Polite payment reminder email templates
By DueBuzz · Updated
A good payment reminder names the invoice, the amount and the date, then asks for one thing that fits how late it is. The hard part is doing that without apologizing for asking or sounding annoyed that you have to. These are the four emails DueBuzz sends, word for word, from a note before the due date that asks for nothing to a request for a reply once the invoice is two weeks late. Copy them into your own email, or let DueBuzz fill in the details and send them on schedule.
Download these emails as a text file
Before the due date: a friendly note
Sent a few days before the invoice is due. It asks for nothing: a client who has already scheduled the payment has nothing to do, and one who needs something from you now has a reason to say so.
The email DueBuzz sends. Brackets fill in from the invoice
Subject: Upcoming: invoice for [amount]
Hi [client name], A quick note that the invoice for [amount] ([project]) is due [due date] (3 days remaining). Nothing to do if it is already scheduled. If you need anything from us to process it, let us know. Thanks, [your name]
On the due date: a professional reminder
Businesslike, and it names the date rather than saying "today", so it stays true even if it goes out a few days late. It thanks a client whose payment is already on its way and asks the others when it will be processed.
The email DueBuzz sends. Brackets fill in from the invoice
Subject: Payment due: invoice for [amount]
Hi [client name], The invoice for [amount] ([project]) is due [due date]. If payment is already on its way, thank you. Otherwise we would appreciate knowing when it is due to be processed. Best regards, [your name]
A week late: ask for a payment date
Firm, not heated. A specific question is easier to answer than a vague nudge, and it offers to send whatever is holding the payment up, which is often a missing detail rather than a reluctant client.
The email DueBuzz sends. Brackets fill in from the invoice
Subject: Still open: invoice for [amount]
Hi [client name], The invoice for [amount] ([project]) was due [due date] and is now 7 days overdue. Could you confirm the date it is scheduled for payment? If anything is holding it up, let us know what you need and we will send it across. Best regards, [your name]
Two weeks late: ask for a reply
The last step asks for an answer and makes it easy to give one. It adds no threat, late fee or hint about what happens next, because a reminder that starts warning has stopped protecting the relationship.
The email DueBuzz sends. Brackets fill in from the invoice
Subject: Following up: invoice for [amount]
Hi [client name], We are following up once more on the invoice for [amount] ([project]), due [due date] and now 14 days overdue. Could you reply with a payment date, or let us know what is holding it up? A short reply is all we need. Thanks, [your name]
Use your wording in DueBuzz
DueBuzz has guided tones for different points in the schedule. You can rewrite each tone's subject and body. Steps using the same tone share those edits. Custom mode instead uses one template at every step.
In DueBuzz the bracketed details fill themselves in from the invoice: the client's name, the amount, the due date, how late it is, and your name. The emails go out as plain text under your name, from DueBuzz's sending domain, with replies straight to your inbox.
Choose your schedule separately from the wording. A sequence supports up to 6 steps. Mark the invoice paid to stop remaining reminders, or use optional Stripe detection for matching payments.