· 10 min read
A good payment reminder email should make it easy for the customer to pay.
Keep it short. Say which invoice you mean, how much is due and when payment is expected. Attach the invoice or include a link to it. If the invoice is already late, ask whether anything is holding up payment.
You do not need to sound apologetic. You also do not need to sound threatening.
Here are eight templates you can use, plus guidance on when to send each one.
A simple starting schedule is:
| Timing | What to send | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days before due | Courtesy reminder | Make sure the invoice is on the customer's radar |
| Due date | Due today reminder | Make payment easy |
| 1 to 3 days overdue | Friendly follow-up | Check for a simple delay |
| 3 to 7 days overdue | Direct reminder | Find out whether anything is blocking payment |
| More than 7 days overdue | Start escalating | Get a payment date or resolve the blocker |
You do not have to use exactly these timings.
Think about the customer too. A reliable client who always pays may only need a quick nudge. A customer who regularly misses payment dates may need closer follow-up.
The main thing is to have a process rather than remembering to chase whenever somebody happens to notice the invoice is still open.
Your customer should not have to search through an old email chain to work out what you are asking them to pay.
Include:
For an overdue invoice, add one more thing:
Ask whether anything is stopping payment.
That question is often more useful than another version of "please pay as soon as possible."
Do not overthink the subject line.
It should tell the customer what the email is about.
Good options include:
Avoid vague subjects such as "Following up" when you can be specific.
You also do not need fake urgency such as "URGENT!!!" for an invoice that is one day late.
Send this a few days before payment is due, particularly for larger invoices or customers with a longer approval process.
Subject: Reminder: invoice [Invoice number] due [Due date]
Hi [Customer name],
Just a quick reminder that invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is due on [Due date].
I've attached the invoice here for easy reference.
Please let me know if you need anything from me before payment is processed.
Thanks,
[Your name]
There is no need to ask the customer to "settle the outstanding balance immediately" when it is not outstanding yet.
The purpose of a pre-due reminder is simply to make sure there are no surprises.
Keep this one factual.
Subject: Invoice [Invoice number] due today
Hi [Customer name],
A quick reminder that invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is due today.
I've attached a copy of the invoice for reference.
Please let me know if there are any questions or anything needed from our side to process payment.
Thanks,
[Your name]
This works particularly well when the payment process is straightforward and you simply want to keep the invoice visible.
At this stage, assume a simple delay before assuming there is a bigger problem.
Subject: Payment reminder: invoice [Invoice number]
Hi [Customer name],
Just following up on invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount], which was due on [Due date].
I've attached it again here in case that's helpful.
Could you let me know when we should expect payment?
Thanks,
[Your name]
Notice the final question.
"Could you let me know when we should expect payment?" is more useful than "Please pay at your earliest convenience."
It gives the customer something specific to answer.
Use this when you have had no acknowledgment and want to rule out a delivery problem.
Subject: Checking receipt of invoice [Invoice number]
Hi [Customer name],
I wanted to check that you received invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount], due on [Due date].
I've attached another copy here.
Could you confirm it reached the right person for payment?
Thanks,
[Your name]
This is especially useful with a new customer, where you may not yet know how their accounts payable process works.
If the answer is "No, send it to finance@", you have found the problem.
That is much better than sending three more reminders to the wrong person.
Sometimes the customer cannot pay because something on the invoice needs changing.
Once you have fixed it, make the next step clear.
Subject: Updated invoice [Invoice number]
Hi [Customer name],
Thanks for letting me know.
I've updated invoice [Invoice number] with the correct [PO number/contact details] and attached the revised copy here.
Could you confirm this now has everything needed for payment?
Thanks,
[Your name]
If changing the invoice affects the agreed due date, confirm that separately rather than assuming.
Freelancers, agencies and consultancies sometimes hesitate to chase because the person who owes the money is also the client relationship they want to protect.
You can be direct without making the conversation uncomfortable.
Subject: Payment for invoice [Invoice number]
Hi [Customer name],
I wanted to follow up on invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount], which was due on [Due date].
Could you confirm when payment is scheduled?
If there's anything holding it up, let me know and I'll help get it resolved.
Thanks,
[Your name]
There is no apology.
You completed the work and issued an invoice under agreed payment terms. Asking when it will be paid is a normal business conversation.
Sometimes you already speak to the customer somewhere other than email.
Keep the message short and move anything complicated back to email.
