Free Late Fee Calculator

Enter your invoice amount, due date, and fee rate to see exactly how many days overdue it is, the late fee, and the total amount owed. Free, and no signup needed.

Leave blank to use today's date.
Days Overdue0
Late Fee$0
Total Amount Owed$0

Once the late fee is paid, keep every invoice, reminder, and payment in one place.

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Why use a late fee calculator?

Chasing an overdue invoice is awkward enough without also doing the math by hand. This calculator takes your invoice amount, due date, and fee rate and instantly shows how many days overdue the payment is, exactly what the late fee comes to, and the new total your client owes, so the number you send them is correct the first time.

How is a late fee calculated?

Most businesses charge a late fee one of two ways: a flat one-time amount, or a percentage of the invoice that accrues for each month it stays unpaid.

Flat fee: Late Fee = Flat Amount (applied once the invoice is overdue) Percentage per month: Late Fee = Invoice Amount x (Monthly Rate / 100) x (Days Overdue / 30)

Pick whichever method matches what you actually put in your contract or invoice terms. The calculator switches the input label automatically depending on which type you choose.

How does this calculator work?

Enter the invoice amount, the date it was due, and, if you want to check the fee as of a date other than today, an as-of date. Choose whether your late fee is a flat dollar amount or a percentage that accrues monthly, enter the rate, and the days overdue, late fee, and total amount owed update as you type. Click "Show suggested reminder message" for a ready-to-send, polite reminder built from your own numbers.

Do I need to tell clients about the late fee first?

Yes. A late fee is far easier to collect, and far less likely to be disputed, when it was disclosed in writing before the work started, whether that is in a contract, a signed estimate, or the payment terms printed on the original invoice. Applying a fee a client was never told about tends to create a billing dispute instead of a payment.

State laws and late fee limits

Late fee rules are not the same everywhere. Some states cap the annual rate a business can charge before it is treated as an interest charge subject to lending or usury laws, and the rules differ for B2B versus consumer invoices. Check your own state's specific requirements, or ask an attorney, before finalizing the rate you put in your contracts and invoices.

Tips for setting a late fee policy

Put it in writingState the rate and when it applies in your contract or invoice terms upfront.
Give a grace periodMany businesses wait a few days past the due date before a fee kicks in.
Check your state's rulesSome states cap the rate you can charge before it counts as interest.
Send a reminder firstA polite nudge before the fee applies often gets the invoice paid without one.
Apply it consistentlyCharging the fee for some clients and waiving it for others invites disputes.

This calculator provides estimates for planning purposes. Actual late fee terms are set by the agreement between you and your client, and may be subject to state law.

Stop calculating late fees by hand every time.

Set your payment terms once in Billbooks and send professional invoices, reminders, and receipts from one account.

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FAQs

Your invoice amount, the date it was due, and your late fee type and rate. You can also set an as-of date if you want to check the fee for a date other than today, it defaults to today if left blank.

A flat fee is a fixed dollar amount charged once the invoice is overdue, regardless of how many days late it is. A percentage fee accrues based on how overdue the invoice is, calculated as a percentage of the invoice amount per month.

It depends on your state. Some states cap the annual rate a late fee can charge before it is treated as interest under lending or usury law, and rules can differ between business and consumer invoices. Check your state's specific rules, or ask an attorney, before finalizing your rate.

You can try, but it is far more likely to be disputed. A late fee is easiest to collect when it was disclosed in writing before the work started, in a contract, a signed estimate, or the payment terms on the original invoice.

A short, polite payment reminder built from your own numbers, the invoice amount, how many days overdue it is, the late fee, and the new total owed. Click "Show suggested reminder message" and copy it to send to your client.

Yes. It is completely free, with no signup and no credit card. Enter your numbers and see your results right away.

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