Unpaid client recovery
Unless you explicitly agreed to a pay-when-paid arrangement in writing, their client's payment schedule is not your problem and does not change your due date. Say so plainly and without hostility, then ask for either payment or one exact date. Accepting this reasoning once tends to make it permanent.
Paste something like this into Varko and it produces the plan below. Every word of that output is generated on your device from the facts in the paragraph.
Client Lantern Agency owes $2,200 for design work I delivered as a subcontractor. The invoice is 33 days overdue. They say they cannot pay until their own client pays them, and the due date was agreed in writing.
Varko reads$2,200 · Lantern Agency · 33 days overdue · design work
Enough time has passed and you have a written anchor to be more direct while staying factual.
Hi Lantern Agency, I'm checking in on payment for design work. The amount still open is $2,200, and it is 33 days past due. This follows the payment date we agreed to in writing. Please send payment today or reply with the exact payment date so I can close this out on my side. I would like to resolve this cleanly and close the payment record.
Click or tap the template to select all of it.
Limited. Your position is limited, so the safest move is a clean record and a short deadline.
Send the plain reminder today and avoid threats. The goal is to create a clear written trail before deciding what to do next.
Ask for payment or one exact payment date.
Move from reminder to firm deadline.
Send the final written follow-up and stop the open-ended thread.
Hi Lantern Agency, I have not seen payment or a clear payment date for design work. Amount due: $2,200 Status: 33 days past due Please send payment or confirm the payment date within 24 hours. Since the work has already been delivered, I want the next step confirmed in writing.
Hi Lantern Agency, This is my final written follow-up on the unpaid balance for design work. Amount due: $2,200 Status: 33 days past due Please send payment or reply with a clear payment date within 48 hours. If I do not hear back, I will stop treating this as an active project thread and organize the record before deciding the next practical step. This note is meant to keep the facts clear and give us one more chance to resolve it directly.
It depends on your jurisdiction and whether it was actually agreed in writing before the work started. Restricted or unenforceable in some places, valid in others. If a large amount rides on it, get real advice rather than accepting the claim.
Keep it factual and short. Confirm the agreed date, ask for a payment date, and avoid making it a matter of principle. Agencies that keep working with you are usually the ones you were straightforward with.
Only with terms that account for it: larger deposits, staged payments, and final delivery after final payment. Otherwise you are financing their cash flow at your own risk.
Varko is not a law firm and this is not legal advice. It helps you write clear, factual messages and keep an organised record. For large amounts or a genuine legal dispute, get advice from a qualified professional in your jurisdiction.