How to use these
Open ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot on your phone. The free versions are fine, and most let you talk instead of type. Paste a prompt, swap the [brackets] for your own details, and read the answer before you send it.
A 2026 survey of UK owner-operators found about eight hours a week going on admin, much of it in the evening, and the job people most wanted off their plate was invoicing and chasing payment. These ten prompts cover that job from first quote to final reminder.
AI is good at wording and bad at arithmetic. Type the prices in yourself and add them up yourself. Leave names and bank details out of the prompt, yours and the customer's, and add them after you copy the answer.
Before the job
A quote from your notes in five minutes
You've seen the job and want the price sent tonight.
Turn these notes into a clear quote for a customer. The job: [what you'll do]. Price: [amount], which includes [materials, labour, VAT or not]. Not included: [extras]. Start date: [date]. How long it will take: [time]. Payment terms: [e.g. 30% deposit, the rest on completion, within 7 days]. Plain English, short paragraphs, easy to say yes to. Do not change any of my numbers.
Tip: Say your notes out loud with the microphone button. It's faster than typing.
Chase a quote without sounding desperate
You quoted a week ago and heard nothing.
Write a short, friendly text to a customer I quoted for [job] on [date]. Ask if they have any questions and mention I have space from [date]. No pressure. Under 50 words.
Ask for a deposit
You want money in before you buy materials.
Write a polite message asking for a [amount or %] deposit before I start [job] on [date]. Explain in one line that it covers materials. Say they can pay by [bank transfer, card, link] and leave a gap for the details. Friendly and matter-of-fact, under 80 words.
Put your terms in plain English
You've never written your payment terms down.
Write short payment terms I can put at the bottom of my quotes and invoices. I am a [your trade] in the UK. Payment is due [e.g. within 7 days of the invoice]. I take [bank transfer, card]. Deposits are [refundable or not, and when]. Extra work is [priced and agreed before it starts]. Five short lines, plain English, firm but friendly.
Tip: If you work for members of the public, they may have a legal right to cancel, especially when the job is agreed in their home. Check the rules before you call a deposit non-refundable.
When the job is done
Wording for the invoice
The work is finished and you want the invoice out the same day.
Write the wording for an invoice email. Leave a gap for the customer's name. Job: [what was done] finished on [date]. Amount due: [amount]. Due by: [date]. Say payment is by [bank transfer, card] and leave a gap for the details. Thank them for the work in one line and ask them to reply if anything is unclear. Under 90 words. Do not change any of my numbers.
Thank you, and a review
They've paid and they're happy.
Write a short thank-you message to a customer who has just paid for [job]. Ask if they'd leave a review on [Google, Checkatrade, Facebook] and include this link: [link]. Warm, not pushy. Under 60 words.
When the money is late
Send these in order. Most late payers are forgetful, not difficult, and the first one usually does it.
Reminder one: the friendly nudge
The invoice is a few days late.
Write a friendly reminder for an invoice that is [number] days overdue. Leave a gap for the customer's name. Invoice for [job], [amount], was due on [date]. Assume they have simply forgotten. Leave a gap for how to pay. Under 60 words.
Reminder two: firm and clear
Two weeks late and no reply.
Write a firmer but still polite second reminder. Invoice for [job], [amount], was due on [date] and I reminded them on [date]. Ask for payment by [new date] and ask them to tell me today if there is a problem. No threats. Under 80 words.
Offer a payment plan
They've told you they can't pay it all at once.
Write a message offering a payment plan for an overdue invoice of [amount]. The plan: [e.g. three payments of X on these dates]. Ask them to confirm in writing by replying to this message. Understanding in tone, but clear that the plan needs to be kept. Under 90 words.
The final reminder
A month late and still nothing.
Write a final reminder for an invoice of [amount] for [job], due on [date]. I have reminded them on [dates]. Say that if it is not paid by [date] I will [the next step you have decided on]. Calm and factual, no insults, under 100 words.
Tip: Only name a step you will really take. If your customer is another business, UK law lets you add interest and a fixed charge to a late invoice. Read the rules on GOV.UK before you mention it.
For late payments from business customers, see late commercial payments on GOV.UK. This guide helps with the wording. It is not legal advice.
Make it a habit
- Save your best quote, invoice and reminder as notes on your phone.
- Send the invoice the day the job ends. The longer you wait, the longer they do.
- Put a reminder in your calendar for the due date, so chasing starts on day one.
- Once a month, ask AI to tidy a list of who owes what. Leave the names out and use "Customer A".