How to politely request late payment from a marketing agency client

Late payment from a marketing 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

An account or project lead approves. A finance or operations person pays. Many agencies pay freelancers after their own client pays them.

Why payment runs late

Agency cash flow depends on client payments, which are often slow.

Tips for chasing a marketing agency client

Make sure your contract says when you're paid, whatever their client does.
Ask the account lead to confirm approval with finance.
Invoice per project or milestone so amounts stay small and quick to approve.

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 listed the campaign and deliverables this invoice covers. Has finance received approval from the account lead? You can pay here: [payment link] Thanks, [Your name]

Write your reminders

Fill in the invoice to get four emails for a marketing 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.