How To Write Overdue Invoice Reminder Emails - With Examples

You can describe payment reminder emails in just one word–tricky.

Business owners must be polite to maintain a good customer relationship but straightforward enough to complete the payments on time.

An irregular payment cycle can affect a company's progress and cash flow. To make your business stay afloat, you have to send friendly reminder of payment to your clients and make sure your dues are paid off.

Well, writing a friendly reminder for payment can be awkward. This article will help you write payment follow-up emails and maintain a positive cash flow.

When to Send Payment Reminder Messages?

There are a few key times to send payment reminders to nudge your customers without being annoying:

The Week Before: A gentle reminder a week before the due date is a great way to jog their memory and ensure they have ample time to settle the invoice.

The Due Date: A friendly reminder on the actual due date can be helpful, especially if your customer tends to pay at the last minute.

Additionally:

Overdue Payments: If the invoice goes unpaid after the due date, you'll want to send firmer reminders at set intervals, like a week and then two weeks after the due date.

What to Include in a Friendly Reminder for Payment?

The first question that occurs in your mind is, what things should you add to your friendly email reminder for payment?

Well, it depends on the type of your business, your relationship with the customer/client, and the type of service you offer or the product you sell.

There are certain things you need to include in your invoice reminder emails irrespective of the type of your business, such as:

• Business name
• Contract with client
• Outstanding invoice
• Due date
• Due amount
• Terms & Condition

Some other optional things:

• Penalty/late fee/Interest rate
• Transaction methods
• Read receipts
• Outstanding invoice

Best Practices for Writing Payment Reminder Email

1. Clear and Concise Subject Line

Your client should understand the email by reading the subject line. The ideal length should be around ten words. Try including their first names to personalize and ensure your client opens it.

Keyword-based subject lines work better for friendly reminders of overdue amounts. For example, include 'payment reminder' in the subject line to get a clear idea.

Here are some examples you can use:

• "Anton, Invoice #11 is due on 11th October."
• "Payment reminder: Payment for your last order is due."
• "URGENT: Overdue of Invoice #23"

You can consider including the invoice number or order number and the payment date to be more specific.

2. Attach the Original Invoice

Remember that it's your responsibility to remind the client about the due. Don't make your customers go through the hassle of digging out the invoice, and send a copy of the invoice as an attachment to your friendly email reminder for payment.

3. Ask Politely

You may be frustrated with the long overdue payment. Whatever the reason, you shouldn't sound frustrated while sending a friendly reminder for payment.

Greet your client graciously by their name and add a line or two wishing them well or congratulating them on their achievements, then convey your payment request politely, maintain a friendly tone, and attach the overdue invoice with the mail.

Automation of late payment reminder emails can help your business save time and effort.

4. Include Details Clearly

Although it is important to sound polite, you should clearly include all the necessary details. Don't sound vague; add a call to action to inform them how to make the due payment.

For example, "You can pay with a Debit/Credit card, cheque, or cash."

If there are any late payment fees or interest provisions, mention that (including the exact numbers).

Pro Hack: Use a payment collections agency to make payments more effortless. Add your bank details or unique transaction ID to make the process easier for your clients.

5. Be Specific

This is the most vital part of your email body. You should be very specific about reminding your client of the payment date, purchase/service date, and payment details.

Also, avoid using confusing statements. Moreover, if you are sending overdue payment request emails, mention the exact days, weeks, or months in the mail for timely payments.

6. Keep it Short and Polite

As the name suggests, friendly reminders for payment should be short and 'friendly.' Before hitting the 'send' button, make sure everything you have said is in a polite tone.

For example, don't say, 'You have to pay by 1st October'; instead, say, 'Your payment is due on 1st October'.

Also, check for grammatical errors and typos in your emails and proofread your copy at least once. The recommended word count for payment reminder emails is 50-100 words.

7. Keep the Timing in Mind

Imagine receiving a payment reminder email just before bedtime. It doesn't feel nice, right?

Also, it is a standard practice to send emails during business hours to get maximum email open rates. So, send your payment reminder emails during business hours and follow up after a certain period–most likely within 24-48 hours.

8. Utilize Email Automation

Writing individual emails for each of your clients and personalizing them is a tiring and time-consuming process.

Use email automation software like HubSpot, Outreach, GetResponse, etc., to automate your friendly reminder. You can utilize Smartlead.ai for its AI-powered writing assistance for creating personalized email copies and automating follow-ups.

Structure of a Invoice Reminder Email

Structuring a friendly email reminder can be tricky sometimes. If it's not written correctly, it can lead to misunderstanding, hampering your brand image.

Just like a cold email, a payment reminder email should consist of a subject line, a cordial greeting, an email body, a proper closure, and a professional signature.

Subject Line

An ideal subject line should not exceed the word limit of 10 words. It should be concise and clear. It is best if you can add the reference number or the order number (if any) in the subject line itself so that it states your message clearly.

If your payment is long overdue, you can add 'URGENT' or 'IMPORTANT' to make sure your client opens the email.

Email Body

Be it a cold email or a long overdue payment reminder email, starting with a warm greeting is standard practice. Address your client by their first name so that it seems more personal. 

