6 min read
How to reduce late payments: what to fix before an invoice is late
Most late payments are decided before the due date: unclear terms, an invoice sent to the wrong person, a missing PO number. Eight things to change, in order.
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Getting paid, written down properly
Notes on late payments, unpaid invoices and accounts receivable for businesses without a finance department. Where we use a number, we say where it came from.
There are also free tools — calculators, a library of reminder templates, and something that reads a customer’s reply and tells you what it means. No account needed for any of them.
- 6 min read
How to manage accounts receivable without a finance team
A simple weekly routine for a small business: one list of what you are owed, a fixed day to invoice, a fixed day to chase, and a rule for each kind of reply.
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Client says the check is in the mail? What to do next
Thank them, ask for the date it was sent and the check number, and set a date to follow up. How to handle "it's in the mail" without calling anyone a liar.
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How to add a late fee to an invoice without losing the client
Agree the late fee before the work starts, print it on every invoice, and remind before you charge. What to write, and what the law in your state decides.
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Client disputes an invoice after the work is done: what to do
Stop chasing, ask exactly what they disagree with, separate the disputed part from the rest, and get the undisputed amount paid now. Wording included.
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Client ghosting you on an unpaid invoice? What to do
When a client stops replying, change who you write to and how, not how loudly. A step-by-step plan from the first silence to a final notice.
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Collectly vs Chaser vs Upflow: which fits a small business?
Chaser and Upflow are built for finance teams. Collectly is for small businesses that invoice from Gmail. How they differ, and what each costs.
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How freelancers can get paid on time
No finance team, no collections process: how a freelancer sets terms, invoices and follows up so clients pay on time without souring the relationship.
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Invoice follow-up for agencies: getting retainers and project fees paid
Agency invoices stall on approvers, POs and payment runs. How to follow up on retainers and milestones without straining the client relationship.
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How contractors and trades can get paid faster
Jobs billed on completion get paid whenever the client's office gets round to it. Deposits, staged invoices and follow-ups that speed things up.
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What is DSO (days sales outstanding)?
DSO is the average number of days it takes to get paid after a sale. How to calculate it, what a good number looks like, and what actually brings it down.
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What does net 30 mean on an invoice?
Net 30 means the full amount is due 30 days after the invoice date. How to count the days, how it compares with 2/10 net 30 and due on receipt.
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What is an accounts receivable aging report?
An AR aging report groups unpaid invoices by how overdue they are: current, 1–30, 31–60, 61–90 and 90+ days. How to read one, and what to do about each column.
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What to do when a client says they never received your invoice
Resend it the same day, to the person who pays, in a form their system accepts, and confirm it arrived. What to write, and how to stop it happening again.
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How to ask a client for payment politely
Be brief, specific and friendly: name the invoice, the amount and the due date, ask one easy question, and leave room for a problem. Wording you can copy.
Read - 6 min read
Why small businesses struggle with late payments
Most late invoices are not refusals. They are stuck in approval chains, payment runs or the wrong inbox, and each cause needs a different response.
Read - 7 min read
How to follow up on an unpaid invoice
A practical sequence for chasing an overdue invoice without damaging the relationship: what to say at each stage, and what to do when they reply.
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Manual vs automated invoice follow-ups
When a spreadsheet and a reminder is enough, when automation earns its keep, and the failure that makes most invoice automation worse than nothing.
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Or just try it on your own invoices
Reading about accounts receivable is less useful than seeing what Collectly makes of the invoices you are actually waiting on.
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