A statement is what gets old invoices paid
Not a chasing email. One page listing everything outstanding, with dates, sent to the person who runs the payment run.
Chasing individual invoices puts the work on the customer: they have to find each one, check it, and decide about it separately. A statement puts everything in front of them at once and makes the total visible. "Four invoices, 8,400 outstanding, oldest one 74 days" is a different conversation from "any update on invoice 1042".
It also catches the invoice they never received. That is more common than anyone admits, and it is usually why the oldest item on the list has been sitting there.
It is a summary, not a demand
That is why it works, and why it should not read like a threat.
A statement says here is the position on your account as at today. It is not a new invoice, it does not create a new debt, and it does not replace the invoices on it. Keep the tone flat. The documents that get paid fastest are the ones that read like admin rather than conflict, because the person opening it is usually not the person who decided not to pay you.
If it comes to formal recovery, the escalation is statutory interest and compensation, and that is a separate letter. Do not mix the two.
Ageing is what makes it work
Put the oldest at the top and show how long each one has been outstanding.
A list sorted by invoice number hides the problem. A list where the top line is 90 days old makes it obvious, to them and to you. Accounts departments work to their own logic, and a 90 day item sitting at the top of a page is far more likely to get pulled into this week's run than the same figure buried in the middle.
Standard buckets are current, 30, 60 and 90 plus. You do not need software for it: what matters is that each line carries its invoice date and the reader can see which end is which.
Only put real, undisputed items on it
One wrong line and the whole statement gets ignored.
- Take off anything already paid. A statement chasing money that landed last week costs you your credibility for the rest of it.
- Take off anything credited. If you have issued a credit note, net it off or show it as a line, but do not leave the original sitting at full value.
- Leave off genuinely disputed items, or mark them clearly as in dispute. Mixing a contested invoice in with clean ones gives them a reason to park all of it.
- Check retention. Money held under a contract is not overdue, and claiming it is undermines the rest of the page.
When to send one
Monthly, to every customer with anything outstanding, on the same date each month.
Doing it on a schedule rather than when you are annoyed changes how it lands. It becomes a routine document their accounts team expects, rather than an escalation. Send it a few working days before their payment run rather than just after, and send it to accounts payable rather than to your contact on site, who cannot pay you.
A debtor list is the most sensitive page here
No sign up, no email, no watermark, no cap on how many invoices you list. Your logo and details come from your branding.
Built in your browser, so your debtor list, which is about as commercially sensitive as your paperwork gets, never reaches a server.
Common questions
What is a statement of account and how is it different from chasing an invoice?
It is one page listing everything a customer owes, with dates, sent to whoever runs their payment run. Chasing individual invoices puts the work on the customer to find and check each one separately, while a statement puts the whole position and the total in front of them at once.
Can a statement of account help with an invoice that was never paid because it was never received?
Yes, that is one of the things it catches. A missing invoice is more common than people admit, and it is often the reason the oldest item on a statement has been sitting there unpaid.
Should a statement of account read like a formal demand?
No, keep the tone flat. A statement says here is the position on your account as at today: it is not a new invoice and does not create a new debt. Documents that read like admin rather than conflict tend to get paid faster, because the person opening it is often not the person who decided not to pay.
Why does the oldest invoice need to be at the top?
Because ageing is what makes a statement work. A list sorted by invoice number hides the problem, while a list where the top line is 90 days old makes it obvious to everyone, and accounts departments are more likely to pull an old item into that week's payment run.
Should I include invoices that are already paid or disputed?
No. Take off anything already paid or already credited, and either leave off genuinely disputed items or mark them clearly as in dispute. One wrong line on a statement gives the customer a reason to ignore the whole thing.
How often should a statement of account be sent?
Monthly, to every customer with anything outstanding, on the same date each month, sent to accounts payable rather than to a site contact who cannot pay you. Doing it on a schedule makes it a routine document their accounts team expects rather than an escalation.