Payment reminder email: three templates and timing

A polite reminder schedule, three emails to adapt for an overdue invoice, how to handle part payments, and when interest or fees may be added.

The short answer

Most late payments are forgotten or stuck in an approval queue, not refused. A short, specific reminder a few days after the due date solves most of them: the invoice number, the amount still open, the due date that passed and how to pay. If nothing happens, a second reminder gives one new date, and a final notice sets a last date and says what you will do next.

Keep every reminder factual and polite, send it to the person who pays invoices as well as your project contact, and attach a statement of what is still open rather than the whole history.

A reminder schedule that stays polite

A common rhythm, which you can shorten for small amounts or regular customers. It is a practice, not a legal rule:

  • Three to seven days after the due date: a first reminder that assumes an oversight.
  • About two weeks later: a second reminder with one clear new date to pay by.
  • About a month after the due date: a final notice with a last date and your next step.
  • After the last date: decide, with advice where the amount justifies it, whether to pause work, use a collection service or go to a small-claims procedure.

Three emails you can adapt

First reminder. Subject: “Invoice INV-2041, due 15 September”. “Hello Dana, a quick reminder that invoice INV-2041 for 1,850 was due on 15 September and I have not yet seen the payment. If it is already on its way, please ignore this. Otherwise you can pay to the account on the invoice, quoting INV-2041. Thank you!”

Second reminder. Subject: “Second reminder: INV-2041, 1,450 still open”. “Hello Dana, thank you for the 400 received on 25 September. 1,450 is still open on INV-2041. Could you arrange payment by 13 October? The attached statement shows the invoice and the payment. If something is holding it up, let me know and we can sort it out.”

Final notice. Subject: “Final notice: INV-2041”. “Hello Dana, despite two reminders, 1,450 remains unpaid on INV-2041. Please pay by 27 October. If the payment has not arrived by then, I will pause further work and refer the matter to [the next step you have chosen]. I would much rather settle this with you directly.”

Worked example: one invoice, a part payment, three reminders

The emails above follow one invoice. Each reminder shows only what is still open, so the customer never has to work out the balance:

  • 1 September: INV-2041 issued for 1,850, due 15 September.
  • 20 September: first reminder, open balance 1,850.
  • 25 September: the customer pays 400, so 1,850 − 400 = 1,450 remains.
  • 6 October: second reminder for 1,450, new date 13 October.
  • 20 October: final notice for 1,450, last date 27 October.

Interest and fees: only what the contract or the law gives you

Add interest or a fee only when your contract provides for it or the law where you trade gives it to you; a charge invented in a reminder invites a dispute. As one example, GOV.UK says that between businesses in the UK, if the contract sets no other rate, a supplier can claim statutory interest of 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, and a payment is late 30 days after the customer receives the invoice or the goods or service, whichever is later, where no date was agreed.

GOV.UK also lists fixed debt-recovery sums: £40 for a debt up to £999.99, £70 from £1,000 to £9,999.99 and £100 for £10,000 or more. For the 1,450 above, as a UK business debt in pounds, the fixed sum would be £70. Other countries have their own rules; the unpaid-invoice guide covers following up when the amount itself changes.

Sending reminders from QuoteBill

QuoteBill has three reminder templates: a first payment reminder, a second reminder and a final payment notice. Each is a statement of account: it lists the open invoices with their numbers and due dates, credits payments received and prints the balance due, so the customer sees one figure. The final notice leaves a blank row for the next step, which you fill in yourself; the templates name no law, penalty or legal action.

In your documents, sort invoices by nearest due date and set the status of a late one to “Overdue”. QuoteBill does not send emails, chase payments or collect money: save the reminder as a PDF and send it with your own email.

Check before you send a reminder

Five checks that avoid an awkward reply:

  • Look at your bank account first: the payment may have arrived under another reference.
  • Confirm the invoice reached the person who pays it, not only your project contact.
  • Use the balance still open, after part payments and credit notes, not the original total.
  • Give one date and one way to pay, and keep the tone the same in every reminder.
  • Keep a dated copy of each reminder with the invoice.

Questions people ask

How soon after the due date should I send a reminder? A few days is common; it is polite and early enough that the invoice is still in mind. A friendly note before the due date can help with slow payers.

Should I phone instead of emailing? A short call often works for a first reminder, but follow it with an email so there is a written record of the amount and the date agreed.

Can I add a late fee to my reminder? Only if your contract or the law where you trade allows it. State the basis next to the amount.

When should I stop reminding and take the next step? When the last date in your final notice has passed without payment or an answer. Take advice before any legal step, especially for larger amounts.

Sources

250 Free Invoice, Quote & Receipt Templates

  • Payment reminder template

    Friendly first payment reminder for an overdue invoice: the invoice number, due date, amount still open and how to pay. Word, Excel or PDF; not a legal demand.

  • Second payment reminder template

    Second reminder for an unpaid invoice: the date of the first reminder, the amount open and a clear new date to pay by. Firm but courteous; not a legal demand.

  • Final payment notice template

    Final payment notice before further steps: the amount open, a last date to pay and a blank for the next step. Business correspondence with no legal threat.