Guides for UK freelancers and SMEs
Plain-English explainers, tools, and templates for getting paid on time and enforcing what you're owed under UK law.
Client not paying your invoice? What to do, step by step
The practical escalation path when a client won't pay: ruling out admin slip-ups, polite chases, statutory charges, the Letter Before Action, and court — plus the mistakes to avoid.
How to chase late invoices — a practical playbook for UK freelancers
Day-by-day timeline used by professional accounts teams, adapted for solo freelancers and small businesses. Covers gentle reminders, formal letters, and when to escalate.
How much interest can you charge on a late invoice?
The statutory rate, the exact daily formula, the £40–£100 fixed recovery sums, and worked examples for typical invoice sizes.
Your legal rights when a client pays late
UK law is unusually strong on late payment — statutory interest, fixed recovery costs, six years to claim, and court access without a solicitor. Most freelancers never use any of it.
The Late Payment Act 1998 — explained for freelancers and SMEs
A plain-English guide to the UK statute that gives every business the automatic right to charge statutory interest and a fixed debt recovery cost on overdue B2B invoices.
Letter Before Action — how and when to send one
The formal pre-court letter that gets most stubborn invoices paid: what it must contain, response windows, and how to send it properly.
Taking an unpaid invoice to small claims court — is it worth it?
An honest cost-benefit guide to Money Claim Online: fees, timelines, what happens after filing, and enforcement if they still don't pay.
Debt collection agency, DIY, or automation?
What agencies actually charge and can actually do, when a solicitor's letter beats both, and an honest decision guide by how late the invoice is.
Invoice payment terms: 30 days, 14, or 7?
What terms to use by client type, the 30-day legal default, the 60-day cap, and how to state terms so they actually stick.
Late payment interest calculator
Free tool — plug in any overdue invoice and see what you're legally owed in statutory interest and the fixed debt recovery cost.
Free late payment letter generator
Fill in your invoice details and get a ready-to-send demand letter with the statutory interest and fixed recovery cost calculated for you.
Hielda automatically sends chase emails, calculates statutory interest daily, and applies the fixed debt recovery cost — so you don't have to.
No credit card required
