How to recover overdue B2B payments in India: a complete guide for suppliers

Why overdue invoices pile up

For most small distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers, udhaar is simply how business works. You supply goods today and the buyer pays in 30, 45 or 60 days. The trouble starts when that credit quietly stretches to 90 or 120 days and nobody follows up, because following up feels awkward and you do not want to lose the customer.

Late payment is rarely about bad intent. Usually the buyer is juggling their own cash, the invoice is stuck with an accountant, or nobody has asked clearly. A calm, predictable process solves most of these cases. This guide walks through that process from the invoice you raise to the last legal option.

Start before the due date: credit terms and invoices done right

Recovery is easiest when the paperwork is clean. Before you supply on credit, get these basics in place:

• Written credit terms. Agree the credit period in writing, on a purchase order, a signed quotation, or even a WhatsApp message the buyer confirms. "Payment within 30 days of delivery" is clear; "pay when you can" is not. Written terms also matter later: a summary suit needs a written contract, and the limitation period runs from the end of a fixed credit period.
• A complete GST invoice. Include invoice number and date, buyer's legal name and GSTIN, PO reference, item details, due date, and your bank and UPI details.
• Proof of delivery. Keep a signed delivery challan, an e-way bill, or a courier receipt. Most disputes are about whether goods arrived.
• Late-payment terms. If you intend to charge interest on late payment, state it on the invoice or in the agreement.
• Your Udyam number. If you are a micro or small enterprise in manufacturing or services registered on the Udyam portal, print the Udyam number on your invoices. It tells the buyer your invoices may be covered by the MSMED Act's delayed-payment rules. Register before you sell: whether a registration made after the supply counts is currently unsettled in the Supreme Court (NBCC v. State of West Bengal, 10 January 2025, referred to a larger bench). If you are registered as a retail or wholesale trader, these rules do not help you in practice (see below).

For a deeper look at credit limits and ageing, see our guide on B2B credit and cash flow.

The escalation ladder

The core idea is simple: move one step up a ladder on a fixed calendar, and stop the moment the buyer pays. A fixed calendar removes the emotion. You are not "chasing"; you are following a process the buyer can predict.

1. Day 0: the friendly nudge

   On the due date, send a short message: who you are, the invoice number, the amount, and a UPI payment link. Attach the invoice PDF. Assume good faith. Something like: "Namaste Sharma ji, a gentle reminder that invoice 1043 for ₹48,500 is due today. The invoice and a UPI link are attached for your convenience. Thank you!"

2. Day 3: ask for a date

   If nothing has come in, ask the buyer to pick a date. A buyer who names a date is far more likely to pay than one who just says "will do". Record it.

3. Day 7: make a human call

   A call from a real person clears up most misunderstandings. Ask whether they received the invoice, whether there is any issue with the goods, and when payment will be released.

4. Day 14: offer a way out

   If the buyer is genuinely short of cash, a part-payment plan or a small discount for paying now can be better than months of waiting.

5. Day 21: send a demand letter

   A formal, polite letter on your letterhead that lists the dues and gives a final date.

6. Day 30 and later: the legal route

   If the buyer still does not pay or respond, it is time to use a formal remedy.

WhatsApp etiquette that keeps relationships intact

WhatsApp is where most Indian B2B conversations already happen, so reminders there get read. A few rules keep them effective and respectful:

• Message only between 08:00 and 19:00, and not more than once a day. This window is modelled on the Reserve Bank of India's rule for lenders' recovery agents (RBI circular dated 12 August 2022). That rule binds RBI-regulated lenders, not private suppliers, but it is good practice.
• Keep it factual: invoice number, amount, due date, link. No sarcasm, no capital letters, no voice notes in anger.
• Never threaten, never shame, and never post about a buyer's dues in groups or on social media. Threatening someone's reputation or property to make them pay can amount to criminal intimidation under Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
• Message the buyer's business contact only, never family members or unrelated people.
• If the buyer asks you to use email or another person instead, do that.

Ready-to-use wording is in our polite WhatsApp payment reminder templates.

Promise-to-pay tracking

A promise to pay is the buyer's own commitment to a specific date and amount. It is the single most useful thing you can collect.

Write down three things for every promise: the date, the amount, and who made it. On the morning of that date, send a short reminder. If the date passes without payment, call the same day and ask for a new date. Over a few months you will see which buyers keep their word and which ones keep moving the date, and you can set credit limits accordingly.

The phone call

Calls work because they are personal and two-way. Prepare before you dial: invoice numbers, amounts, delivery proof and the last promise date. Ask for the person who actually releases payments, which is often the owner or accountant rather than the purchase manager.

