How to politely request late payment from a design agency client

Late payment from a design agency client usually comes down to their process, not bad faith. Here's who pays, when, what tends to hold payment up, and a polite reminder you can send today.

Who pays, and when

A creative director or studio manager approves, and the studio often pays on a fixed day each month. Many studios pay freelancers once a month for the previous month's invoices.

Why payment runs late

An invoice that misses the monthly cut-off waits a full month.

Tips for chasing a design agency client

Ask for the studio's invoice cut-off date and submit before it.
Reference the project and the person who briefed you.
Group small jobs into one monthly invoice if they prefer.

Example reminder email

Subject: Quick reminder: invoice [number] Hi [first name], I hope all's well. Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date]. If it's already on its way, thank you, and please ignore this. I've referenced the project and the brief so it's easy to sign off. What's your monthly cut-off for freelancer invoices? You can pay here: [payment link] Thanks, [Your name]

Write your reminders

Fill in the invoice to get four emails for a design agency client, from a heads-up to a final notice, with the dates to send them. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Your reminders will appear here.

Want these sent for you?

We're building a tool that sends these reminders automatically from your own Gmail when a Stripe invoice goes overdue, all in one email thread, and stops the moment it's paid. It isn't ready yet. Planned price: $19 a month.