Build a firm, professional written demand for payment — with an itemized total and an explicit deadline date
Tip: "Print / Save PDF" opens your browser's print dialog — choose "Save as PDF" to keep a clean copy. "Copy letter" pastes it into any document.
Enter the amount owed to begin
—
This tool builds a firm, professional, copy/paste-ready demand letter for payment from a short form — the kind of written demand that is often the required step before small-claims court. It assembles the sender and recipient blocks, the letter date, a RE/subject line referencing your invoice or account number, a plain-fact statement of the debt, an itemized amount section (principal, optional authorized interest, optional authorized late fees, and the total), a clear demand with an explicit calendar deadline date, your accepted payment methods, the consequence if it goes unpaid, a good-faith line, and a signature block. It also adds a "How this letter was sent" footer and a pre-send checklist. Everything runs in your browser — no email, no account to build the letter, nothing uploaded.
Suppose Acme Properties LLC owes you $5,000.00, the payment was due March 1, 2026, and you are writing on May 30, 2026 — that is 90 days overdue. Your signed contract authorizes 10% per year simple interest, so you tick "Charge interest" and enter 10. The tool computes:
daily rate = 10 / 100 / 365 = 0.000273972603
interest = 5000 x 0.000273972603 x 90 = 123.2876... → rounds to $123.29
TOTAL DUE = 5000.00 + 123.29 = $5,123.29Interest is rounded to the nearest cent (round-half-up): 123.2876… becomes $123.29.
The headline reads "Demand for Payment — Total Due: $5,123.29 by June 13, 2026" (the deadline date is the letter date plus 14 days), the itemized breakdown lists Principal, Accrued interest (10%, 90 days), and the total, and the letter body is ready to copy. Interest is shown through the letter date; the letter notes it continues to accrue until paid.
principal x (annual rate / 100 / 365) x days overdue. This matches methods like California's MC-013 per-day fraction. Do not compound unless your contract says so.Accuracy & legal notes: This is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. There is no single national format for a payment demand, but a clear demand, exact amount, deadline, and stated consequence are the universally recommended elements. Some states require a pre-suit demand before filing — Massachusetts requires a 30-day demand for many consumer claims; California small claims expects you to ask for the money first. You may not charge interest just because a payment is late: a contractual rate governs if one exists, otherwise the state statutory legal rate may apply. Reported illustrative statutory rates: California 10%, New York 9% (2% for consumer debt), Massachusetts 12% or contract rate, Pennsylvania 6% or contract rate, Delaware ~5% over the Federal Reserve discount rate or contract rate (whichever is less) — confirm the current rate for your state before relying on it. Most statutes use simple interest; do not compound unless your contract says so. Small-claims dollar limits vary by state (e.g., California $12,500 for individuals); above the cap you may need a higher court or to waive the excess. Send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested plus regular First-Class mail, keep a dated copy and proof of mailing, and only state consequences you are genuinely willing to carry out. Everything is fully client-side — no upload, no email gate; your inputs never leave your device.
Run a bookkeeping, collections, or small-business blog? Jump to the one-line embed code below ↓ — no account, no coding.
See it live: view a real embed example →
There is no single legally required national format, but the universally recommended elements are: your name and address, the date, the recipient's exact legal name and address, a reference to the invoice or account number, a plain-fact statement of what you provided and the basis of the debt, the exact amount owed, a clear demand with an explicit calendar deadline date, accepted payment methods, the consequence if it goes unpaid, and your signature. This free tool assembles all of that and computes an itemized total for you.
Only if you are authorized to. A contractual rate or late fee written into your signed agreement or invoice terms governs if one exists; otherwise your state's statutory legal rate may apply to prejudgment interest. You cannot add interest or late fees just because a payment is late. Adding unauthorized charges can be struck by a court and undercuts your credibility, so leave the interest toggle off unless a contract or statute clearly entitles you. This tool is not legal advice — verify your state's rate and rules.
Most state prejudgment-interest statutes use simple interest on a fixed annual rate and a 365-day year. This tool computes a daily rate of annual rate divided by 100 divided by 365, multiplies by the principal and the number of days the payment is overdue (from the original due date through the letter date), and rounds to the nearest cent. Example: $5,000 at 10% per year for 90 days overdue = 5000 x (0.10/365) x 90 = $123.29 in interest. Do not compound unless your contract says so.
A reasonable deadline is commonly 14 to 30 days. Some states require a set period before you can sue — for example, Massachusetts requires a 30-day demand letter for many consumer claims. This tool always prints an explicit calendar deadline date (for example, "by June 23, 2026") rather than a vague "within 14 days," and warns if you set an unreasonably short window that could look like bad faith to a judge.
Yes — the recommended belt-and-suspenders approach is USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested plus a copy by regular First-Class mail. If the certified letter is refused, the un-returned regular-mail copy supports an inference the recipient received it. Keep a dated copy and your proof of mailing for your records. This tool adds a "How this letter was sent" footer and a pre-send checklist reflecting your chosen method.
It is 100% free, runs entirely in your browser, and requires no email to build your letter — nothing you type is uploaded. It is NOT legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It produces a self-help template; verify your state and local rules, the applicable interest rate, and any mandatory pre-suit demand period before relying on it, and consider consulting an attorney for larger or contested debts.
Built in your browser and saved only there. We don't store or sell your data. Not legal advice.