Your greeting should not be too formal yet professional. Starting with a 'Hi,' 'Hello,' or 'Hey' can do the trick. On the flip side, using 'To whom it may concern' sounds like a generalized statement, so avoid using it.

Always remember that the 'the shorter, the better' formula is best for business emails. Your goal is to convey the message as concisely as possible. So, try to make your email body short and to the point. 50-100 words are the ideal word count for the email body.

As we've mentioned above, attach the invoice with the email. Lastly, don't forget to add additional info, such as paying methods, due dates, and late fees, if necessary.

Once you have conveyed your concerns, it is essential to end the email with a proper closure. You can thank them for doing business with you or encourage them to associate with your company again.

Sign Off and Optimization

Your customer needs to know who exactly is asking for monetary transactions. So, once you are done writing the email body, include your name as 'All the best, name,' 'Regards, name,' etc. for clarification.

Enter your company's physical address to make your email look more professional.

Now comes the most critical part–brand optimization. Once you compose your email, optimize it with your brand logo and tagline. It would make your email look professional.

Payment Reminder Email Templates: Examples

First Payment Reminder

Subject: Urgent: Payment due on {{date}}

Hi {{recipient name}},

We hope this email finds you well and would love to hear about your experience with our product.

We're reaching out because we've noticed you haven't made any payments recently.

Please be sure to reply to this email so we can get in touch with you about your account and transaction options.

Cheers!

{{sender name}}

Payment Reminder Follow Up

Subject: Payment Reminder

Hello {{recipient name}},

I hope you are enjoying our services.

I wanted to follow up on the invoice number {I sent you. We would appreciate your prompt consideration. You can pay via credit card or contact us at {contact number} if you have any questions.

Best,

{{sender name}}

Overdue Reminder Template

Subject: ATTENTION, overdue {{invoice number}} for {{client’s name}}

Hey {{first name}},

I am writing this to remind you about the overdue {{invoice number}}, due on {{due date}.

PFA your unpaid invoice here: {{link}}

We offer you a grace period of one week, after which a late charge of 5% on the outstanding balance will apply.

Kindly let us know when we can expect the transaction or if there's any discrepancy we can resolve.

Thank you,

{{sender name}}

Remember to customize the above payment reminder email formats to fit your unique requirements.

How Can Automation Make Your Job Easier?

Email automation can do wonders for your invoice reminder email campaigns. Here is a quick overview of how automation can make your job easier:

• Manually creating personalized payment reminder emails for each of your clients can be tiresome. Smartlead offers AI personalization to help you write personalized, friendly reminders.
• Smartlead makes sure your emails reach your prospects' inboxes with its high-deliverability IPs so that your reminders don't end up in spam folders.
• If you are conducting a service-based business, you need to send reminders to your clients monthly/quarterly/yearly. Email automation tools, such as Smartlead.ai, help you create pipelines and saves you from the hassle of sending timely reminders with the automated email-sending feature.
• Smartlead can write and automate email follow-ups, which is very important for polite reminders. It sends timely follow-ups to clients.
• If you are running a big organization, it must be hard to keep track of all the emails you receive every day. Smartlead.ai offers you a master mailbox so that you can manage your emails in one place.
• You can automate 'thank you/gratitude' emails for post-payment formality. It keeps your goodwill intact and improves the sender's reputation.
• It offers you timely reports, live tracking of your campaigns, and prediction-based analytics so that you can stay on top of your outreach game.

How To Avoid Late Payments In The First Place?

Here are some strategies to prevent late payments in the first place:

• Clear Invoices: Make sure your invoices are clear and easy to understand. Include all relevant information like the due date, amount due, and payment methods accepted.
• Online Payment Options: Offer convenient online payment options like credit card processing or a payment portal. This makes it easier for customers to pay quickly and easily.
• Automatic Payments: If possible, consider offering automatic payment options where the invoice amount is automatically deducted on the due date.
• Late Fee Policy: Have a clear late fee policy in place and outline it on your invoices. This discourages late payments by making the consequences clear.
• Communication: Maintain open communication with your customers. If you know they might be facing financial difficulties, reach out and discuss a payment plan.

By implementing a combination of these strategies, you can significantly reduce the number of late payments you receive.

Conclusion

Reminding a client about the due amount without sounding harsh or a money-grubber is no less than any art.

We hope you have learned how to write and send friendly reminders for payment to your clients. Remember that once you receive the amount, don't forget to send a thank you email.

One tip: Payments from customers can be late sometimes. Consider asking your clients politely for 60 days. Once you cross the threshold of 60-days, you might consider sending a legal notice and hiring a collections agency to collect the outstanding money and keep the cash flow intact.

With that, we'll take our leave.

See you soon, take care!

FAQs

1. How do I avoid late payments and keep the cash flow intact?‍

• Make your terms and conditions clear.
• Send a friendly reminder email at least a week before the due date.
• Establish a late fee/penalty.
• Accept various methods for monetary transactions.
• Set automated reminder emails

2.  What are some widely accepted payment methods for businesses?

It is important to keep various methods open for your clients to avoid any delay. Here are some widely accepted methods you can use: PayPal, credit card, debit card, net banking, cryptocurrency, E-wallets, Buy-Now-Pay-later, and electronic bank transfer.