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Payment reminder email templates

5 payment reminder email templates for unpaid invoices

Use these professional templates before an invoice is due, on the due date, and as it becomes overdue. Each example is short, specific and designed to get a clear response without making payment follow-up unnecessarily confrontational.

View the templatesGenerate a reminderAutomate the follow-up

Quick timing guide

Use a different tone as the invoice moves from upcoming to overdue

These public examples follow the same five-stage timing and tone progression used by PixelDock Chase. You can adapt them for manual follow-up or use the product to automate the sequence.

  1. Step 1

    Friendly reminder

    3 days before the due date

  2. Step 2

    Payment due today

    On the due date

  3. Step 3

    Professional overdue reminder

    3 days after the due date

  4. Step 4

    Firm reminder

    7 days after the due date

  5. Step 5

    Final reminder

    14 days after the due date

Copy and adapt

Five professional payment reminder emails

These are public educational examples based on Chase’s five-stage follow-up approach, not a live dependency on the operational emails sent by the scheduler. Replace the placeholders with the real invoice details if you send them manually.

Template 1

Friendly reminder

3 days before the due date · Friendly tone

Subject

Invoice {{invoice_number}} is due on {{due_date}}

Email

Hi {{client_name}}, Just a quick reminder that invoice {{invoice_number}} for {{amount}} is due on {{due_date}}. If payment is already scheduled, no action is needed. If you need anything from me before the due date, please reply and let me know. Thanks, {{business_name}}

Template 2

Payment due today

On the due date · Professional tone

Subject

Invoice {{invoice_number}} is due today

Email

Hi {{client_name}}, A quick note that invoice {{invoice_number}} for {{amount}} is due today, {{due_date}}. If payment has already been arranged, please ignore this reminder. Otherwise, please let me know if you need the invoice resent or any details clarified. Thanks, {{business_name}}

Template 3

Professional overdue reminder

3 days after the due date · Professional tone

Subject

Invoice {{invoice_number}} is now overdue

Email

Hi {{client_name}}, Invoice {{invoice_number}} for {{amount}} was due on {{due_date}} and is now overdue. Could you confirm when payment is expected? If there is an approval or invoice issue holding it up, please reply and I will help resolve it. Thanks, {{business_name}}

Template 4

Firm reminder

7 days after the due date · Direct tone

Subject

Payment requested: invoice {{invoice_number}}

Email

Hi {{client_name}}, Invoice {{invoice_number}} for {{amount}} remains unpaid and is now {{days_overdue}} days overdue. Please arrange payment or reply with the date you expect it to be paid. If something is preventing payment, let me know so we can address it directly. Regards, {{business_name}}

Template 5

Final reminder

14 days after the due date · Firm tone

Subject

Final payment reminder: invoice {{invoice_number}}

Email

Hi {{client_name}}, This is a final reminder that invoice {{invoice_number}} for {{amount}} remains outstanding and is now {{days_overdue}} days overdue. Please arrange payment within the next 3 working days, or reply today if there is a genuine dispute or another reason the invoice cannot be paid as expected. Regards, {{business_name}}

What to include

A good payment reminder removes ambiguity

Your client should be able to understand the invoice, the status and the next action without digging through an old email thread.

  • Client name, so the email feels intentional rather than automated spam
  • Invoice number, so there is no ambiguity about what you are following up on
  • Amount due, so the client does not need to reopen the original invoice to understand the request
  • Original due date, especially once the invoice is overdue
  • One clear next action: pay, confirm a payment date, or reply if something is blocking payment
  • A calm sign-off from the business that sent the invoice

Tone

Firm does not have to mean hostile

Before and on the due date

Treat the reminder as useful information. The client may already have payment scheduled, so a friendly or neutral tone is usually enough. Give them the invoice reference and an easy way to flag a problem.

Once the invoice is overdue

Become more specific rather than more emotional. State how late the invoice is, ask for a payment date, and set a clear next deadline. The message can become firmer without becoming insulting or making unsupported threats.

What to avoid

Common payment reminder mistakes

  • Aggressive language before the invoice is actually overdue
  • Vague messages such as “just checking in” that never state what is due
  • Threatening legal action you are not prepared or entitled to take
  • Continuing to send reminders after the invoice has been paid or formally disputed
  • Changing the amount, due date or invoice reference from one reminder to the next
  • Sending increasingly long emails when a short, specific request would be clearer

Manual vs automated

Templates help with the wording. Automation removes the remembering.

A saved email template makes each follow-up faster, but you still have to remember which invoice needs which message and when to send it. PixelDock Chase handles that timing: add the unpaid invoice once, review the schedule, and the reminder sequence runs automatically until you pause it or mark the invoice paid.

PixelDock Chase is not accounting software and does not collect payment. Your client still pays your business directly.

Prefer not to send these manually?

See how the automated reminder schedule works from the first pre-due message to the final follow-up.

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By business type

More guidance for the way you work

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Invoice reminders for agencies

Keep payment follow-up consistent across multiple clients and open invoices.

FAQ

Payment reminder email questions

How do I politely remind a client about an unpaid invoice?
Keep the message factual and easy to act on. Mention the invoice number, amount and due date, ask for payment or a confirmed payment date, and give the client a simple way to reply if there is a problem with the invoice.
Should I send a payment reminder before the due date?
A short pre-due reminder can be useful, especially for invoices with longer payment terms. Keep it friendly: the payment is not late yet, so the purpose is simply to make sure the due date is visible and any issue can be raised early.
How often should I send overdue invoice reminders?
There is no single schedule that suits every business, but spacing reminders out is usually better than sending daily messages. PixelDock Chase uses a five-stage sequence: 3 days before the due date, on the due date, then 3, 7 and 14 days after it.
What should a final payment reminder say?
State clearly that the invoice remains unpaid, repeat the invoice details, give a specific deadline for the next action, and invite the client to reply immediately if there is a genuine dispute or reason for delay. Avoid inventing penalties or legal consequences.
Can I edit the reminder templates inside PixelDock Chase?
Not currently. PixelDock Chase uses the same five hand-written reminder templates so you can review the exact sequence your client will receive. Template editing is not available at this time.
Can my client reply to a PixelDock Chase reminder?
Yes. Reminder replies are directed back to the business, so the client can respond to you if payment is already on the way, an approval is delayed, or something on the invoice needs attention.

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