Late fees and payment reminders

FirstSlate can nudge a client automatically as a due date approaches or passes, and can charge a configurable late fee once an invoice goes overdue. Both live on the invoice itself, so terms can differ project to project.

Where to find it

Open any invoice that isn't fully paid and scroll to its Late fees and Payment reminders sections. Both sections stay visible and editable on a Draft as well as after the invoice has been sent, unless the invoice is Paid or Voided.

Configuring a late fee

Choose a Late fee type: None, Percentage, or Flat amount. Once a type is set, you can configure the Late fee % or Late fee amount, whether it Applies one time or monthly (compounds), a Grace period (days) setting how many days after the due date the fee waits before applying, and an Auto-apply when overdue toggle that has FirstSlate add the fee automatically once it's due, rather than you applying it yourself.

If a late fee came from a signed proposal (shown with a Per signed proposal label), those terms are locked while the invoice is still a Draft. After the invoice is sent, you can lower the fee, extend the grace period, or turn it off, but you can't raise it above what the client already agreed to.

Applying the fee

If auto-apply is on, a daily job checks overdue invoices and adds the fee automatically once the grace period passes, emailing the client a notice. For a compounding monthly fee, it re-applies roughly every 30 days as long as the balance stays unpaid.

If auto-apply is off, you apply it yourself: an amber Late fee ready to apply prompt appears on the invoice with a one-click Apply Late Fee button. Either way, an applied fee appears in the Applied Fees list, and you can waive it afterward with Waive silently or Waive + notify client.

Note: Late fee laws vary by jurisdiction. FirstSlate shows a reminder to consult a legal or financial professional when configuring one, and doesn't validate your terms against local law.

Payment reminder emails

The Payment reminders section has two rows of toggle buttons. Before due date offers 7 days before, 3 days before, 1 day before, and on the due date. After due date (overdue notices) offers 1, 3, 7, 15, or 30 days overdue. Toggle on any combination and FirstSlate emails your client automatically on the matching day, for as long as the invoice stays unpaid. A Pause all reminders toggle appears once at least one is turned on, letting you stop the automated emails for that invoice without clearing your selections.

You can also send a reminder by hand at any time from the invoice's More actions menu, choosing Send Reminder. It opens a live preview of the email before you send it, with room for a personal message.

Overdue indicators in your dashboard

Dashboard → Invoices has a dedicated Overdue tab, and a banner at the top of the page counts how many invoices are currently past due. Overdue invoices are also grouped into aging buckets, 1 to 30 days overdue, 31 to 60 days, and 60-plus days, so you can see how far behind a balance is at a glance.

Common questions

Do reminders and late fees apply to milestone invoices?

Reminders apply to the invoice as a whole. Late fees are charged against whatever installment is currently due, not the full project value, so a fee on a partially paid milestone schedule reflects only the outstanding balance.

Will a client get a reminder if I've paused them?

No. Pausing stops every automated reminder for that invoice, before and after the due date, until you turn it back on.

Can I remove a late fee once it's been charged?

Yes, waive it from the Applied Fees list. Waiving doesn't refund anything already paid, it removes the fee from what's still owed and optionally notifies the client.