What should a payment reminder email include?
Include the invoice number, due date, remaining balance, and a trusted invoice or payment link. Ask the customer to confirm receipt and give an expected payment date. Check your bank and accounting records first. If payment has already been sent, ask for its date and reference so you can reconcile it.
First overdue invoice reminder
Subject: Checking on invoice [number]
Hi [name],
Invoice [number] was due on [date], and our records show [amount] remains unpaid.
Could you confirm that you received it and let me know the expected payment date? Here is the invoice: [verified link].
If payment has already been sent, please share the date and reference so we can reconcile it.
Thank you,
[sender]
Follow-up after a missed payment promise
Subject: Update on payment planned for [date]
Hi [name],
You mentioned that payment for invoice [number] would be made by [promised date]. We have not yet matched that payment to the invoice; [amount] remains open.
Has it been sent? If so, please share the date and reference. Otherwise, please confirm a revised payment date by [response date].
Thank you,
[sender]
Before you send
- Check payments and approved credits against your records.
- Replace every bracketed field and verify the recipient.
- Use a trusted payment link, not unverified bank-detail changes.
- Record the response and your next follow-up date.
If the customer disputes a charge, identify the specific issue and assign an owner to review it. Pause routine reminders about that disputed item while the concern is being addressed. These templates are routine business communications, not legal collection notices.
Need a place to track the next step?
The Get Paid Faster Toolkit is a one-time $15 download. It adds an Excel invoice tracker, dispute log, eight reminder templates, a worked example, and a seven-page playbook for a weekly receivables routine.
The workbook is manual and USD-only. It does not send reminders, collect payments, or connect to accounting software. The guidance is not legal, tax, or accounting advice and does not guarantee payment.
Get the free one-page sampler