How to politely request late payment from a wholesale client

Late payment from a wholesale 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

The purchasing manager or owner approves. The accounts team pays. Many work on 30-day or end-of-month terms.

Why payment runs late

They often wait for their own customers to pay before paying suppliers.

Tips for chasing a wholesale client

Agree terms in writing and put them on every invoice.
Quote the order number from their purchase order.
Offer a small early-payment discount if speed matters more than margin.

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 order number and our agreed terms below. Which payment run will this invoice go into? You can pay here: [payment link] Thanks, [Your name]

Write your reminders

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