You’ve carried out your work, sent the invoice with Payment Terms to the customer, but now the payment is overdue. Even worse, you haven’t had any response from them. So, what do you do? Firstly, don’t panic! Often, it can be a genuine mistake; for example, forgetfulness, but when this isn’t the case, you’ll need to manage an overdue invoice with professionalism and patience. Here are effective payment reminder email templates for overdue invoices so you can chase up late payments.
While late payments may be an inevitable part of running a business, you still need to get paid quickly without damaging customer relationships. You can copy and paste these email templates and just replace the texts in brackets with your own information. You should also consider how these templates correspond to your Payment Terms so timescales may differ accordingly. However, if you use an invoice management system, you can automate payment reminder email templates which will free up your time for running your business elsewhere.
1. The Polite Reminder Email
You can send this email anytime from 3 to 14 days before an invoice date is due. It’s simple reminder to pay promptly. It’s also an opportunity for your customers to let you know if their payment will be late.
Subject line: ([YOUR COMPANY NAME]) – [INVOICE REFERENCE]
Body of email:
Hi [CLIENT NAME],
I hope you are well.
I’m writing to remind you that your invoice, [INVOICE REFERENCE] is due for payment on [INVOICE DUE DATE]. This is for the [BRIEF SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED/ITEMS SOLD]. i just wanted to confirm you’ve received invoice.
I’ve attached the invoice to this email again for reference. If you have any questions about payment methods, or the amounts mentioned in the invoice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Many thanks,
[YOUR NAME]
2. The first nudge on a late invoice
This email can be sent anytime from 3 days late and up to 14 days late. However, it would be more beneficial to send it within a few days of the late payment to increase the chances of getting paid. If you have already outlined any additional fees, remind them of these here.
Subject line: Overdue payment ([YOUR BUSINESS NAME]): Invoice [INVOICE REFERENCE] is overdue
Body of email:
Hi [CLIENT NAME],
I hope all is well with you. Following up on my previous email, I’m writing about the outstanding invoice: [INVOICE REFERENCE]. It was due for payment on [INVOICE DUE DATE] and I wanted to confirm the status of this invoice as it is now overdue.
I’ve attached the invoice to this email again for your reference. Please could you pay the total balance of the invoice at your earliest convenience. Alternatively, could you let me know when I can expect the payment.
Many thanks,
[YOUR NAME]
3. More than two weeks overdue
Although you still need to keep a polite tone to this payment reminder email template, you should now apply some pressure to the body of the email. You’re legally entitled to charge interest on a late invoice. If you decided to do this, attach the original invoice along with an updated copy with the new amount.
Subject line: Overdue payment ([YOUR COMPANY]) – [INVOICE REFERENCE]
Body of email:
Hi [CLIENT NAME],
Further to my previous emails, I’m contacting your regarding the outstanding invoice [INVOICE REFERENCE] / [INVOICE BALANCE].
As it is now more than 14 days overdue, can you please update me on the payment status?
(OPTIONAL PARAGRAPH) In line with our Payment Terms, please find attached an updated invoice with the added interest. This is because you have failed to make a payment which is now more than 14 days overdue. You will be charged a daily fee until the outstanding amount is paid.
If you’d like to discuss the added charge or need more information regarding your payment, please get in touch and we can chat about the details.
Here is a reminder of our late fees policy: [INSERT]
Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]
4. The final reminder email
If the payment is more than 25-30+ days overdue, it’s very likely that the customer is choosing to ignore you. When it gets to this stage, then you’re left with little option but to let them know you’re taking legal action unless they make an immediate payment. It’s quite common that any threat of legal action is enough to spur the customer to pay you.
Subject line: Overdue payment ([YOUR BUSINESS NAME]) – [INVOICE REFERENCE]
Body of email:
Hi [CLIENT NAME],
I am writing to inform you that this is a final reminder on behalf of [YOUR COMPANY] regarding outstanding invoice [INVOICE REFERENCE] which is still unpaid. It is currently overdue by [X] days.
I’ve made several attempts to contact you but have not received any payment. Therefore, we are left with no choice but to take legal action for the outstanding amount [INVOICE BALANCE]. If we receive this payment immediately, then we will not issue a legal intervention.
To remind you, as per our service agreement, we are entitled to charge [X]% interest per [DAY/WEEK] of the invoice going unpaid. It would be very beneficial for us bother to avoid this, so please let me know if there are any issues.
Please get in touch urgently if there is anything you need from our side to get this matter closed.
The final invoice is attached for your reference.
Regards,
[YOUR NAME]
Wrapping up
No one wants legal action taken against their customers, so there’s a good chance you will get paid before you consider taking that measure. If you do decide to seek legal advice, weigh up the benefits of getting back monies owed compared to how that could impact the cash flow health of your business.