If you’ve ever paused over your keyboard, unsure whether to type “past due” or “passed due,” you’re not alone.
Many people search for “past due or passed due” because they want clarity — which form is correct, and why does one feel more natural?
This confusion shows up most often in billing, reminders, and formal notices, where precision matters.
In this article, you’ll get both a quick answer and a deeper look at usage, history, regional spelling preferences, and common mistakes.
By the end, you’ll know exactly when to use each version — or whether one is preferable most of the time.
Let’s clear the fog and help you write with confidence.
“past due or passed due” – Quick Answer
- Correct usage: past due.
- Why: “past” functions as an adjective (or preposition) meaning “beyond in time,” while “passed” is a verb meaning “to move by or go beyond.”
- Example:
- Your payment is past due; please remit immediately.
- It would be awkward to say “Your payment is passed due.”
In short: when referring to something that should have been done by a deadline but wasn’t, “past due” is the standard choice. The phrase “passed due” is rarely used (and generally considered incorrect in this context) English Language & Usage Stack Exchange+2Grammarly+2.
The Origin of “past due or passed due”
The confusion stems mainly from the nature of past / passed as homophones (words that sound alike but have different functions). Over time, common usage solidified the adjective form past due, rather than a verb-based version.
- Past is an older English word used as noun, adjective, adverb, or preposition (meaning “beyond in time or space”) Daily Writing Tips+1.
- Passed is simply the past form of the verb to pass (i.e., “go by”) Grammarly+1.
In contexts of deadlines and obligations, English speakers came to prefer “past due” because we treat “due” as a state or condition, not an action. The combination “past due” expresses that the deadline has been passed (i.e. the due date lies in the past).
“Passed due” would require parsing “passed” as a verb acting on “due,” which is awkward in conventional English usage. Some older grammarians might allow “has passed due,” but that is not mainstream.
British English vs American English Spelling
In this case, there is no significant British vs. American difference: past due is accepted in both varieties. The confusion is not about spelling but about word choice (past vs passed).
Here’s a comparison table to clarify how “past” and “passed” behave in both dialects:
| Feature | British English | American English | Notes / Examples |
| past due | used and understood | used and preferred | Your invoice is past due. |
| passed due | very rare / considered wrong | very rare / considered wrong | Your invoice is passed due is typically rejected. |
| past / passed general rule | same rules apply | same rules apply | “past” is not a verb; “passed” is a verb Grammarly+1 |
| Other “past / passed” contexts | “past the point,” “time passed” | same usage | We raced past the finish line. / The time passed slowly. |
As you see, both dialects share the same grammatical logic here. The real distinction is between correct grammar and incorrect usage — not national spelling conventions.
Which Spelling Should You Use?
Because this isn’t truly a spelling difference, but a word-choice difference, your decision should depend on audience expectations and style norms rather than American vs British norms.
- In the U.S. (business, legal, accounting contexts) — always use past due. It’s the standard and expected form.
- In the U.K. / Commonwealth / globally — also use past due. Readers will recognize it; “passed due” may even be judged as an error.
- For international audiences — stick with past due for consistency and clarity.
- In creative or conversational writing — avoid “passed due” unless you intentionally stylize or comment on the error.
Thus, the safe and professional choice across nearly all contexts is past due.
Common Mistakes with “past due or passed due”
- Using “passed due” as a default.
✗ Your rent is passed due.
✓ Your rent is past due. - Mixing with other “past / passed” errors.
✗ The time is past it’s limit.
✓ The time has passed its limit. - Treating “past due” as a verb phrase.
✗ We will past due your account next week.
✓ We will mark your account as past due. - Overcomplicating with “has passed due.”
✗ Your bill has passed due.
✓ Your bill is past due. - Neglecting subject–verb agreement or reference.
✗ Your invoice are past due.
✓ Your invoice is past due.
Always check if you’re trying to use a verb (which calls for “passed”) or a descriptive state (which calls for “past”).
“past due or passed due” in Everyday Examples
Here are examples across contexts to show correct usage:
- Email to client:
“Dear Ms. Lee, your statement is past due by 15 days. Please arrange payment promptly.” - News article:
“Thousands of utility bills remain past due as economic stress grows.” - Social media post:
“Don’t let your payments go past due — set up auto-pay today.” - Formal writing (contract, legal notice):
“If Customer fails to pay within 30 days, the account shall be considered past due, and interest will accrue.” - Casual conversation / informal note:
“Hey — just a heads-up, your credit card bill is past due already.”
You almost never see “passed due” in these natural uses — if you do, it would stick out as unusual or incorrect.
“past due or passed due” – Google Trends & Usage Data
When you search Google Trends for past due versus passed due, you’ll typically see past due dominating in volume. (If “passed due” is too rare, Trends may not even show data for it due to low search volume) Google Help+1.
Because passed due is so rarely searched or used, it usually doesn’t register reliably in Trends data. This further supports that past due is the standard form in public usage and search habits.
In terms of country-level popularity, you’d expect higher interest in “past due” in English-speaking or English-proficient regions (United States, Canada, U.K., Australia) than in non-English speaking countries.
Caveat: Google Trends data is normalized (i.e. scaled 0–100 relative) and based on sampling, so low-volume terms might not appear or may show as zero interest even if some searches exist Google Help+1.
Comparison Table: Keyword Variations
| Variation | Correct / Recommended? | Notes |
| past due | ✅ Correct | Standard, widely accepted usage |
| passed due | ❌ Discouraged | Grammatically awkward, rarely acceptable |
| past-due (hyphenated) | ✅ Possibly acceptable | In adjectival compounds (e.g. “past-due balance”) |
| is past due | ✅ Correct | Common phrase |
| has passed due | ❌ Discouraged | Awkward formulation |
| past dues | ❌ Generally incorrect | Plural misuse |
FAQs
- Is “past due” the same as “overdue”?
Yes. “Past due” and “overdue” both mean that a deadline has passed. Use whichever fits tone and style. - Can “passed due” ever be correct?
Only in very rare, stylized or archaic usages. In modern, standard English, it’s avoided. - Should I hyphenate “past-due”?
In compound adjectives (before a noun), “past-due” with a hyphen is acceptable: past-due amount. - Why do people confuse past vs passed?
Because they sound alike and both relate to “going beyond.” But one is adjective/preposition (past), the other is a verb (passed) Grammarly+1. - Does “past due” vary between British and American English?
No, both use past due in this context. The grammar rule is consistent. - What’s a quick trick to choose?
Ask: is that word acting like a verb? If yes → passed. If it describes a state/time → past. - In legal or billing documents, could “passed due” ever slip in?
It’s unlikely in professional writing. Editors and style guides will correct it to past due.
Conclusion
In the battle of “past due or passed due,” the winner is clear: past due. It functions properly as a descriptive term, is accepted in both American and British English, and aligns with common usage and search behavior. “Passed due” is awkward, seldom used, and generally treated as incorrect in billing, legal, and formal contexts.
When writing notices, emails, contracts, or any text involving deadlines, default to past due (or past-due when used adjectivally). Use “passed” only when you’re explicitly describing the action of passing something (e.g. the day passed). In uncertain situations, lean toward past due, and your writing will sound natural, professional, and clear.
