Past-Due Notice / Collection Letter
A payment reminder in three stages (friendly, firm, final) with a table of the overdue invoices, days overdue and the balance. You type any late fee yourself; the letter makes no claim about the law.
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Country versions
- International *
- United States *
- United Kingdom *
- Korea *
- Japan *
- Germany *
* check with local advice
A template, not advice.
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What it is
A collection letter, also called a past-due notice or payment reminder, asks a customer to pay an invoice that is already overdue. Most late payments are not refusals: invoices get lost, approvals stall, someone is on leave. So the letter works well in stages. A friendly reminder assumes an oversight and makes paying easy. A firm second request refers to the earlier reminder, names a date and invites the customer to contact you about any problem. A final notice says plainly what happens next if there is neither payment nor a reply.
This letter lets you choose the stage with one switch and keeps everything else the same: your details, the customer, a table of the overdue invoices with the days overdue and the total, the payment details and a date to pay by. If you want to charge a late fee or interest, you type the amount and its basis. The letter never works it out, because the rules differ by country and by contract, and it makes no claim about legal effect: it is a business letter, not a court document.
Pick a country for its habits. The Korean version adds a title for the stage and a seal mark, the Japanese version uses the formal opening and closing words and the customary line on the transfer fee, the German version follows the Zahlungserinnerung and Mahnung stages, and the US and UK versions use their own salutations and closings.
When to use it
- An invoice is a few days past its due date and you want to ask politely.
- A first reminder has gone unanswered and you want a clear second request with a date.
- You need a dated final notice before you hand the matter to a collection agency or an adviser.
- You want the same calm wording for every customer instead of writing each letter from scratch.
- You need a record of when each reminder was sent and what it said.
How to fill it in
- Choose the stage. For the second and final stages, enter the date of your last reminder.
- Check your own details, which come from your saved company information, then enter the customer and the person to address.
- List each overdue invoice with its number, dates and the amount still open. The days overdue and the total are worked out for you.
- Set the date to pay by. If you claim a late fee or interest, type the amount and what it is based on.
- Check the payment details, add a reference, sign, and send the letter with copies of the invoices. Keep a copy with the date you sent it.
Common mistakes
- Starting with the final notice when a friendly reminder would have worked, and damaging a good customer relationship.
- Claiming a late fee or interest that your contract or the law does not give you. Type only what you can support.
- Listing invoices that the customer has already paid or disputed. Check your records first.
- Setting a pay-by date you will not stand behind. A threat you do not follow up weakens every later letter.
- Writing accusations or threats. State facts: the invoice, the amount, the date and what happens next.
Steps at a glance
- Fill in
- Check the preview
- Save as PDF, Word or Excel
Country versions
Pick the country you need. Each version uses the wording and layout commonly found there; a version marked “check with local advice” should be read by someone who knows the local rules before it is used.
- International (XX): Written in English, Korean, Japanese, German – check with local advice
- United States (US): Written in English – check with local advice
- United Kingdom (GB): Written in English – check with local advice
- Korea (KR): Written in Korean, English – check with local advice
- Japan (JP): Written in Japanese, English – check with local advice
- Germany (DE): Written in German, English – check with local advice
Designs
The same form in several designs. The fields and the wording stay the same; only the look changes.
- Classic
- Modern
- Minimal
- Warm
- Plain (black and white)
- Formal
- Side band
- Banner
- Executive
- Ledger
- Compact
- Boxed form
Your details fill it in
Fields that ask for your name, address or company details are filled from My details, so you do not type them again; you can still change any field for one form. Signed in, your details stay in your account; otherwise they stay in this browser only. A passport, identity or social security number is never saved.
Questions
- Do I have to send a reminder before I take further steps?
- The rules differ. In some countries and contracts a reminder is needed or at least useful before a claim or before default begins; in others it is not required. The letter does not decide this. Read the notes for your country and ask an adviser when a larger amount is at stake.
- Can I charge interest or a fee?
- Only where the contract, your terms of sale or the law allows it, and the amounts and rates differ. The letter has a field for the amount and its basis, and it never calculates anything, so you stay in control of what you claim.
- What if my customer is a consumer?
- The template is made for business invoices. Collecting from consumers is regulated more strictly in many countries, with rules on tone, fees and information. Ask an adviser before you use it for a consumer debt.
- How should I send the final notice?
- An email is enough for a friendly reminder. For a final notice choose a way that leaves proof of sending and content, such as registered post, the certified-content mail used in Korea and Japan, or hand delivery against a signed receipt, and keep a copy with the date.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. It is a general template. Late-payment rules, interest and the effect of a letter depend on the country and the contract, so ask a qualified adviser before you rely on it for a larger claim.
- Is this form legal, tax or accounting advice?
- No. It is a template: it gives you the usual structure and wording, not advice. Rules differ by country and case, so have someone qualified read anything that matters before you sign, send or file it.
- Which countries and designs does it come in?
- It comes in 6 country versions: International, United States, United Kingdom, Korea, Japan, and Germany. 12 designs.
A form is a template, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules differ by country and case.