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Payment reminder templates

Four invoice reminders that get firmer as the invoice gets later: a friendly nudge, a firm follow-up, a formal warning and a final notice. Each one comes as an email and a short text or WhatsApp message, written the right way for a business or a homeowner.

Day 1

Friendly nudge

The day after the due date

Subject: Invoice [invoice number]: a quick reminder

Hi [customer name], Just a quick note to say invoice [invoice number] for [amount] was due on [due date]. It is easy for these to slip down the list, so I thought I would send a reminder. The bank details and payment reference are on the invoice. If you have already paid, thank you, and please ignore this. Thanks, [your business name]

Text or WhatsApp

Hi [customer name], a friendly reminder that invoice [invoice number] for [amount] from [your business name] was due on [due date]. If you've already paid, thank you!

Day 7

Firm follow-up

A week overdue

Subject: Invoice [invoice number] is now a week overdue

Hi [customer name], Invoice [invoice number] for [amount] is now a week past its due date of [due date], and I have not yet received payment. Please could you pay it this week, or reply to let me know when it will be paid. The bank details and payment reference are on the invoice. If there is a problem with the work or the invoice, tell me and I will sort it out. Thanks, [your business name]

Text or WhatsApp

Hi [customer name], invoice [invoice number] for [amount] from [your business name] is now a week overdue. Please pay this week or reply with a date.

Day 14

Formal warning

Two weeks overdue

Subject: Overdue: invoice [invoice number] for [amount]

Dear [customer name], Invoice [invoice number] for [amount], due on [due date], remains unpaid despite earlier reminders. Please pay the full amount within 7 days. The bank details and payment reference are on the invoice. If you cannot pay in one go, please contact me now so we can agree an arrangement. If I do not hear from you, my next step will be a formal letter of claim. Yours sincerely, [your business name]

Text or WhatsApp

[customer name]: invoice [invoice number] for [amount] from [your business name] is 2 weeks overdue. Please pay within 7 days or contact us to agree an arrangement.

Day 30

Final notice

A month overdue

Subject: Final notice: invoice [invoice number]

Dear [customer name], This is a final notice that invoice [invoice number] for [amount], due on [due date], is now a month overdue. If it is not paid, or an arrangement agreed, within 7 days, we will send a formal letter of claim under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims. That letter gives 30 days to respond before we can consider a county court claim. Yours sincerely, [your business name]

Text or WhatsApp

[customer name]: final notice. Invoice [invoice number] for [amount] from [your business name] is a month overdue. If unpaid in 7 days a formal letter of claim will follow.

How to chase an invoice without it being awkward

The awkward part of chasing is deciding when, and finding the words. A fixed schedule removes both. When the reminder goes out on day 1, 7, 14 and 30 for every customer, it stops being personal: it is simply how your business works, and good customers expect it.

Make paying easy. Put the bank details and reference in every reminder, and a card payment link if you have one.
Assume good faith first. Most late invoices are forgotten, not disputed. The first reminder should read that way.
Get firmer, not angrier. Each step restates the facts and the next step. No capitals, no threats you will not carry out.
Know who owes you. Statutory interest and compensation apply to business customers only. A homeowner gets a letter of claim under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims instead.

There is more in our guide on how to chase an unpaid invoice.

Questions

When should I send a payment reminder?

Send the first reminder the day after the invoice falls due, then at 7, 14 and 30 days overdue. Most late invoices are paid after the first or second reminder, because the customer simply forgot. Sending on a fixed schedule also means you never have to decide whether it is too soon to chase.

How do I write a polite payment reminder?

Keep it short, state the invoice number, amount and due date, make paying easy with bank details or a card link, and allow for the possibility they have already paid. Save firmer wording for later reminders.

Can I add interest to a late invoice in my reminder?

Only if the customer is a business, under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, or if your agreed terms include an interest clause. A homeowner cannot be charged statutory late payment interest, so these templates never mention it to a private customer.

Should I text or email a payment reminder?

Both. Email gives a written record with all the details. A short text or WhatsApp message gets read quickly, which is often all it takes. Each template here has an email and a text version.

What do I do if the final reminder is ignored?

Send a formal letter. A company gets a Letter Before Action giving 14 days to pay. A homeowner or sole trader must get a letter of claim under the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, giving 30 days. Our free Letter Before Action template produces the right one.

Never send a reminder by hand again

QuoteChase sends these reminders for you on day 1, 7, 14 and 30, by email and on Pro by text, and stops the moment the invoice is paid. At the end it prepares the right formal letter for whoever owes you.

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These templates are general information, not legal advice. If a debt is disputed or large, speak to a solicitor before starting court proceedings.