How to politely request late payment from a recruitment agency client

Late payment from a recruitment 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 recruiter or manager approves. Finance pays. Often weekly for contractor timesheets, monthly for services.

Why payment runs late

Agencies may wait for their own client to pay before paying suppliers.

Tips for chasing a recruitment agency client

Make sure your contract sets your payment terms separately from their client's.
Submit timesheets by their weekly deadline.
Reference the placement or client.

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. The placement reference details are included below. Has the client approved my timesheet? You can pay here: [payment link] Thanks, [Your name]

Write your reminders

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