Should I keep sending reminders if a client disputes the invoice?

No. Pause reminders on that invoice until the dispute is settled. Chasing a disputed invoice tells the client you aren't listening and usually makes it slower to resolve.

Can I ask for the undisputed part to be paid?

Yes, and you should. Most disputes are about part of an invoice. Ask for the agreed part to be paid on the normal schedule while you resolve the rest.

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Client disputes an invoice after the work is done: what to do

A dispute is not a collections problem. Treat it as one and it gets slower and more expensive to settle.

CollectlyOctober 2, 20265 min read

The short answer: stop sending payment reminders, ask the client to say exactly what they disagree with, and separate that part from the rest of the invoice. Then ask for the undisputed amount to be paid now while you resolve the disputed part. Most disputes are about a piece of the invoice, not all of it.

Thanks for telling me. I'd like to get this right. Could you tell me which items you disagree with and why? While we sort those out, could the rest of the invoice, $3,200 of the $4,000, go through on the normal schedule?

Pause the reminders

An automated reminder arriving the day after someone raised a dispute tells them nobody is listening. Stop the sequence on that invoice until the disagreement is settled. Collectly does this on its own: a reply that disputes an invoice stops payment reminders and hands the invoice to you.

Find out what they actually disagree with

The amount: hours, quantities or rates that don't match what they expected.
The scope: work they think was included, or extras they didn't ask for.
The quality: something not done to the standard agreed, or not finished.
Something else: often a cash problem on their side, presented as a complaint.

Ask for specifics in writing. "I'm not happy with it" can't be resolved; "the second round of revisions wasn't in the quote" can.

Go back to what was agreed

Pull out the quote, contract, emails and sign-offs. If they're right, say so quickly and send a corrected invoice; being gracious about a genuine mistake keeps a client. If the work matches what was agreed, show them where, calmly, with the document attached.

Settle it

Fix the work, if that's what it takes, and agree that payment follows.
Offer a partial credit on the disputed part only, if it's worth more to you to close it.
Put whatever you agree in writing, with a payment date.

If they won't engage at all, the dispute may be a stall. At that point a final notice, a call to someone more senior, or advice about small claims may be the right next step, but only after you've genuinely tried to resolve it.

Common questions

Should I keep sending reminders if a client disputes the invoice?: No. Pause reminders on that invoice until the dispute is settled. Chasing a disputed invoice tells the client you aren't listening and usually makes it slower to resolve.
Can I ask for the undisputed part to be paid?: Yes, and you should. Most disputes are about part of an invoice. Ask for the agreed part to be paid on the normal schedule while you resolve the rest.