My client says they are still waiting to be paid by their own customer. Do I have to wait?

Not unless your contract says so. You agreed terms with your client, not with their customer, so their cash flow is their problem. Look for any clause tying your payment to theirs before you reply, and if there isn't one, restate the due date and the amount in writing.

Can I withhold the final files or stop work until I'm paid?

It depends on your contract, so read it first. Many freelancers keep ownership of the work until the invoice is paid, or deliver in stages with a payment before each handover. Where nothing is written down, withholding can turn into a dispute of its own, so say clearly what you will do and by when.

What if I never had a written contract?

You can still recover what you are owed. The emails, the brief, the quote and the delivered work all show what was agreed, and a client who has used what you made is in a weak position to say it was worthless. Pull the trail together before you chase, because every later step relies on it.

Should I treat one late payment as a warning sign for future work?

Yes. A client who is late once without explanation is likely to be late again. Ask for a deposit or staged payments on the next job, shorten your terms, and check a new client's company on Companies House before you start.

Freelance client not paying? What to do next

Being owed money by a client is worse when you work alone. There is no finance team to chase, no credit controller to take the awkward call, and the invoice you are waiting for may be the one that pays your own bills. The good news is that a freelancer or contractor billing a business has the same rights as any other creditor, and a clear, dated process usually works better than a heated email.

Start with the paperwork

Before you chase, pull everything together in one folder: the quote or contract, the original brief, every change request, proof that you delivered, and the invoice itself with its due date. If you never signed a contract, the emails and the delivered work still show what was agreed. Whatever happens next, you will need this trail, whether it ends up in front of an agency, a court or just a client who stops arguing once they see you have it.

If the client is raising complaints about the work, that is a separate problem with its own steps: see what to do when a customer disputes the invoice.

Know who you are chasing

Search the name on your invoice on Companies House. A limited company is a separate legal person, so the debt is the company’s. A sole trader is different: the debt is personal to them, which changes the letters you send, and partnerships bring their own rules. Who you can chase sets out the difference. If the invoice went to a creative or marketing agency, check whether it was their own client who commissioned you, because the contract is still with whoever hired you.

Chase on a schedule, not on a mood

Decide the dates before the invoice goes out, so that chasing is routine rather than personal.

The day after the due date: a short, friendly reminder with the invoice attached and how to pay.
A week later: a firmer message that adds interest. Business-to-business debts carry statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, plus fixed compensation per invoice of £40 under £1,000, £70 from £1,000 to £9,999.99, and £100 at £10,000 or more. Our late payment calculator works out the figure.
Two weeks after that: a letter before action with a deadline.

Statutory interest applies to business-to-business debts only. If your client is a private individual, it does not, and the steps for an individual debtor apply instead.

When the client goes quiet

Silence after a promise to pay is the usual sign that the money is not coming without pressure. Resist the urge to send a fourth, softer message. Why “I’ll give them another few days” is a mistake explains how each week of delay makes recovery harder. If the client has gone completely, the steps in you delivered the work, they disappeared cover tracing and escalation.

When a collector is worth it

Often, yes. Many agencies work on a no-collection-no-fee basis, so you pay nothing unless money comes in, and some take single invoices. Minimum debt values vary, so check before you apply: debt collection for small debts covers what to expect. For a larger invoice, or one where the client is plainly able to pay but is choosing not to, an agency with a litigation arm can issue a claim if the letters don’t work.

Court is another route. In England and Wales, small claims generally cover debts up to £10,000, in Scotland Simple Procedure goes up to £5,000, and in Northern Ireland the small claims limit is £5,000. Collection agency or small claims court compares the two.

Make it harder next time

Ask for a deposit on new clients and split big projects into stages with a payment at each one. Put your payment terms and your right to charge statutory interest in the quote, and keep them short. A client who sees clear terms from the start is far less likely to treat your invoice as the one that can wait.

The short version

Gather the paperwork, check who owes you, chase on dates you set in advance, add interest and send a letter before action. When the deadline passes, compare vetted UK debt recovery agencies on Collect Compare, with names hidden until you choose, or let us match you to a suitable fit. 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. What you can do depends on your contract and the facts, so take advice before issuing a claim.

Freelancer or agency client not paying: what to do

How to chase a client who won't pay