Letting invoices sit unpaid is just bad practice. Banks like to see businesses collecting invoices within 60 days, preferably 45; any invoice older than 120 days is generally considered to be uncollectable. The longer a client delays paying, the lower your invoice sinks in the pile and the more your client “forgets” how much he needed or wanted your service. Besides which—you earned the money, and you need it. We’ll help you get it. First, try to avoid ever having to use this form by taking a few simple steps to protect yourself. Always use one of FastDue’s agreement forms to ensure that both you and your client understand and agree on the scope of the project, terms, payment dates etc. before you start work. Establish late payment fees, interest and the client’s responsibility for any necessary collection fees, as allowable by your state (check sites like YourFreeLegalForms.com or FindLaw.com for information). Then, as soon as your job is complete, send out your invoice. FastDue.com’s free and interactive invoicing system with the option of automatic repeat reminders will prevent most problems. Tip: A glance at your free account overview will tell you instantly which accounts have moved out of the 30-days net zone and into dangerous territory. PastDue comes in when you need to go after old unpaid invoices or send a stronger message to current clients. Never, ever, get nasty. It makes you look unprofessional and almost never achieves a good result—you will simply burn bridges with a client who may be forgetful or in a temporary financial jam, and you may well generate bad publicity for your business. PastDue creates a professional and neutral third party layer between you and your delinquent client. Tip: PastDue, like FastDue, allows you to copy the invoice to several people. Be sure to copy your personal contact as well as the bookkeeper and/or accounting department. The person you dealt with may well intervene on your behalf. PastDue invoices work as intuitively as FastDue invoices. Upload your logo for a customized look, input details of the product or service, and write a strong header message or choose one of ours. Attach supporting documentation, including your contract and any third party vendor information. Set the repeat reminder feature, which will send notices of increasing urgency. Then hit send. PastDue will automatically calculate interest at the rate you have set with each invoice; if you have enabled the advanced features it can calculate different amounts for each line item. It will also leave a “paper trail” of ammunition and a strong timeline in the unlikely event that you have to resort to a collection agency or small claims court, or help prove the debt in your client’s bankruptcy hearing.