often more than you need when you only have a handful of overdue invoices a month, or when the client is one you want to keep close. Before you hand accounts to an outside team, check whose name they'll use, how they'll contact clients, what it costs and how you can step in.
FetchDue is not a debt collection agency, doesn't collect money for you and doesn't take legal action or give legal advice.
What FetchDue chases for you, and what stays your call
FetchDue sends scheduled reminders for the overdue invoices you add, only inside the sending hours you set, and starts polite before getting firmer. Proposed replies wait in your review inbox until you approve them. You can pause an invoice at any time, or flag a client you don't want contacted.
If a client says they've paid or disputes an invoice, check it in your own payment or accounting system and confirm the outcome yourself before follow-up resumes. A client's message alone doesn't settle it.
You add invoices to FetchDue manually. It doesn't issue invoices. For the day-to-day detail, see credit control software.
Keeping the client relationship while you chase
- Start friendly. Assume the invoice slipped through. Most reminders should read like a helpful note, not a warning.
- Make it easy to pay. Put the invoice number, amount, due date and how to pay in every message.
- Get a date. A promise to pay on a set day beats an open-ended "soon". You can log it and pause the invoice until then.
- Be the same person every time. Clients respond better to a consistent, calm voice than to a sudden change of style.
- Know your next step before you need it. If reminders don't work, what to do when a client isn't paying walks through it, and the late payment interest calculator helps you work out what you can claim from a business client.
Pricing: one Pro plan
FetchDue Pro is 29 USD a month or 290 USD a year, billed once a year. New accounts get a 14-day trial. A card is required, and there is one trial per account. Cancel online before the trial ends to avoid the first charge. Prices are in USD. See pricing.
FAQ
How do I chase unpaid invoices without damaging the client relationship?
Keep the first message friendly, include everything they need to pay, and ask for a payment date. Staying consistent and polite matters more than being quick to get firm.
Should I chase invoices myself, use software, or outsource credit control?
Do it yourself if late payers are rare. Use software if overdue invoices keep coming up and you want to stay in control of the message. Consider outsourced credit control if you want a team to run some or all of your chasing, and check whose name they'll use first.
Is there software that chases unpaid invoices automatically?
Yes. FetchDue sends scheduled reminders for overdue invoices within the hours you set. Proposed replies wait for your approval, and you can pause an invoice or flag a client not to contact.
What's the difference between an invoice chasing service and invoice chasing software?
A service means people take over the chasing for you, usually contacting your clients in your business's name. Software sends the reminders you set up while you stay in charge of the messages and decisions. FetchDue is software.
Can I stop chasing if the client pays or disputes the invoice?
Yes. Pause the invoice, or flag the client so they aren't contacted. Check any payment or dispute in your own payment or accounting system and confirm the outcome yourself before follow-up resumes.
How much does FetchDue cost, and is there a 14-day trial?
FetchDue Pro is 29 USD a month or 290 USD a year. There's a 14-day trial for new accounts; a card is required, and cancelling online before the trial ends avoids the first charge.