Payment Reminder Email Templates for Overdue Invoices

A good payment reminder email is short and specific: it names the invoice number, the amount and the due date, makes paying easy, and assumes the delay is an oversight. Most late invoices are simply forgotten, so a clear, polite reminder sent at the right moment gets most of them paid without any awkwardness.

Below are six templates for each stage of an overdue invoice. Copy one, fill in the parts in [brackets], attach the invoice and send it from your own email address.

When to send each payment reminder

Payment reminder email templates

Hi [client name],

A quick heads-up that invoice [number] for [amount] is due on [due date]. I've attached a copy so you have it to hand.

You can pay by bank transfer to the details on the invoice, or here: [payment link]. Let me know if you need anything from me to get it processed.

Thanks,
[your name]

Hi [client name],

Just a reminder that invoice [number] for [amount] is due today. The payment details are on the attached invoice.

If it's already on its way, thank you, and please ignore this email.

Best,
[your name]

Hi [client name],

I hope all is well. Invoice [number] for [amount] was due yesterday, [due date], and I haven't seen the payment come through yet. It may simply have crossed with this email.

Could you check on it when you have a moment? I've attached the invoice again.

Thanks,
[your name]

Hi [client name],

I'm following up on invoice [number] for [amount], which was due on [due date] and is now a week overdue.

Could you let me know when I can expect payment? If there's a problem with the invoice, or it needs to go to someone else in your team, tell me and I'll sort it out.

Kind regards,
[your name]

Hi [client name],

Invoice [number] for [amount] is now two weeks past its due date of [due date], and I haven't had a reply to my earlier emails.

Please arrange payment by [date, e.g. 5 working days from today]. As set out in my payment terms, [a late fee of X / interest] may be added to balances that are still unpaid after that date.

If you've already paid, please send me the payment reference so I can match it.

Regards,
[your name]

Hi [client name],

This is a final reminder that invoice [number] for [amount], due on [due date], is still unpaid after my reminders on [dates].

Unless payment reaches me by [date], I will [pause any further work / add the late fee in my terms / pass the debt to a collection service]. I'd much rather settle this directly, so please get in touch if something is holding it up.

Regards,
[your name]

Payment reminder email subject lines

The subject line decides whether the email gets opened and forwarded to whoever pays the bills. Put the invoice number in it and say what the situation is:

• Invoice INV-0042 is due on 15 October
• Reminder: invoice INV-0042 for £1,540 is due today
• Friendly reminder: invoice INV-0042 was due yesterday
• Invoice INV-0042 is now 7 days overdue
• Payment reminder: invoice INV-0042 from Maple Studio
• Second reminder: invoice INV-0042 for £1,540 is overdue
• Action needed: invoice INV-0042 is 14 days past due
• Final notice: invoice INV-0042, payment needed by 30 October

How to write a payment reminder that gets paid

• Lead with the facts. Invoice number, amount and due date in the first two lines, so nobody has to go looking.
• Attach the invoice every time. The person reading may not be the one who received the first email.
• Make paying one step. Repeat your bank details or add a payment link.
• Keep the first reminders friendly. "It may have crossed with this email" leaves the client an easy way out and keeps the relationship intact.
• Get firmer with a date, not with adjectives. A clear deadline and what happens after it works better than capital letters or "URGENT".
• Ask a question. "When can I expect payment?" gets a reply more often than a statement does.
• Reply in the same thread. The client sees the whole history, and so will anyone they forward it to.

Late fees and interest

A reminder can only mention a late fee you are actually entitled to charge, so check your terms before you write it in.

• United Kingdom: if no payment date was agreed, a business-to-business payment counts as late 30 days after the client receives the invoice or you deliver the work, whichever is later. You can then claim statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed recovery charge of £40 (debts under £1,000), £70 (£1,000 to £9,999.99) or £100 (£10,000 or more), unless your contract sets a different rate.
• Elsewhere: late fees and interest generally have to be agreed in your contract or payment terms, and local rules vary. Put them on the quote and the invoice before the work starts.

This is general information, not legal advice. If a large debt stays unpaid, ask a solicitor or your local business advice service about the next steps.

The simplest way to avoid needing any of this is to set clear terms from the start: a due date on every invoice, and how you expect to be paid. Our guide to what an invoice must include covers that.

Send payment reminders automatically

Writing and timing these emails by hand works, but it is easy to forget, and chasing money is nobody's favourite job. Simple Invoice Generator Pro sends the reminders for you:

• Switch on Automatic payment reminders on any invoice.
• If it is still unpaid, your client gets a polite reminder 1, 7 and 14 days after the due date, with the invoice number, amount and due date.
• The reminders come from your business name, replies go straight to you, and you get a copy of each one.
• They stop automatically as soon as you mark the invoice as paid.

Reminders are part of Pro, which costs $9 a month (or $79 a year) and also gives you unlimited invoices. You can start with the free plan and upgrade when you want reminders to run on their own. See pricing

Frequently asked questions

How do I politely remind a client to pay?
Keep it short, assume it was an oversight, and make paying easy: name the invoice number, the amount and the due date, attach the invoice again, and include the payment details or a payment link. Save the firmer tone for the second and third reminders.

When should I send a payment reminder?
A common schedule is a heads-up a few days before the due date, a note on the due date, then reminders 1, 7 and 14 days after it, and a final notice around 30 days overdue. Send them on working days, in the morning, from the email address the client already knows.

How many reminders should I send before taking further action?
Three or four reminders over about a month is usual. If there is still no payment or reply after a final notice with a clear deadline, move on to a phone call, pausing further work, or a formal step such as a letter before action or a collection service.

Can I charge a late fee on an overdue invoice?
Only if it is allowed. In the UK, businesses can claim statutory interest on late business-to-business payments at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed £40, £70 or £100 depending on the size of the debt, unless the contract says otherwise. In the US and elsewhere, late fees generally need to be agreed in your contract or payment terms, and local rules vary, so put them in writing before you start the work.

What is a good subject line for a payment reminder email?
Put the invoice number and the situation in the subject so the email is easy to find and act on, for example "Invoice INV-0042 is due on 15 October" or "Invoice INV-0042 is now 7 days overdue". Avoid vague subjects like "Quick question".

Can payment reminders be sent automatically?
Yes. Simple Invoice Generator Pro can email your client a polite reminder 1, 7 and 14 days after the due date. The reminders stop as soon as you mark the invoice as paid, replies go straight to you, and you get a copy of each one.