Words to send · Getting paid
How to tell a client you’re pausing work until they pay
Once, plainly, with the date, the amount and what happens next: “I’ll pause the project from Friday until invoice 1042 is paid, and pick it up the day it is.” No anger, no ultimatum beyond the facts. Sent after the reminders, not instead of them.
When to send it: After two or three reminders have gone unanswered.
The message
Subject: Invoice 1042 and the project
Hi Sam, Invoice 1042 for $2,500 was due on October 12 and is still open. I’ll pause work on the project from Friday until it’s paid, and pick it up the same day it is. The payment link is below. If something’s wrong with the invoice, tell me and we’ll sort it. Maya
Why it works
- It’s a statement of what you’ll do, not a threat about what you might.
- Picking it up the same day makes paying the obvious next step.
- An offer to fix the invoice gives a client with a real problem a way to say so.
What not to say
- Pausing without telling them.
- Sending it before any reminder.