Payment Reminder Email Templates for Overdue Invoices

The reminder schedule

Timing matters more than wording. A reminder before the due date catches invoices that were never seen. A note on the day nudges the people who meant to pay. After that, each follow-up gets a little firmer, and by 30 days the conversation should move from email to a call.

Adjust the gaps to your payment terms. On 7-day terms you might compress the schedule; on 60-day terms with a large corporate client, the reminder before the due date matters most, because it is your chance to catch a missing purchase order number before the invoice is rejected.

What every reminder should include

• The invoice number in the subject line, so it is easy to find and match.
• The amount and currency, and the original due date.
• A payment link or clear bank details, with the reference to use.
• A copy of the invoice attached or linked, so nobody has to search for it.
• An offer to help if the invoice is wrong or going to the wrong person.

Keep each email short. The longer a reminder is, the more it reads like a complaint, and the easier it is to skim past the one thing you need: a payment or a date.

Six email templates

Replace the bracketed parts. Use the copy button to grab the full email, including the subject line.

Hi [first name],

A quick note that invoice [INV-0042] for [project] is due on [date]. The total is [amount].

You can view and pay it here: [payment link]

If anything on the invoice needs changing, or it needs to go to someone else in your team, just reply and I'll sort it out.

Thanks,
[your name]

Hi [first name],

Invoice [INV-0042] for [amount] is due today. Here's the link to pay online: [payment link]

Bank details are on the invoice if you prefer a transfer. Please use [INV-0042] as the reference so we can match it.

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

Best,
[your name]

Hi [first name],

I haven't seen payment for invoice [INV-0042] yet. It was due on [date] and is now 7 days overdue.

Amount: [amount]
Pay online: [payment link]

Could you let me know when we can expect it? If there's a problem with the invoice or the work, I'd rather hear about it now so we can fix it.

Thanks,
[your name]

Hi [first name],

Following up on invoice [INV-0042] for [amount], which is now 14 days past its due date of [date]. I've attached a copy.

Please arrange payment this week: [payment link]

If someone else handles payments on your side, could you forward this to them or send me their details? I'm also happy to agree a short payment plan if that helps.

Regards,
[your name]

Hi [first name],

Invoice [INV-0042] for [amount] is now 30 days overdue, and I haven't had a reply to my earlier reminders.

Under our agreement, [late fees / interest] apply to overdue balances from [date], and work on [project] will pause from [date] until the account is up to date.

To avoid that, please pay here by [date]: [payment link]

I'd like to resolve this simply. If there's an issue, a quick call this week would help. Are you free on [day]?

Regards,
[your name]

Dear [first name],

This is a final notice for invoice [INV-0042]. The outstanding balance is [amount, including any interest or fees], originally due on [date].

Please pay in full by [date, usually 7 to 14 days from today]: [payment link]

If payment isn't received by then, I'll take the next steps available under our contract, which may include [a formal letter before action / a collection agency / a small claims filing].

I would much prefer to settle this directly. Please reply or call me on [phone] before [date].

Sincerely,
[your name]
[business name and address]

Before you send the 30-day or final emails, check your contract. Only mention late fees, interest or pausing work if your agreement allows them. If you do not have those terms yet, our service agreement template includes payment, late payment and suspension clauses you can adapt.

Late payment rules by country

Whether you can add interest or fees depends on where you and your client are, and on what your contract says. This is a summary, not legal advice.

The late payment fee calculator works out contractual interest, a flat fee, or the UK and EU statutory amounts for a given invoice and number of days. In the UK, the official guide is late commercial payments on GOV.UK.

Preventing late payment in the first place

• Agree terms before work starts. Payment terms, late fees and the right to pause work belong in the contract, not in the third reminder.
• Take a deposit. 30 to 50% up front for new clients is common for project work.
• Bill by milestone. Smaller, more frequent invoices are easier to approve than one large one at the end.
• Get the invoice right. Ask for the billing contact, company details, tax numbers and any purchase order number at onboarding. A missing PO number is a common reason big companies reject invoices. See invoice requirements by country.
• Make paying easy. A card or bank payment link on the invoice removes a step.
• Send on time. An invoice sent two weeks late is usually paid two weeks late.

When emails stop working

By 30 days, pick up the phone. A short, calm call often finds the real issue: a dispute about the work, a cash flow problem, or a change of contact. If the client is struggling, a written payment plan is often better than a long dispute.

If nothing works, the usual next steps are a formal letter before action, a collection agency, or a small claims process. Each country has its own route and limits, such as Money Claim Online in England and Wales or small claims courts in US states. Get local advice for larger amounts, and keep a clear record of the invoice, the agreement and every reminder you sent.

Automating reminders in Arpixa

In Arpixa invoices, an invoice reads as Overdue as soon as its due date passes and it is not paid, so it never depends on someone updating a status. Overdue reminders are sent server-side on an interval you choose, to the client and to your team. Automations can also react to an invoice going overdue or being paid, for example to send a thank-you note or notify the account owner.

Clients with a portal account see unpaid invoices at the top of their home screen with a Pay Now button, so the reminder is in front of them every time they log in. Payments can be collected through Razorpay, or through Stripe using your own API keys. For one-off invoices without an account, the free invoice generator works in the browser.

The late payment summary is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so check the current rate and your contract before adding interest to an invoice. Email sending and reminder features vary by plan; the pricing page has current limits.

Frequently asked questions