How to politely request late payment from a software company client

Late payment from a software company 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

Smaller teams pay through a founder or operations lead. Larger ones go through finance and procurement. Many work on 30-day terms and pay in scheduled payment runs.

Why payment runs late

Invoices stall when they're missing a PO number or haven't been approved by the budget owner.

Tips for chasing a software company client

• Check whether you need to be set up as a vendor in their system first.
• Copy the budget owner who approved the work.
• Include the PO number and contract reference on the invoice.

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 included the PO and contract details so it's easy to approve. Is anything missing that's holding up approval? You can pay here: [payment link] Thanks, [Your name]