How to Follow Up on Unpaid Invoices (A Tradie's Guide to Getting Paid)

You did the job. You sent the invoice. And now… silence. Chasing money is the part of running a trade business nobody enjoys — but the tradies who get paid fastest all do the same thing: they follow up early, keep it friendly, and make paying dead easy.

Here’s exactly how to follow up on unpaid invoices without the awkwardness.

Why invoices go unpaid (it’s rarely on purpose)

Before you assume the worst, know this: most late payments aren’t people dodging you. They’re:

• The invoice got buried in an inbox or a group chat
• The customer meant to pay “later” and forgot
• Paying meant getting out the bank app, finding your BSB, typing it in — friction

That last one matters most. The harder you make it to pay, the longer you wait. Fix the friction and half your follow-ups disappear — which is why collecting card payments instead of bank transfer makes such a difference.

The follow-up timeline that works

Consistency beats persistence. A simple schedule:

1. Day after due date — gentle nudge. “Hi, just a friendly reminder invoice #1042 for $480 was due yesterday. Let me know if you have any questions!”
2. ~7 days overdue — firmer reminder. Restate the invoice number, amount and original due date. Attach the invoice again and the payment link.
3. ~14 days overdue — final notice. Polite but clear: “This invoice is now two weeks overdue. Please arrange payment by [date].” Still attach the link.

Being prompt does two things: you get paid sooner, and you quietly signal that you keep on top of your books — so people prioritise you.

Reminder templates you can copy

Gentle nudge (WhatsApp/SMS):

Hi [name], hope you’re well! Just a quick reminder that invoice #[1042] for $[480] was due [yesterday]. Easiest way to pay is the card link on the invoice — here it is again: [link]. Cheers, [your name]

Firm reminder (email):

Hi [name], following up on invoice #[1042] for $[480], which was due on [date] and is now [7] days overdue. I’ve attached it again — you can pay by card via the link, or by bank transfer to the details on the invoice. Let me know if there’s any issue. Thanks, [your name]

Final notice:

Hi [name], invoice #[1042] for $[480] is now [14] days overdue. Please arrange payment by [date]. If you’ve already paid, apologies — just let me know. Thanks, [your name]

Keep them short, factual, and warm. Never accusatory — you can always escalate tone later, but you can’t un-send a rude message to a repeat customer. (Getting the invoice itself right helps too — here’s what to put on a sole trader invoice.)

Can you automate invoice follow-ups?

You can wire up automatic recurring reminders in full accounting suites, but for most sole traders and small trades that’s overkill — and it can feel impersonal to a customer who was one tap away from paying anyway.

The faster, more human approach: a saved invoice you re-send in one tap. That’s the whole point of keeping your invoices on your phone. No retyping, no digging through email — you pull up the job, re-share it, and the payment link goes with it.

How Spanner makes chasing painless

Spanner is built for tradies who are on the tools, not at a desk:

• Every invoice lives on your phone. Re-share any of them by WhatsApp, email or PDF in one tap — no retyping, so following up takes seconds.
• A card payment link is attached automatically. Your customer taps and pays on the spot — removing the single biggest reason invoices sit unpaid.
• See what’s outstanding at a glance, so nothing slips through the cracks.

It’s free to start, and getting paid faster starts with the very next invoice you send.

The bottom line

• Follow up early — the day after due date, not two weeks later
• Keep every message short, friendly and factual
• Always include the easiest possible way to pay (a card link)
• Re-send the invoice itself, not just a “have you paid?” text

Do that consistently and you’ll spend a lot less time chasing — and a lot more time on the tools.