Free tool
Late payment calculator
An overdue invoice costs more than the waiting — there's the late fee your contract has already earned, and the chasing time nobody prices. Put a number on both, then send the follow-up that isn't awkward.
The invoice
What waiting is costing
Late fee accrued
$42
Your chasing time
$135
Total cost of waiting
$177
The math, shown:
3 weeks overdue. The late fee accrues at your contract’s monthly rate, pro-rated by day; the chasing line prices your follow-up time at your own rate — the part every freelancer writes off as free. It isn’t.
The fix isn’t a spicier email — it’s a system: a named late fee in the contract, and a calm three-step escalation sent on schedule instead of when the frustration peaks.
Now send the right email
The number above is motivation; the fix is a system. Use the three-escalation follow-up sequence — copy the templates here — and make sure the next contract names its late terms (the checklist). 29% of freelance invoices are paid at least a day late (Bonsai) — the freelancers who get paid anyway aren’t luckier; they have a process.
Common questions
- How common are late payments for freelancers?
- Common enough to plan for: 29% of freelance invoices are paid at least one day late (Bonsai). Treating follow-up as routine bookkeeping — a calm, scheduled system rather than a personal confrontation — is the working fix.
- How much late fee can I charge on an overdue invoice?
- Whatever your contract names, within your jurisdiction's limits — around 1.5% per month is a common working rate. The consequence has to be in the agreement before the invoice, though; a late fee invented after the fact rarely sticks and always grates.
- When should I follow up on an unpaid invoice?
- Nudge at 1–3 days late (most lateness is oversight), follow up firmly at ~2 weeks with a requested payment date, and send a formal notice at 30+ days referencing your contract's terms. Scheduled beats emotional — the calendar sends the email, not the frustration.
- Does this calculator store my numbers?
- No. Everything runs in your browser — nothing you type is sent, stored, or logged anywhere.