When a customer will not pay, first work out why. A slow payer needs a reminder. One ignoring you needs a Letter Before Action with a deadline. One who cannot pay may need an instalment plan in writing. One disputing the work needs evidence, and perhaps advice.
Ask directly, in writing, when the invoice will be paid. The answer tells you which problem you have. No reply, or no reason, usually means won’t-pay, and a Letter Before Action is the next step. ‘We can’t afford it’ means check they can pay and consider instalments. ‘The work was wrong’ means a dispute, which is a different route.
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‘Will not pay’ covers several very different situations, and each one points to a different next move.
| What they say, or do | What is really going on | Best next move |
|---|---|---|
| ‘We never got it’, or a missed payment run | Just slow: an admin delay | Resend the invoice and a polite reminder. |
| Nothing, or no reason given | Won’t pay: ignoring you | A firm reminder, then a Letter Before Action. |
| A promised date that comes and goes | Won’t pay, politely | Confirm the promise in writing; if it is missed, escalate. |
| ‘We can’t afford it right now’ | Can’t pay | Check they can pay; consider written instalments. |
| ‘The work wasn’t what we agreed’ | Disputing | Gather evidence; a genuine dispute may need advice. |
Silence is an answer. Once you have asked clearly and heard nothing, more informal chasing often changes little.
Stop sending friendly nudges and put it in writing: what is owed, why, and the date you need it by. If that is ignored, a Letter Before Action sets a formal deadline and says what happens next. The court expects you to give the debtor that chance before you claim. You can usually add statutory interest and fixed compensation under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act. The interest calculator works out the total.
If the deadline passes, the next step is a County Court claim. The step-by-step recovery guide covers each stage from here.
A customer who cannot pay is a different problem, and pushing harder does not create money that is not there.
It can be worth agreeing a realistic instalment plan in writing, with amounts and dates, rather than forcing a claim. Before you spend anything on court fees, check the debtor can actually pay. Winning a judgment against a business with no money recovers little or nothing. If instalments are missed, you are back to the won’t-pay route, with a written record of the agreed debt. If the money never comes, VAT bad debt relief can usually return the VAT you paid on the invoice.
A genuine disagreement about the work, the amount or the contract is not a late payment, and needs different handling.
Gather what shows the work was agreed and delivered: the quote or contract, the order, delivery or sign-off, and your correspondence. The evidence guide lists what supports a claim. If the dispute is genuine, consider taking your own advice. The reminder, the Letter Before Action and a default judgment are for clear, undisputed debts, and RobinReturn is built only for those.
None of this is legal advice. If the debt is disputed, consumer, or high-value and complex, consider taking your own advice. New to the terms here? See the glossary.
Usually one of four reasons. The invoice is stuck in their admin, they are choosing not to pay, they cannot afford to, or they disagree with the work or the amount. What they say, or do not say, when you ask directly tells you which one you have. That decides the next move.
If the debt is due and undisputed, stop chasing informally and put it in writing. A firm reminder, then a Letter Before Action with a clear deadline, then a County Court claim if it is still unpaid. Many invoices are paid once the debtor sees you will follow through, though every case is different and nothing is guaranteed.
Treat a broken promise like silence. Confirm any promise in writing with the amount and the date, so there is a record. If the date passes, move to the next formal step instead of accepting another verbal promise.
Can't-pay is a different problem from won't-pay. It can be worth agreeing a realistic instalment plan in writing rather than forcing a claim against a business with no money. Before you spend on court fees, check the debtor can actually pay. A judgment against an insolvent company recovers little or nothing.
A genuine dispute about the work, the amount or the contract needs different handling. Gather your evidence, and consider legal advice. The reminder and Letter Before Action route, and a default judgment, are for clear, undisputed debts. Using them to pressure a genuinely disputed debt can backfire.
Yes, for a commercial debt between businesses. Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 you can usually add statutory interest and a fixed sum of compensation (£40, £70 or £100 by invoice size) to a late B2B invoice. The interest calculator works out the running total.
Start with the lowest-friction move, a reminder while the debt is fresh, and escalate only if the customer gives you a reason to. RobinReturn is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
For undisputed invoices up to £10,000 owed by another business in England or Wales.
Related guidesHow to recover an unpaid invoice (step by step) · What evidence do I need to claim an unpaid invoice? · How to check a company can pay before you sue · All guides