In one line
An invoice that has passed its due date without being paid.
Also called a past-due invoice, an outstanding invoice, or an aged debt.
What it means in practice
An invoice is overdue the day after the due date, not the week after. Most late invoices are late because nobody asked, so the first short reminder recovers a large share of them.
Treat a dispute differently from a delay. If the client questions one line, hold that line and ask for the rest of the invoice now.
Covered in full in the guide to chasing an unpaid invoice.
Example. A $2,450 invoice with a $300 line in dispute means $2,150 is due today.
Where it shows up on the paperwork
Nothing changes on the invoice itself. What changes is the sequence around it: the reminder, the notice with the fee, the new balance, and the final date.
What goes wrong
- Waiting a week to say anything, which reads as an accusation rather than a nudge.
- Sending the reminder to the person who hired you rather than the person who pays.
- Treating a dispute as a delay. If one line is questioned, ask for the rest of the invoice today.
The tools for this
Related terms
- DunningThe sequence of reminders sent to collect an overdue invoice.
- Late feeA charge added to an invoice that is paid after its due date.
- Aging reportA list of unpaid invoices sorted by how long they have been outstanding.
- Bad debtAn invoice you have decided you are not going to collect.
- Due dateThe date payment on an invoice is expected, written as a date rather than a term.
Common questions
When is an invoice officially overdue?
The day after the due date on it. There is no grace period unless your terms give one, and if they do, the client knows it.
What should the first reminder say?
The invoice number, the amount, the original due date and a way to pay, in three or four sentences. Assume an oversight, because it usually is one.
How long before I take further action?
Set the dates in advance rather than by mood: a call at seven days, a formal notice at fourteen, a final demand at thirty, then a decision.