Customer keeps promising to pay and never does: what to do
You have been told the money is coming. Then ‘Friday’, then ‘the end of the month’, then ‘accounts are processing it’. Each reply is polite, specific and, so far, wrong. This is the most common position a creditor finds themselves in, and it is harder than silence: a customer who is ignoring you is easy to escalate against, while one who keeps answering makes you feel that stopping would be unfair.
It is not unfair. A promise that is broken more than once is a delay, and delay costs you cash, evidence and time.
Why the promises keep coming
Most repeated promises are not lies. A person in accounts says what makes the call end, and nobody has authority or cash to follow it up. Sometimes the customer really is waiting on their own customers. Either way, the promises are cheap for them to make and expensive for you to accept, because nothing changes when one is missed.
The answer is to change that, without a row.
Turn the promise into a dated record
Next time you hear ‘it will be paid soon’, reply the same day in writing with something like:
Thank you for confirming. I understand £X for invoice [number] will be in our account by close of business on [date]. If it is not, I will send a formal letter before action.
Three things matter:
- A date, not a week. ‘By Friday’ becomes ‘by 5pm on Friday 30 October’.
- A named amount and invoice. It leaves no room to pay a different bill.
- A stated consequence. You are not making a threat. You are saying what your process is.
If they correct you, good: you now have a date they chose. If they do not reply, you have a record that the debt was acknowledged and not disputed.
Check on the day
On the date, look at your bank account in the morning and again after the close of business. If the money is not there, say so the next working day and do not wait for a fresh explanation. A short message is enough:
The payment due on [date] has not arrived. As set out, I am now sending a letter before action.
Then send it. The point of the exercise is that your stated step actually happens. A deadline you do not enforce is the same as no deadline.
Two promises, then escalate
Allow one slip, as long as the reason is plausible and the new date is soon. After the second missed date, stop accepting dates. Your options, in order of cost:
- Ask for part payment now. If the customer can pay something today, they can show it. This also tests whether the money is genuinely coming.
- Offer a written plan, if you are willing. If they are sincere but short of cash, a formal agreement on fixed dates is better than an informal one that slides. Our guide on whether to accept instalments covers what to put in writing and what a part payment does to the time limit.
- Send a letter before action. It sets a final deadline and records the amount. Our guide on what to send explains what to include, and the free tool will write one for you. If the debtor is an individual or sole trader, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims gives them 30 days to respond.
- Instruct an agency. For an undisputed debt owed by a trading customer, this is usually the next move once your deadline has passed. If the letter has already gone unanswered, read what to do when a letter before action is ignored.
What not to do
- Do not stop invoicing or supplying without telling them. If you are going to withhold further work, say so in writing and check your contract first.
- Do not threaten things you will not do. Every empty threat teaches the customer that deadlines are flexible.
- Do not take a promise as an acknowledgement of the debt for limitation purposes. Only a signed written acknowledgement or a part payment made in time restarts the six years in England and Wales. If the invoice is old, our guide on how long you can chase an unpaid invoice explains why you should not rely on promises to hold the clock.
What the delay can add up to
On a business-to-business debt, you may be entitled to statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, and fixed compensation of £40 (under £1,000), £70 (£1,000 to £9,999.99) or £100 (£10,000 or more) per invoice. Nothing in this guide stops you claiming these, and mentioning them in your letter before action often concentrates minds. Our guide to interest and compensation on a late invoice shows the sum. These rules apply only to business customers, not consumers.
The short version
Turn each promise into a dated, written commitment. Check on the day. After the second miss, move on to part payment, a written plan, a letter before action or an agency. If you would like to see how agencies compare for your case, you can compare vetted UK debt recovery agencies on Collect Compare, with names hidden until you choose, or let us match you. It is free for creditors: the agency you choose pays for the introduction, and no agency can pay to rank.
This is general information, not legal advice. The right step depends on your contract and the debtor’s circumstances, so take advice on your specific case.
Frequently asked questions
How many broken promises should I accept before escalating?
Two is a sensible limit. The first missed date can be an honest slip. By the second, you have a pattern, and each further promise costs you a week and tells the customer that nothing happens when they miss a date. Say in writing after the second that the next missed date triggers the next step, and then do it.
Does a promise to pay stop me taking action?
No. A promise, in an email or on the phone, does not pause your right to chase, send a letter before action or instruct an agency. Only an agreement you have accepted in writing, such as a payment plan, changes what you have agreed to wait for. Be careful not to say anything that sounds like you have agreed to hold off.
Does a promise to pay restart the six-year time limit?
Not by itself. In England and Wales the six years restart only with a signed written acknowledgement of the debt or a part payment made before the time runs out. A spoken or emailed ‘it’s coming’ is useful evidence that the debt is not disputed, but it is not a reliable way to extend your time.
Should I ask for part payment while they find the rest?
Yes, if it is a real sum on a real date. A part payment shows good faith, reduces what is owed and, if made before the time limit expires, restarts the six-year period. Refuse token amounts that only keep you waiting. If the debtor wants a longer plan, treat it as a formal offer and put it in writing.
What if the customer stops replying altogether?
Then the promises have ended and the next step is already due. Send a letter before action to the right address, giving a clear deadline, and prepare the file for an agency. Silence after several promises is a good reason to move quickly, because a customer who has stopped talking is more likely to be in difficulty.
