Invoice Email Template: 3 Free Versions for Agencies

Invoice email template

Copy a ready-to-send invoice email in three tones, with the invoice number, amount, due date and payment link first. Separate payment-received emails confirm the money has arrived.

Copy the email

Send an invoice

Send with the invoice. The number, amount, due date and payment link come first.

Subject line

Invoice #[NUMBER] for [Project Name], due [Date]

Email body

Hi [Client Name],

Please find attached invoice #[NUMBER] for [project or service period].

Invoice details:
- Invoice number: [NUMBER]
- Amount due: $[AMOUNT]
- Due date: [DATE]
- For: [Project name or service period]

How to pay:
- Card or bank payment: [Payment link]
- Bank transfer: [Bank details]

If anything on the invoice needs a second look, reply to this email and I'll sort it out before the due date.

Thank you,
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
[Phone Number]

Payment received (receipt)

Send after the money arrives. It confirms the amount and what it covers, and never asks for payment.

Subject line

Payment received for invoice #[NUMBER], thank you

Email body

Hi [Client Name],

Thank you, your payment for invoice #[NUMBER] has arrived.

- Amount paid: $[AMOUNT]
- Payment date: [DATE]
- Method: [card/bank transfer/PayPal]
- Transaction ID: [ID, if applicable]

This covers [e.g., "phase 1 of the website redesign" or "the [month] retainer"]. Your receipt is attached, and you can also find it in your client portal: [Link]

[If more work follows: "With this in, we'll start on [next phase] on [date]."]
[If it's the final payment: "This settles the account for [Project Name] in full."]

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
[Phone]

How to use: copy the version that fits, paste it into your email client as plain text, and replace every [bracket] with your details. Delete any line that does not apply.

Need several of these? Download every agency email template as one plain-text file.

When to use this template

Use this email every time you send an invoice: a project deposit, a milestone, a monthly retainer or a final balance. The email does a different job from the invoice PDF. The PDF is the record. The email is what gets the invoice opened, forwarded to accounts payable and paid. Send it on the date your contract says, not when you remember. For retainers, pick a fixed day (the 1st, or the last working day of the month) so the client's finance team can plan for it. For milestone billing, send it the day the client approves the milestone, while the work is fresh in their mind. Delay is expensive: a 2024 BuildOps analysis of invoices from hundreds of North American service contractors found that invoicing more than 20 days after a job can add as much as 30 days to the payment cycle. A good invoice email answers three questions without the client opening the attachment: what is this for, how much is it, and how do I pay? If any of those is missing, expect a reply asking for it, and a later payment.

Best practices

Name the work, not just the number

Reference the specific deliverable or period in the first line, such as "the March retainer" or "the homepage design milestone". Clients approve payments faster when they can match the charge to work they remember.

Put the payment link in the body

Every extra step between reading the email and paying gives the invoice another chance to sit in an inbox. Place a card or bank payment link next to the amount, and keep bank transfer details for clients who need them. Xero data published in June 2026 shows invoices with online payment options get paid roughly 20 days faster than those without.

Write the due date as a date

Write "due 14 March", not only "Net 15". If your contract includes late fees or a pause-work clause, mention it once, plainly, on the first invoice rather than for the first time in a reminder.

Attach the PDF and summarize it

Attach the PDF for the client's records and repeat the invoice number, amount and due date in the email. Invoices are often forwarded to someone who never saw the project, so the email has to make sense on its own.

Quick tips

Send the invoice on the date your contract sets, or the day a milestone is approved
Put the invoice number in the subject line so it is easy to search for
Write the due date as a calendar date, not only as payment terms
Ask who processes payments and send future invoices to them directly
For large invoices, send a short courtesy reminder a few days before the due date

What makes this template work

Searchable subject line

Invoice number, project and due date in the subject, so the client and their accounts team can find it later.

Key details in the body

Amount, due date and payment options are in the email itself, not only in the attached PDF.

Payment link near the amount

A placeholder for your card or bank payment link sits right under the total, where the client is already looking.

Three tones plus a receipt

Professional, casual and direct versions, plus payment confirmation emails for when the money arrives.

Invites questions early

Asks the client to flag any line item they query, so disputes surface before the due date rather than after it.

Short enough for a phone

Each version is under 150 words, so the payment details are visible without scrolling.

Frequently asked questions

When should I send an invoice email?

Send it when your contract says the invoice is due: on signing for a deposit, on approval for a milestone, or on a fixed date each month for a retainer. Invoicing late usually means being paid late.

Should I attach the invoice or put it in the email body?

Do both. Attach the PDF as the formal record and repeat the invoice number, amount, due date and payment link in the body. The email should work even if nobody opens the attachment.

How do I follow up on an unpaid invoice?

Send a short reminder a few days after the due date, a firmer one at about two weeks, and a final notice once two reminders have gone unanswered. The late payment reminder template on this site has a version for each stage.

What payment terms should I use?

Net 15 and Net 30 are both common for agency work, and many agencies take a deposit before starting a project. Whatever you choose, agree it in the contract first and repeat it on every invoice.

Can AgencyPro send invoice emails for me?

Yes. Invoicing is included on every AgencyPro plan. You email the invoice from AgencyPro with a payment link (Stripe or PayPal), its status changes to Viewed when the client opens it, and you can turn on pre-due, due-date, overdue and final-notice reminders with editable email templates.

Send invoices and reminders from one place

AgencyPro emails each invoice with a payment link, shows when the client has viewed it, and sends the reminders you set up. Invoicing is included on every plan, from $39/mo.

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