{"id":20556,"date":"2025-10-26T15:30:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T15:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/?p=20556"},"modified":"2025-10-27T17:15:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T17:15:05","slug":"what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid","title":{"rendered":"What to do when clients don&#8217;t pay on time: how to get your invoices paid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25195\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:300px;height:150px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png 600w, https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit-300x150.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Money. Not only does it make the world go round, it\u2019s essential for keeping the wheels of your business turning too. So when clients don&#8217;t pay on time, it can cause problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that in mind, we\nasked our friends at Sparqa Legal to put together a short guide to making sure\nyour invoices are paid when they should be. Over to you, Sparqa\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Small Business Commissioner<\/a> estimates that not far off a third of all businesses are affected by late payments each year and 14,000 businesses close annually because of them. That&#8217;s equivalent to 30 businesses every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coupled with the hours and resources required to chase payments and the negative impact it can have on your credit rating, unpaid invoices can at best create a cash flow bottleneck; at worst, they can leave your business insolvent and forced to fold.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what can you do\nabout it?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are our top tips for what to do when clients don\u2019t pay on time and how to make sure that in the future, they do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strategies for when clients don&#8217;t pay on time:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Establish well-oiled payment procedures&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Start as you mean to\ngo on. Send invoices promptly and chase them when they\u2019re due. This will help\nyou to keep track of payments as your business grows and to ensure that nothing\nfalls through the net.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a starting point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create an invoice template that\u2019s easy to understand, clearly states the payment due date and includes your bank details and any other acceptable method of payment. This can help to avoid queries from your customers that delay payment. You might want to take a look at these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparqa.com\/content\/sales-and-commercial-agreements\/document\/vat-invoice\/overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">VAT<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparqa.com\/content\/sales-and-commercial-agreements\/document\/nonvat-invoice\/overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Non-VAT<\/a> invoice templates.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make use of a cash management system\nthat will keep track of what you\u2019re owed, prompt you to send invoices and\nremind you when payment is due. There are several different software solutions\nthat can help.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Think about when it might be appropriate for you to change your payment terms (eg because a customer or job is higher risk for your business). For instance, sometimes it might be appropriate for you to price a job on a retainer basis or ask your client for an upfront payment.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do your homework before taking on a new client&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s exciting to win\na new client or customer, but before you get carried away, do some due\ndiligence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure you know\nwho you\u2019re contracting with and what the potential risks are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If your new client is a company, check out its <a href=\"https:\/\/beta.companieshouse.gov.uk\/?_ga=2.226190556.716501051.1575912118-2126322460.1552992501\">Companies House register<\/a> entry to see when it was incorporated, who\u2019s involved and what its annual accounts look like. If it\u2019s got few (or no!) assets, you could take extra precautions, like asking for guarantees or buying a credit report from a credit reference agency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Think about getting a credit report if you\u2019re contracting with an individual or find out if they\u2019ve had insolvency issues before by searching for them in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegazette.co.uk\/insolvency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gazette<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If your client is a large business, check its payment record by looking for its payment practices report on the <a href=\"https:\/\/check-payment-practices.service.gov.uk\/search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">government\u2019s website<\/a>. If it\u2019s a small business, see if they\u2019ve signed up to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk\/fpc\/\">Fair Payment Code<\/a> (a voluntary code committing them to paying within 60 days).\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read the contract. Make sure you <em>and<\/em>\nyour customer know exactly what the payment terms are and when invoices will be\ndue. This can help to avoid any misunderstanding later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Look out for warning signs that might indicate your client is struggling (eg, if they begin to pay you later and later).\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Know your bottom line and when to escalate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Decide how flexible\nyou\u2019re willing (and able) to be when clients don\u2019t pay on time. Plan a timescale for escalating your\ndebt recovery actions or writing off a debt.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever your bottom\nline, once a payment is late, get in contact with your customer to find out why.\nWherever you can, follow up any conversations in writing (eg by email) so that\nyou\u2019ve got a written record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If this doesn\u2019t bear\nany fruit, you could consider any (or all) of the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Send chasing letters on an escalating scale, for example, over a month-long period, following this suggested <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparqa.com\/content\/late-payments-and-disputes\/document\/debt-collection-timeline\/overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">debt collection timeline<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find out whether you can charge\ninterest; you\u2019ll be able to either if your customer is another business or if\nyour contract says that you can. Tell your customer in advance (in your chasing\nletters) that you plan on adding interest if payment\u2019s not forthcoming.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Escalate your debt recovery. There are several cost-effective steps that you can take to try and prompt payment. These include instructing a debt collector or sending a statutory demand (a formal, written demand for payment). <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to court to get paid.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">One size doesn&#8217;t fit all<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s most appropriate for your business will depend on a number of factors, including the value of the debt, the importance of the client relationship and the resources that you have \u2013 chasing debts can be time-consuming and expensive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re worried about the costs associated with chasing unpaid invoices, one thing to consider is insurance. Adding a legal expenses policy to your cover can help with the legal costs involved in dealing with outstanding invoices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever your strategy for when clients don\u2019t pay on time, a bit of extra help is never a bad thing. These guides to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparqa.com\/content\/late-payments-and-disputes\/chasing-payments-and-enforcement\/QA\/ensuring-prompt-payment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">payment systems and procedures<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparqa.com\/content\/late-payments-and-disputes\/chasing-payments-and-enforcement\/QA\/charging-interest-on-late-payments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">charging interest on late payments<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparqa.com\/content\/late-payments-and-disputes\/chasing-payments-and-enforcement\/QA\/dealing-with-late-payments-without-going-to-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">debt recovery<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparqa.com\/content\/late-payments-and-disputes\/chasing-payments-and-enforcement\/QA\/using-court-proceedings-to-prompt-payment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">court proceedings<\/a> drill down into the detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cover yourself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know how to tackle tricky, late-paying clients, you also need to think about other ways of protecting your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alongside having great processes, insurance can cover you when things go wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interested in finding out more about the types of insurance you might need? Check out our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/small-business-insurance-needs\">what insurance does your small business need?