Getting paid, explained properly
Practical, UK-specific guides on chasing late payment, from your first reminder through to Money Claim Online.
Showing 20 guides
Client abroad won't pay your invoice? Whether UK statutory interest applies, why it depends on your contract's governing law not their location, and the honest limits of UK small claims court overseas.
Read guide →A sourced statistical reference on UK late payment: how much is owed, how many businesses fail, and what it costs freelancers. Every figure cited to a primary source.
Read guide →Should you use a debt collection agency or recover an unpaid invoice yourself? An even-handed UK guide to agency fees, what they do, and when DIY is the better call.
Read guide →What net 30, net 60, EOM, PIA, COD, and 2/10 net 30 actually mean on a UK invoice. Clear definitions, the statutory 30-day default, and which terms small businesses should use.
Read guide →No. UK statutory late payment interest and the fixed £40/£70/£100 compensation are outside the scope of VAT. Here's why, straight from HMRC guidance, with a worked example.
Read guide →A repeat late payer costs more than the money. How to weigh whether to keep a chronically late-paying client, raise it directly first, and exit professionally if it comes to that.
Read guide →Should you credit check a client before invoicing? Yes, when the amount or relationship risk warrants it. Here's exactly how, using free UK tools, in about ten minutes.
Read guide →Late payment fee, late payment charge, interest, compensation: people use these terms interchangeably, and they aren't the same thing. Here's what you can actually claim, and under which name.
Read guide →How long do you have to chase an unpaid invoice in the UK? Generally six years from the due date, under the Limitation Act 1980. Here's exactly what that means.
Read guide →The Commercial Payments Bill would make late payment interest mandatory and cap payment terms at 60 days. It isn't law yet. Here's what's proposed and what you can do today.
Read guide →Owed money by a sole trader or individual, not a limited company? The Pre-Action Protocol, personal liability, and recovery all work differently. Here's exactly how.
Read guide →How to actually add interest to an overdue invoice in the UK: work out the figure, decide when to apply it, and the exact wording to tell your client.
Read guide →A client is disputing your invoice, not just ignoring it. How to tell a genuine dispute from a stalling tactic, why you shouldn’t escalate yet, and how to respond and resolve it.
Read guide →Four copy-paste payment reminder templates for UK freelancers: the pre-due nudge, the polite reminder, the firm follow-up, and the final reminder before escalation.
Read guide →Can you charge interest on a late invoice in the UK? The current statutory rate, fixed compensation bands, and how to state it in a chase letter.
Read guide →Client won’t pay and you never signed anything? A verbal agreement plus evidence of delivered work is still a legally enforceable contract in the UK.
Read guide →Taking a client to small claims court in the UK? How Money Claim Online works, current court fees, realistic timelines, and the honest truth about enforcement.
Read guide →A UK freelancer’s step-by-step guide to chasing an unpaid invoice: polite reminder, firm chase, statutory interest, final demand, letter before action, and Money Claim Online.
Read guide →What a letter before action is, when to send one, and exactly what the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims requires you to include, with a UK template.
Read guide →The tone, timing, and escalation psychology behind chasing an invoice properly: firm enough to get paid, careful enough to keep the client.
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