The chase sequence is what separates freelancers who get paid from those who don’t. It is not about how aggressive you are — it is about consistency and following through.
Why the sequence matters
Freelancers who follow up sporadically and without a clear pattern give clients the impression that late payment has no consequence. The client learns, consciously or not, that your invoices can be deprioritized. A consistent sequence communicates the opposite: every unpaid invoice will be followed up, and the follow-ups will escalate.
The sequence also builds your paper trail. If a payment dispute ever reaches court, a timeline showing you followed up on day 1, day 7, day 14, and day 21 before taking legal action demonstrates you acted reasonably.
Step 1: Day 1 past due — the nudge
Keep it brief. Neutral subject line, reference the invoice, assume an innocent explanation.
Subject: Invoice #[number] — quick reminder
The body should be three to four sentences maximum. Attach the invoice. No apology for following up.
Step 2: Day 7 — the follow-up
Reference the first email explicitly. This shows you are tracking the correspondence, not just sending form emails.
Subject: Following up — Invoice #[number] now one week overdue
Mention that you sent a reminder on [date]. Ask for a confirmed payment date.
Step 3: Day 14 — the firm notice
Shift the tone here. This email makes clear things are moving in a direction the client should want to avoid.
Subject: Invoice #[number] — 14 days overdue, action required
State the amount, reference your late fee policy, give a 48-hour deadline. Keep it factual, not emotional.
The shift in tone at day 14 is deliberate. Most clients who were planning to pay “soon” pay immediately when they see language like “action required.”
Step 4: Day 21 — the final notice
This email signals you are done with the informal process.
Subject: Final notice — Invoice #[number], $[amount]
State the total including late fees. Give a hard deadline of seven days. Name the specific next step (small claims, collections, legal counsel). Make clear you have documentation.
What to do between steps
If you get a response but no payment, respond promptly, acknowledge what they said, and ask for a specific payment date. If that date passes, immediately send the next step in the sequence — don’t reset the clock just because they replied.
If a client pays partially, acknowledge the payment, update the balance, and continue the sequence for the outstanding amount.
Using Waco to run the sequence
Waco tracks when each invoice was sent, opened, and whether it’s been paid. You can see at a glance which invoices are overdue and for how long. When you send a follow-up, the invoice link goes with it — and you’ll get a notification when the client opens it again. This makes each step in the chase sequence faster to execute and better documented.
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