<\/a> Or give us a call on <strong>0345 222 5391<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The content in this article is up to date as at the date of publishing. The information provided is intended only for information purposes and is not for the purpose of providing legal advice<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Image used under license from Shutterstock.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Money. Not only does it make the world go round, it\u2019s essential for keeping the wheels of your business turning too. So when clients don&#8217;t pay on time, it can cause problems. With that in mind, we asked our friends &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[290,132],"tags":[237,208,138,140],"class_list":["post-20556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-self-employed-and-freelance-advice","category-small-business-advice","tag-freelancers","tag-guest-posts","tag-legal-expenses-insurance","tag-running-a-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>What to do when clients don&#039;t pay on time<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When clients don&#039;t pay on time, cash flow problems can be the inevitable outcome. Here&#039;s how to make sure your invoices get paid.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What to do when clients don&#039;t pay on time\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When clients don&#039;t pay on time, cash flow problems can be the inevitable outcome. Here&#039;s how to make sure your invoices get paid.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PolicyBee news and risk advice\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-26T15:30:03+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-27T17:15:05+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kate Naqvi\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@PolicyBee\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@PolicyBee\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kate Naqvi\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kate Naqvi\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/02f6db3fba7701d6c2445913ab17816b\"},\"headline\":\"What to do when clients don&#8217;t pay on time: how to get your invoices paid\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-26T15:30:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-27T17:15:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid\"},\"wordCount\":1069,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/07\\\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png\",\"keywords\":[\"freelancers\",\"guest posts and interviews\",\"legal expenses insurance\",\"running a business\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Self-employed &amp; freelance advice\",\"Small business advice\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid\",\"name\":\"What to do when clients don't pay on time\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/07\\\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-26T15:30:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-27T17:15:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/02f6db3fba7701d6c2445913ab17816b\"},\"description\":\"When clients don't pay on time, cash flow problems can be the inevitable outcome. Here's how to make sure your invoices get paid.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/07\\\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/07\\\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png\",\"width\":600,\"height\":300},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What to do when clients don&#8217;t pay on time: how to get your invoices paid\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"PolicyBee news and risk advice\",\"description\":\"Articles and information on professional indemnity insurance, small business news and risk management\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.policybee.co.uk\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/02f6db3fba7701d6c2445913ab17816b\",\"name\":\"Kate Naqvi\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8a33feb6cf67ac6e21b99012a2d84120bda44ab9a697ad10265385d5fb819943?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8a33feb6cf67ac6e21b99012a2d84120bda44ab9a697ad10265385d5fb819943?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/8a33feb6cf67ac6e21b99012a2d84120bda44ab9a697ad10265385d5fb819943?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kate Naqvi\"}}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What to do when clients don't pay on time","description":"When clients don't pay on time, cash flow problems can be the inevitable outcome. Here's how to make sure your invoices get paid.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"What to do when clients don't pay on time","og_description":"When clients don't pay on time, cash flow problems can be the inevitable outcome. Here's how to make sure your invoices get paid.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid","og_site_name":"PolicyBee news and risk advice","article_published_time":"2025-10-26T15:30:03+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-27T17:15:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":300,"url":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Kate Naqvi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@PolicyBee","twitter_site":"@PolicyBee","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kate Naqvi","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid"},"author":{"name":"Kate Naqvi","@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/02f6db3fba7701d6c2445913ab17816b"},"headline":"What to do when clients don&#8217;t pay on time: how to get your invoices paid","datePublished":"2025-10-26T15:30:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-27T17:15:05+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid"},"wordCount":1069,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png","keywords":["freelancers","guest posts and interviews","legal expenses insurance","running a business"],"articleSection":["Self-employed &amp; freelance advice","Small business advice"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid","url":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid","name":"What to do when clients don't pay on time","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png","datePublished":"2025-10-26T15:30:03+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-27T17:15:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/02f6db3fba7701d6c2445913ab17816b"},"description":"When clients don't pay on time, cash flow problems can be the inevitable outcome. Here's how to make sure your invoices get paid.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/chasing-payment-concept-istock-edit.png","width":600,"height":300},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/what-to-do-when-clients-dont-pay-on-time-how-to-get-your-invoices-paid#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What to do when clients don&#8217;t pay on time: how to get your invoices paid"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/","name":"PolicyBee news and risk advice","description":"Articles and information on professional indemnity insurance, small business news and risk management","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/02f6db3fba7701d6c2445913ab17816b","name":"Kate Naqvi","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a33feb6cf67ac6e21b99012a2d84120bda44ab9a697ad10265385d5fb819943?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a33feb6cf67ac6e21b99012a2d84120bda44ab9a697ad10265385d5fb819943?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a33feb6cf67ac6e21b99012a2d84120bda44ab9a697ad10265385d5fb819943?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kate Naqvi"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20556"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27125,"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20556\/revisions\/27125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.policybee.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}