Paidline · Free tools
Payment reminder templates
Six emails for getting paid on a late invoice, in the order to send them. Copy one, fill in the [brackets], and send it from your own email.
3 days before it's due
Subject: Reminder: invoice [number] is due [due date]
Hi [customer name], A friendly reminder that invoice [number] from [your business] is due [due date]. Amount due: [amount] [How to pay: Zelle to [your Zelle], or a check to [address]] If you've already paid, thank you, and please ignore this reminder. [Your name] [Your business] · [phone]
Keep the first one light. Most people pay on time when they're reminded before the date, not after.
On the due date
Subject: Invoice [number] is due today
Hi [customer name], Invoice [number] from [your business] is due today. Amount due: [amount] [How to pay] If it's already on its way, thank you. [Your name]
Short and factual. Put how to pay right in the email, so paying takes one step.
3 days late
Subject: Invoice [number] is 3 days past due
Hi [customer name], Invoice [number] from [your business] was due [due date] and is now 3 days past due. Amount due: [amount] [How to pay] If you've already paid, thank you, and please ignore this. If something about the invoice isn't right, just reply and let me know.
Invite questions here. A late payment is often a problem with the invoice, not the customer.
7 days late
Subject: Following up: invoice [number], 7 days past due
Hi [customer name], I'm following up on invoice [number] for [amount], which was due [due date]. Could you let me know when I can expect payment? A quick reply with a date is all I need. [How to pay] Thanks, [Your name]
Ask for a date. A promise to pay by a day you can see is worth more than “soon.”
14 days late
Subject: Invoice [number] is 14 days past due
Hi [customer name], Invoice [number] for [amount] is now 14 days past due, and I haven't heard back. Please send payment by [a date 3 to 5 days out], or call me at [phone] if there's an issue we should talk through. [How to pay] [Your name]
This is the one to pair with a phone call. Give a specific date, not “ASAP.”
30 days late (final notice)
Subject: Final notice: invoice [number], 30 days past due
Hi [customer name], Invoice [number] for [amount] is now 30 days past due. This is my final reminder. Please pay by [date], or contact me before then to set up a payment plan. [If it's still unpaid by then, what happens next: for example, a late fee from your terms, pausing work, or sending it to collections.] [How to pay] [Your name] [Your business] · [phone]
Only state a next step you'll actually take, and that your terms allow.
Or let Paidline send them for you
These are the same steps Paidline sends on its own, on the schedule you pick, and it stops as soon as the invoice is paid. Free while it's in early access.