Keep the tone calm and curious. Ask open questions such as "Is anything holding this invoice up?" If there is a genuine dispute about quantity, quality or pricing, note it and resolve it quickly, because a disputed invoice will not be paid until it is settled. End every call with a specific date and confirm it on WhatsApp afterwards.

Settlement offers

Sometimes a buyer truly cannot pay the full amount at once. Insisting on everything today can lead to nothing for months. Two practical options:

• Part-payment plan: for example, ₹1,20,000 split into three monthly instalments of ₹40,000, with dates fixed in writing.
• Discount for immediate payment: a small reduction if the buyer pays the balance within a few days.

Put any settlement in writing, including the outstanding balance and what happens if an instalment is missed. If you are claiming statutory interest, discuss with your CA or advocate before you waive it.

The demand letter

If reminders and calls have not worked, a demand letter puts your claim formally on record. It should list each unpaid invoice with dates and amounts, refer to the agreed credit terms, mention interest if your terms or the law allow it, and give a clear final date for payment, often 7 to 15 days. Keep the language polite and factual.

A demand letter between businesses is good practice, not a legal requirement, and you do not need one before filing a delayed-payment application. Send it by email and by a trackable method such as registered post or courier, and keep the proof. You can draft one with our free demand letter generator. A demand letter is different from a legal notice sent by an advocate; we explain the difference in legal notice vs demand letter.

Legal routes when nothing else works

When a buyer ignores the demand letter, you have formal options. Which one fits depends on who you are and what your contract says.

MSME ODR portal (for Udyam micro and small manufacturers and service providers)

If you are a micro or small enterprise in manufacturing or services, registered on Udyam, and the buyer has not paid within the time allowed under the MSMED Act, you can file a delayed-payment application on the MSME ODR portal (odr.msme.gov.in), which replaced MSME Samadhaan for new applications. The case goes to the Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council of your state, which first attempts conciliation and, if that fails, takes up arbitration under Section 18 of the Act. You do not need to send a legal notice before filing. Medium enterprises are not covered by the delayed-payment chapter (NBCC v. State of West Bengal, Supreme Court, 2025).

Read our MSMED Act guide and the step-by-step MSME ODR portal filing guide.

Commercial court, summary suit and mediation

Any supplier, including a trader, can sue to recover money owed.

• Commercial Courts Act, 2015. Commercial disputes with a specified value of ₹3 lakh or more go to the commercial courts. Before filing, you must first try pre-institution mediation under Section 12A, unless the suit genuinely needs urgent interim relief (Patil Automation v. Rakheja Engineers, Supreme Court, 2022). Suits filed on or after 20 August 2022 without this step are rejected (Dhanbad Fuels v. Union of India, Supreme Court, 2025). Mediation can take up to three months, extendable by two months with consent, and that time is excluded from limitation.
• Summary suit. Under Order XXXVII of the Code of Civil Procedure, a debt arising on a written contract, such as a signed purchase order or an accepted invoice, can be pursued through a faster summary procedure in courts notified for it.
• Limitation. You generally have three years: from delivery for goods sold without a fixed credit period (Article 14 of the Limitation Act), from the end of the credit period where one was fixed (Article 15), and under the residuary Article 113 for claims such as services. A written acknowledgment or a part-payment before expiry restarts the clock.
• No Section 80 notice. The notice under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure is needed only for suits against the Government or public officers, not for claims against a private business.

If the buyer's cheque bounces

A dishonoured cheque has its own strict timetable under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act: send a written demand notice within 30 days of the bank informing you of the dishonour; the drawer then has 15 days to pay; if they do not, a complaint must be filed within one month after that. Speak to an advocate as soon as the cheque is returned.

Arbitration

If your agreement or purchase order has an arbitration clause, disputes may need to go to arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, instead of court. If you are an eligible micro or small supplier, that clause does not stop you from approaching the Facilitation Council instead, and the parties cannot contract out of Section 18 (Gujarat State Civil Supplies v. Mahakali Foods, Supreme Court, 2022).

Keeping the relationship

Most of your overdue buyers are also your future buyers. The process above is designed to get paid without burning that bridge. Stay respectful at every step, acknowledge when a buyer pays or keeps a promise, and once the account is cleared, reset terms if needed: a lower credit limit, a shorter credit period, or advance payment for a while.

If you would rather not run this process yourself, Udhaar Wapas opens a recovery case for each overdue invoice and runs this exact ladder for you, from the first WhatsApp nudge to the demand letter, within contact hours and with opt-outs honoured. See how it works.