Late payment as a UK freelancer: how to get paid on time

Updated October 2026.

Doing the work is the easy bit. Getting paid for it on time is where a lot of freelancers come unstuck. In Bectu's Big Survey of creative freelancers, only 48% said they're always paid on time, and 37% said late payment had hit their cash flow or pushed them into debt. Here's how to invoice so you get paid, what to charge when you aren't, and what's changing.

Agree your terms before you start

Put your payment terms in writing before you start, in the quote or booking email. If you don't agree a date, GOV.UK says a business payment counts as late 30 days after the client gets your invoice or you deliver the work, whichever is later. Agreed terms between businesses should usually be no longer than 60 days, or 30 days for public bodies.

On bigger jobs, ask for a deposit up front. Still working out what to charge? See our guide to freelance day rates in the UK, or where to find freelance creative work if you want more clients to choose from.

What to put on every invoice

GOV.UK's invoicing rules say an invoice must include:

a unique invoice number
your name and any business name you use, plus your address and contact details
the client's name and address
a clear description of the work, and the date you did it
the invoice date
the amounts charged, any VAT, and the total owed

If you trade under a business name, you also need an address where legal documents can reach you. On top of that, add your payment terms, your bank details and a line saying you'll charge statutory interest on late payments.

What you can charge when a client pays late

If your client is a business, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 lets you add statutory interest of 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, unless your contract sets a different rate. The base rate used is the one in force on 30 June for debts that go overdue between July and December, and on 31 December for the rest of the year. The base rate was 3.75% on 30 June 2026, so invoices that go overdue between 1 July and 31 December 2026 attract 11.75% a year.

You can also claim a fixed sum for the cost of chasing, once per invoice:

Invoice value	Fixed sum
Under £1,000	£40
£1,000 to £9,999.99	£70
£10,000 or more	£100

Say a £1,500 invoice is 30 days overdue. Interest is £1,500 × 11.75% = £176.25 a year, or about 48p a day, so £14.49 after 30 days. Add the £70 fixed sum and you can claim £84.49 on top of the invoice. To claim it, send a new invoice for the interest and compensation.

These rules cover business clients. They don't apply if you're working directly for a private individual, such as a couple booking a wedding photographer, so set clear terms in your contract instead.

How to chase without losing the client

It's easy to put off chasing when you're worried about the next job. Bectu's Philippa Childs has said many creative freelancers fear that complaining could cost them work. A routine keeps it professional, not personal.

Send a friendly reminder the day after the due date, with the invoice attached.
Follow up after a week, and mention that statutory interest now applies.
Pick up the phone. Ask who signs off payments and when the next payment run is.
Send a final letter with a clear deadline, the interest and fixed sum added, and a note that you'll start a court claim if it isn't paid.

If they still won't pay

In England and Wales, you can make a money claim online through the county court. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own processes. Court fees start at £35 for claims up to £300 and are £80 for claims between £1,000.01 and £1,500, and you may be able to claim them back if you win.

If you have fewer than 50 employees and a large UK business with more than 50 owes you money, you can also complain to the Small Business Commissioner. The payment must have been due in the past 12 months, and you need to have tried to sort it out with the client first.

What's changing

The Commercial Payments Bill has passed the House of Lords and is now in the Commons. The government says late payment costs the UK economy £11 billion a year and closes 38 businesses a day. The Bill would:

cap payment terms at 60 days when large firms pay smaller suppliers
make late payment interest of 8% above the base rate mandatory
let the Small Business Commissioner investigate poor payers, settle disputes and fine persistent offenders
put a time limit on raising disputes over payments

It isn't law yet, so the rules above still apply.

Where Bconn fits

Bconn is a live map of the creatives around you. Working with people you can actually meet makes it easier to agree terms face to face and to follow up in person when an invoice slips. And when you need someone for a job, you can drop a Bconn instead of hoping a stranger online pays up.

Sources

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