Client Contact Left or Changed and Your Invoice Is Unpaid: Email Templates

Your contact changed jobs, went on leave, or was replaced, and now your invoice is sitting in an inbox nobody reads. This is one of the most common reasons good clients pay late. You are not chasing a bad payer; you are re-introducing an invoice to someone who has never seen it. Make it effortless for them to approve.

Signs the invoice is stuck because of a handover

• You get an out-of-office or auto-reply saying the person has left or to contact someone else.
• Replies stop suddenly after a period of normal communication.
• A new name appears on project emails, but nobody mentions your invoice.

How to re-route it fast

• Ask the old contact's auto-reply, a teammate, or the general accounts address who now owns the project or approves vendor invoices.
• Write to the new person as if they know nothing: who you are, what you delivered, the invoice number, amount, due date, and a fresh copy attached.
• Copy accounts payable when you have the address, so approval and payment move in parallel.
• Ask for one thing only: confirmation it is approved and a payment date.

Free template 1: Find out who now owns the invoice

Replace every [bracket] before sending.

Hi [Teammate or Team Name],

I have been working with [Old Contact] on [Project]. I understand they are no longer handling it, and invoice [Invoice #] for [Amount] (due [Due Date]) is still open.

Could you point me to the person who now approves this work or handles vendor payments? A name and email is all I need.

Thanks for your help,
[Your Name]

Free template 2: Introduce yourself and the invoice to the new contact

Replace every [bracket] before sending.

Hi [New Contact Name],

I am [Your Name], the [your role, e.g. freelance designer] who worked with [Old Contact] on [Project]. Welcome to the project.

One item carried over in the handover: invoice [Invoice #] for [Amount], issued [Invoice Date] and due [Due Date], covering [one-line summary of delivered work]. A fresh copy is attached, along with [the approved quote / sign-off email] for context.

Could you confirm it is approved and let me know the expected payment date? If it needs to go through a different approver or a new PO, I am happy to resubmit.

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Free template 3: Follow up when the new contact has not replied (5 business days)

Replace every [bracket] before sending.

Hi [New Contact Name],

Following up on invoice [Invoice #] ([Amount]), now [Days Late] days past its [Due Date] due date. I know inheriting a project means a lot of catching up, so I have copied [AP Email] to keep things moving.

Could one of you confirm a payment date by [Reply-by Date]? If anything is missing on my side, tell me and I will send it the same day.

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Free sample: try one email from the full pack before you buy.

Free mini-pack: 3 more follow-up templates (HTML + PDF), no signup.

Related guides

• Email accounts payable about an unpaid invoice
• Invoice sent to the wrong email
• What to say when a client ghosts after an invoice
• Client not responding to invoice
• Second payment reminder

Practical communication guidance only, not legal advice. Payment terms, late fees, and collection options depend on your contract and jurisdiction.