## The cashflow problem that isn't really a client problem Every tradesperson has felt this. The job's finished, the invoice went out, the client seemed happy, and three weeks later there's still no payment in the account. You want to chase, but you don't want to sound pushy — especially with a repeat client. So you wait another week. And another. Cashflow tightens. The problem isn't the client. The problem is that chasing is on your to-do list at all. ## The average paid-when' timeline for UK trades Trade invoices to homeowners typically settle in 3–21 days when a card link is included on the invoice. Without a payment link they stretch to 14–45 days. Commercial and letting-agent clients are worse — 30–75 days is normal, and 90+ days isn't rare. The single biggest predictor of how quickly you get paid isn't the client's finances. It's how easy you make paying. ## What automated invoice reminders actually look like Done well, automated invoice chasing is polite, well-timed and completely non-confrontational. A first friendly nudge at day 3 ('just checking this landed with you, one-tap pay link here'); a soft reminder at day 7 with the same link; a more direct message at day 14 including your standard terms; and — for the rare 30+ day case — a personal SMS from you. Roughly 70–80% of invoices settle at step 1 or 2. You almost never end up doing the awkward personal chase. ## Why tone is the whole game The tradespeople who get automated chasing wrong send messages that sound like a debt collector. The ones who get it right send messages that sound like the same person who showed up to fix their tap. Warm, brief, no drama, one-tap link. Clients pay faster and don't feel harassed. Our [AI for Trades and Home Services](/trades) ships with a message library co-written with real UK trades — you edit two lines and it sounds like you. ## Card and Open Banking links do most of the work The single biggest change is making paying you take five seconds. A one-tap Stripe or GoCardless link inside the reminder message, or an Open Banking bank-to-bank link that's fee-free for higher-value invoices, will move your paid-in-full timeline from three weeks to three days on the majority of jobs. ## Deposits, stage payments and change orders Automation also lets you take a deposit at the point of booking (30–50% is standard for larger installs and complete rewires), stage payments on multi-day jobs, and change-order pricing acknowledgments in writing before they escalate into disputes. All of it happens in the background while you're on the tools. ## What this doesn't do It doesn't recover a genuinely bad debt. It doesn't threaten anyone. It doesn't damage the relationship with a slow-but-reliable client. What it does is remove the low-drama friction that's currently costing you two weeks of cashflow on every job. ## Where to start Automated invoice reminders and payment links are included from the Trades Starter tier at £197/month — see [pricing](/pricing). Most tradespeople see paid-in-full timelines halve inside the first month. ## Book a free 30-minute AI audit We'll review your current invoice-to-paid timeline and set up automated reminders in your voice, live on your account. [Book a Free AI Audit](/contact).