Unpaid client recovery
At 90 days overdue, sending another follow-up rarely changes the outcome on its own. Send one final written notice with a deadline, then make an actual decision: accept a written payment plan, escalate formally, or write it off and close the file. Leaving it open indefinitely costs you more than the invoice.
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 Pinewood Retail owes $5,600 for an ecommerce build I delivered. The invoice is 90 days overdue. I have a signed contract and they paid a 30% deposit, but they stopped replying four weeks ago.
Varko reads$5,600 · Pinewood Retail · 90 days overdue · ecommerce build
Enough time has passed and you have a written anchor to be more direct while staying factual.
Hi Pinewood Retail, I'm checking in on payment for ecommerce build. The amount still open is $5,600, and it is 90 days past due. This follows the written scope we agreed to. 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.
Moderate. Your position is workable, but the message should stay tightly tied to facts.
Send the plain reminder today, then move to the firm follow-up if they stay silent.
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 Pinewood Retail, I have not seen payment or a clear payment date for ecommerce build. Amount due: $5,600 Status: 90 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 Pinewood Retail, This is my final written follow-up on the unpaid balance for ecommerce build. Amount due: $5,600 Status: 90 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 the amount, the evidence you hold, and what pursuing it costs you in time. The mistake is not writing it off, it is leaving it undecided for months while it quietly occupies your attention.
Yes. A paid deposit is evidence the client accepted the engagement and the terms, which makes the rest of the balance much harder to dispute later.
Often, yes. Age alone does not void a debt. What weakens over time is your evidence and your leverage, which is why organising the record early matters more than the number of reminders you sent.
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.