Unpaid
Invoice 1042 · Northline Studio
$2,400
44 days past due
- Polite reminder sent
- Firm late notice sent
- Demand letter — next
Unpaid invoices · Canada and the United States
Get paid by the clients who ghost you.
GetPaid Kit walks a freelancer from a polite reminder to a firm late notice, then a demand letter, then a small-claims evidence pack. You supply the invoice, the dates, and what was agreed. The kit keeps that paper trail in order.
This is not legal advice.
GetPaid Kit is not a law firm, and nothing here creates a lawyer-client relationship. Deadlines, interest, and what a demand letter may say change by province, territory, and state. The kit starts with Canada and the United States, and the rules inside those countries are not the same. If the amount is large or the client disputes the work, talk to a lawyer licensed where you would file.
The problem
The money is late. The record is a mess.
The note you never send
You rewrite “just checking in” until it sounds either timid or angry, then leave it in drafts. The due date gets older while you look for the right tone.
A thread with no facts
The emails say hello and hope you’re well. They do not name the invoice number, the amount, the original terms, or the date you expect to be paid.
A claim without a timeline
Small claims asks what happened, in order. The proof is still split across a PDF, an inbox, and a text. Reconstructing it the night before is how details get dropped.
How the escalation works
Four steps, and then you stop guessing.
Each step is a document you can actually send or file away. The kit does not invent fees, and it does not tell you to threaten anything you will not do.
01
Polite reminder
A few days after the due date. It names the invoice, the amount, and a date you can still be paid without a fuss. It assumes the invoice was missed, not refused.
02
Firm late notice
The balance, the terms you agreed, and what happens next if it stays unpaid. Direct, and still professional. No threat you do not mean to follow through on.
03
Demand letter
Who owes what, since when, and the date you expect payment. Written so you can attach it later. It is a record of the demand, not a court filing, and not advice about what your province or state allows you to say.
04
Evidence pack
A timeline, the invoices, and the communications, in order. A clerk, a mediator, or you in six months can follow the story without opening the inbox.
A sample of what you get
The letter, and the pack behind it.
Sample only. Avery Chen, Northline Studio, the dates, and the $2,400 are fictional. Your documents have to match your contract and the rules where you would file.
Sample demand letter
Invoice 1042
$2,400 CAD
From: Avery Chen, illustration To: Northline Studio Re: Invoice 1042 — $2,400 CAD — due 12 March 2026 The illustrations were delivered on 28 February 2026. The invoice went out the same day, due in 14 days under the written estimate. A reminder was sent on 19 March. A late notice was sent on 2 April. The balance is still unpaid. Please pay $2,400 CAD by 16 May 2026. If it is still unpaid after that date, I intend to consider a claim in small claims court in Ontario. This letter records the demand. It is not a court filing, and it is not legal advice.
Sample evidence pack
Timeline
| Date | What happened | In the pack |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Feb | Work delivered. Invoice 1042 sent. | Invoice, delivery email |
| 12 Mar | Due date passed. | Estimate with Net 14 |
| 19 Mar | Polite reminder. | |
| 2 Apr | Firm late notice. | |
| 28 Apr | Demand letter. | Letter, send receipt |
Price test
Hold an early price. Nothing is charged today.
Two prices, so we can see which one freelancers actually want. Joining the waitlist reserves that price if GetPaid Kit ships. There is no checkout on this page.
Questions
Before you reserve a price.
Is this legal advice?
No. GetPaid Kit is not legal advice, not a law firm, and not a substitute for a lawyer. Court rules, limitation periods, interest, service of documents, and what you may put in a demand letter vary by jurisdiction. We are starting with Canada and the United States, and a letter that is ordinary in one province or state can be the wrong letter in another. You are responsible for what you send. If a client disputes the work, or the amount would hurt to lose, get advice from someone licensed where you would file.
Will this file a claim for me?
No. The fourth step prepares an evidence pack: a timeline, the invoices, and the communications. You file, or you hire someone who can. The kit does not submit forms, serve a defendant, or appear anywhere.
What do the four steps produce?
A polite reminder, a firm late notice, a demand letter, and a small-claims evidence pack. They stay inside what you can support: the invoice, the agreement, and the dates. They do not invent penalties or threaten criminal action.
Why $9 a month or $29 once?
This page is a demand test. $9/month is for keeping the kit while you have active clients. $29 is one collection, from reminder through evidence pack. We want to know which price people will actually reserve. Neither price is being charged today.
Do you take payment now?
No. There is no card form and no checkout. “Reserve early price” means we record which price you asked us to hold, and we email you if the kit opens.
What if the contract already says how to chase payment?
Use that. The kit asks for the terms you actually agreed. It does not override a contract, a platform’s dispute process, or a lawyer’s advice.
I don’t invoice in Canada or the US.
You can still join the list and choose “Somewhere else.” The first version of the documents is aimed at Canada and the United States. Other places are a signal, not a promise that the letters fit local rules.
What do you store?
The email you submit, the price you want held, where you invoice (if you tell us), and the time you signed up. We also keep two counters: page views and signups. We do not store invoice files, client names, or message contents on this page. We do not sell the list.