It can happen that your customer loses sight of or overlooks your invoice and, as a result, does not pay you before the payment term has expired. But what now? We would like to explain the steps you can take now.
First of all, it is important to check whether you have definitely included a payment term on your invoice. If you see that it has already passed a few days, you can e-mail or call your customer to check whether they have remembered to pay your invoice.
Payment reminder after 30 days 📆
If you can’t reach your customer, you can send a paper payment reminder. You usually do this after 30 days. This reminder looks like your invoice and therefore contains the same information, but this time you clearly state the word ‘payment reminder’ at the top and add a new payment term. A new payment term of 14 days is usually chosen. Send this document by post or by email. Do not immediately assume bad will on the part of your customer. It could still be an administrative error.
Is the customer refusing to pay?
Then view this blog article!
Second payment reminder
Has the new payment term expired and you still haven’t heard anything? Then try calling your customer again. If another week has then passed, you can send a second payment reminder with a new payment term – again of 14 days. This is the last payment reminder you should send.
Notice of default or aanmaning🧑⚖️
If this second reminder and (an attempted) telephone call do not yield any results, you can consider next steps. This starts with a formal notice, a document that you send by registered mail, stating the amount your customer still owes you and the new payment deadline. Give your customer another two weeks. Finally, you can start the help of a collection agency. This will cost the customer extra. So let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