Hi [Customer name], quick one. Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] was due on [Due date]. Do you know when payment is scheduled? Happy to resend the invoice if useful.
For B2B invoices, email is still useful as the main record of the payment conversation.
If the customer answers in another channel, make sure any important commitment, such as a promised payment date, is recorded somewhere your team can find later.
If the first friendly reminder has been ignored, become more direct.
You still do not need to threaten the customer.
Subject: Payment required: invoice [Invoice number]
Hi [Customer name],
Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] was due on [Due date] and remains unpaid.
Please could you confirm the payment date?
If there is an issue preventing payment, let me know what is needed from our side so we can resolve it.
Thanks,
[Your name]
The difference here is subtle.
You are no longer "just checking in." You are stating that the invoice is overdue and asking for a date.
If the invoice continues to age from here, use a more structured escalation process. See our past due invoice email templates for 7, 14, 30, 45 and 60+ days overdue.
Being polite does not mean making the message vague.
Compare these two lines:
Sorry to bother you again, but I just wondered if you might possibly have an update on the invoice when you get a moment?
and:
Could you confirm when payment is scheduled?
The second is shorter, clearer and still polite.
A few rules help:
You are following up on an agreed payment, not asking the customer for a favor.
Refer to the invoice, amount and due date.
Ask when payment is scheduled or whether something is blocking it.
An unpaid invoice does not automatically mean the customer is deliberately avoiding payment.
Early payment reminders are there to get the invoice resolved, not to win an argument.
If the invoice is seriously overdue, follow a proper escalation process instead. Our guide to collecting unpaid invoices covers the broader process.
Enough to keep the invoice moving, but not so often that every email says the same thing.
For example:
7 days before due: friendly reminder.
Due date: invoice is due.
3 days overdue: ask when payment is expected.
7 days overdue: ask whether anything is holding it up and request a firm payment date.
From there, the conversation should depend on what happens.
If the customer says they will pay Friday, record Friday and follow up if the payment does not arrive.
If they say a PO is missing, fix the PO.
If they dispute the invoice, stop normal reminders and resolve the dispute.
If they say nothing, escalate.
That is why a good collections process cannot just be a calendar of increasingly stern emails. Our collections email sequence covers what to do with the replies as well as the reminders.
QuickBooks Online and Xero both have invoice reminder features.
QuickBooks can send automatic invoice reminders before or after an invoice due date and lets businesses customize the reminder message.
Xero can also send invoice reminders before or after the due date, with reminder settings that can be managed across an organization, customer or individual invoice.
That can remove a useful piece of admin.
But scheduled reminders are only one part of collections.
Once the customer replies, someone still needs to deal with what they said. A promise to pay needs tracking. A missing PO needs resolving. A dispute should stop the normal sequence. A wrong contact means the invoice needs redirecting.
That is the difference between automating reminders and managing accounts receivable collections.
A good payment reminder is short, specific and easy to act on. Include the invoice number, amount and due date, then attach the invoice or make it easy to access. Before the due date, keep the message light. Once the invoice is late, ask when payment is scheduled or whether anything is preventing it.
State the facts without apologizing. For example: "Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] was due on [Due date]. Could you confirm when payment is scheduled?" This is professional without being aggressive. If there is a genuine problem with the invoice, give the customer a simple way to tell you so you can resolve it.
You can, particularly for larger invoices, new customers or customers with lengthy approval processes. A short courtesy reminder a few days before the due date can surface problems such as a missing PO or incorrect contact before the invoice becomes overdue. It should sound like a helpful reminder, not a late-payment notice.
You can follow up as soon as an invoice is overdue. For a reliable customer, waiting a day or two may be reasonable. The first message should normally stay friendly and ask whether payment is scheduled. If there is no response, follow up again and become more direct rather than immediately becoming confrontational.
Stop sending endless versions of the same email. Check whether you are contacting the right person, then ask for a firm payment date and consider involving another contact at the customer. If the invoice becomes more seriously overdue, move to a structured escalation process rather than treating it as an ordinary reminder.
The AR Agent can follow up overdue invoices by email based on the customer and situation, but it does not stop at sending reminders.
It reads the customer's reply and works out what happens next. If they promise to pay on a particular date, that promise is tracked and followed up if it is missed. If a PO is missing, the wrong person has been contacted or there is another blocker, it records the issue. If the invoice is disputed, normal chasing pauses.
When human judgment is genuinely needed, it asks rather than guessing. It also keeps the email, promise, blocker and next action recorded against the customer and invoice.
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