01
Verify the payment record
Check the invoice, dates, written terms, prior reminders, and project status before contacting the client again.
Made for Freelancers
Run a Simple Late-Payment Follow-Up
Also useful for: people in Freelancers
30 min
Intermediate
Communication
Have a Money Conversation
Difficult Conversation
Follow a timed invoice process that keeps each reminder firm, documents every contact, and shows when to pause work or escalate.
We'll use them to write your prompt.
Completed ✓
Make Your Play
Give us the situation. We’ll build the prompt.
Protect cash flow and the client relationship with a clear process for deciding what to send, when to pause work, and when to escalate.
Your answers save as you type.
What you'll do
This is the plan inside your prompt. Add your details first. Then follow these steps with ChatGPT or Claude.
02
Set the current stage
Place the invoice at the right follow-up stage based on timing and contact already completed.
03
Send the right reminder
Draft only the message needed now, with a direct payment request and a reasonable response deadline.
04
Decide whether to pause work
Compare the written agreement, notice history, and unfinished work before stopping any service or delivery.
05
Prepare final escalation
Define the point when routine reminders end and the named escalation route begins.
06
Log and schedule follow-up
Record the action taken and place every remaining checkpoint on the calendar.
Make Your Play
Run a Simple Late-Payment Follow-Up
Tell us what the prompt needs to know
Start with the questions below. Each answer personalizes the playbook and builds the prompt you’ll use at the end.
Your situation
Enter a client name, company name, or private label that identifies the account.
Enter the number or label shown on the unpaid invoice.
Enter the total amount still unpaid, without a currency symbol.
Enter the invoice due date, including the year.
Enter the date when you're running this follow-up.
Count and enter the number of calendar days since the due date.
Quote or summarize the written payment deadline, late-fee terms, notice rules, and right to pause work. State what isn't covered.
0/10000
List each reminder already sent, its date, the channel used, and any client response.
0/10000
Select the option that best describes the work tied to this invoice.
Describe the next approved contact or process if reminders fail, such as an accounts-payable contact, project sponsor, or professional adviser.
0/10000
This playbook was updated. Review your inputs before copying.
What you'll do
Check a step when you finish it.
01
Verify the payment record
Check the invoice, dates, written terms, prior reminders, and project status before contacting the client again.
02
Set the current stage
Place the invoice at the right follow-up stage based on timing and contact already completed.
03
Send the right reminder
Draft only the message needed now, with a direct payment request and a reasonable response deadline.
04
Decide whether to pause work
Compare the written agreement, notice history, and unfinished work before stopping any service or delivery.
05
Prepare final escalation
Define the point when routine reminders end and the named escalation route begins.
06
Log and schedule follow-up
Record the action taken and place every remaining checkpoint on the calendar.
Fill in the fields above to generate your prompt preview.
Assembled prompt
Beginner instructions
Gather the invoice, agreement, and prior messages before starting. Replace every input with the exact written information available. If a term can’t be confirmed, mark it as unclear instead of guessing.
Advanced instructions
Adjust the timing to match the agreement and client history. Keep the initial reminder brief, reserve stronger language for later stages, and document delivery dates for every notice.
Use this when
A client has missed an invoice due date, and you need to follow up without improvising each message or making unsupported threats.
You'll need
- Client reference
- Invoice number
- Unpaid amount
- Due date
- Today's date
- Days overdue
- Payment and pause terms
- Prior contact
- Current project status
- Escalation route
You'll get
- Invoice facts and written terms checked
- Current follow-up stage selected
- Next action assigned a specific date
- Current reminder sent or ready to send
- Work-pause decision tied to written terms
- Final escalation threshold documented
By the end of this playbook
You will have:
- Invoice facts and written terms checked
- Current follow-up stage selected
- Next action assigned a specific date
- Current reminder sent or ready to send
- Work-pause decision tied to written terms
- Final escalation threshold documented
Examples
Progress 1 of 6