Payment reminder email: three polite templates for unpaid invoices

What should I send as a friendly reminder?

Use this when the due date is approaching or you are checking whether the invoice reached the right person. Keep the message easy to act on: the customer should be able to identify the job, open the invoice and pay without searching an earlier thread. Replace every bracketed field before sending.

Subject: Invoice [invoice number] for [job] — due [date] Hi [name], A quick reminder that invoice [invoice number] for [job or project] has a balance of [amount] due on [date]. I've attached the invoice again for convenience. You can pay here: [payment link or agreed payment instructions]. If this needs to go to someone else for payment, please let me know the right contact. Thanks again for working with me. [your name]

How do I follow up after the invoice is overdue?

Use this after the agreed due date has passed and you have checked that payment has not arrived. Ask for a date, not a vague update. If the client has already paid, a payment reference helps you match the transaction before sending another reminder.

Subject: Payment update for invoice [invoice number] Hi [name], I'm following up on invoice [invoice number] for [job]. The remaining balance is [amount], and the due date was [date]. I haven't seen the payment come through yet. Could you confirm when it will be paid? The invoice is attached, and the payment details are here: [link or instructions]. If you've already sent it, please share the payment date and reference so I can match it. If something on the invoice needs correcting, tell me which item and I'll check it. Thank you, [your name]

What can I send when earlier reminders get no reply?

Use a firm request that records the balance and asks for a response by a date you choose. Keep any statement about paused work consistent with your existing agreement. A reminder is also a chance to discover a missing purchase-order reference, an approval delay or a dispute you need to resolve.

Subject: Response requested by [date] — invoice [invoice number] Hi [name], Invoice [invoice number] for [job] still has [amount] outstanding. It was due on [original due date], and I followed up on [previous reminder dates]. Please arrange payment or reply with a payment date by [response date]. You can use [payment link or instructions]. I've attached the invoice again. If you dispute an item or need to discuss a payment arrangement, please identify the issue in your reply so we can agree the next step. [your name] [business and contact details]

What should I check before sending a payment reminder?

Check your bank or payment provider, any credit note and any deposit already paid. Use the remaining balance after payments and credits. Confirm the invoice number, the customer's accounts contact and any purchase-order reference they need. Read the subject line with the recipient's inbox in mind: a recognizable job name is more useful than an unexplained overdue notice.

Make the next step easy: attach the current invoice, include the payment link and ask for the date payment is scheduled. If the client needs a corrected billing address or purchase-order reference, fix that detail and send the current version in the same thread.

Keep the reminder in the same thread when that helps the client find the history. If the client names an issue, answer it directly, record any agreed correction and resend the updated invoice. If you already use QuickBooks or another invoicing service, send its existing payment link so the payment and invoice stay together.

Frequently asked questions