Five rules for every reminder
- Invoice number in the subject. Accounts payable teams search by it.
- Amount, due date and a pay link in the body. Never make them open the PDF to find out what you want.
- One question. “When is it scheduled?” gets a date. “Please pay” gets silence.
- Short. If it doesn’t fit on a phone screen, cut it.
- Stop when they answer. A promise, a dispute or a question pauses the sequence. Sending the next template anyway is how reminders become rude.
1. Before the due date
Send three to five days before it’s due. It catches missing POs and wrong contacts while there’s still time to fix them.
Subject: Invoice [1052], due [Friday, Oct 30]
Hi [Dana],
A quick heads-up that invoice [1052] for [$4,410.00] is due on [Friday]. If it needs a PO number or anything else from us before it can go into your payment run, let me know and I’ll sort it today.
You can pay by card or bank transfer here: [pay link]
Thanks,
[Priya]
2. The day after
Assume it’s an oversight, because it usually is.
Subject: Invoice [1052], due yesterday
Hi [Dana],
Invoice [1052] for [$4,410.00] was due yesterday and I don’t see it on our side yet. It may already be on its way. If not, is there anything holding it up?
Pay link, in case it’s useful: [pay link]
Thanks,
[Priya]
3. One week late
Now ask for a date. A date is something you can check; “soon” isn’t.
Subject: Invoice [1052], 7 days overdue
Hi [Dana],
Following up on invoice [1052] for [$4,410.00], which was due on [October 30]. Could you tell me which day it’s scheduled to be paid? If something about the invoice needs fixing, I’d rather know now.
[pay link]
Thanks,
[Priya]
4. Two weeks, copying accounts payable
Widen the circle and say why. Most AP teams would rather hear about it than not.
Subject: Invoice [1052], 14 days overdue
Hi [Dana], and copying your accounts payable team in case this hasn’t reached them,
Invoice [1052] for [$4,410.00] was due on [October 30] and is now two weeks overdue. I’ve attached it again. Can you confirm when it will be paid, or let me know if there’s a problem with it?
[pay link]
Thanks,
[Priya], [Larkspur Engineering]
5. After a missed promise
Specific, calm, and referencing what they said. No sarcasm; just the facts.
Subject: Re: Invoice [1052]
Hi [Dana],
You mentioned invoice [1052] would be in [Friday’s] payment run, but it hasn’t come through on our side. Could you check whether it went out, or give me a new date?
[pay link]
Thanks,
[Priya]
6. Final notice
Around day 30, after you’ve tried to call. Formal, specific, and only state consequences you will actually follow through on.
Subject: Final notice: invoice [1052], [30] days overdue
Dear [Dana],
Invoice [1052] for [$4,410.00], due on [October 30], remains unpaid despite our reminders on [Nov 2, Nov 6 and Nov 13] and a call on [Nov 20].
Please pay in full by [December 4], or contact me before then to agree a date. If we don’t hear from you by then, we will [pause further work / refer the balance for collection].
[pay link]
Regards,
[Priya Raman], [Larkspur Engineering]
A note on tone across all six: the reminders get more direct, not more emotional. The customer should be able to forward any one of them to their boss without embarrassment for either of you.
Adjust the timing to your terms. On net 60, shift everything; for a customer who always pays on day 40 because of their payment calendar, start later and save yourself the noise.
What templates can’t do
Templates fix the writing. They don’t fix the follow-up: someone still has to send each one on the right day, notice the reply that says “paid Friday”, and stop before a paid invoice gets reminder four. That part is a process, which is what the collections cadence guide covers.
If you use OnDue for it, be clear on what it does today: it drafts these reminders on days 1, 7, 14 and 30 for your approval, without a pay link (the Stripe pay page is Coming soon) and without the before-the-due-date heads-up or the copy to accounts payable, which you’d still send yourself.