Late payment reminder email templates
Invoice overdue? Follow the sequence: a polite reminder, a firmer second reminder, a final notice, and a written payment plan if you agree one. Every version restates the balance and makes paying easy.
Copy the email
Steps 1 and 2: overdue reminders
Step 1 a few days after the due date (professional or casual). Step 2 if there is no reply after a week or two (direct).
Hi [Client Name], A quick reminder that invoice #[NUMBER] for $[AMOUNT] was due on [DATE]. It may have been missed in a busy week, so here are the details again. - Invoice number: [NUMBER] - Amount due: $[AMOUNT] - Original due date: [DATE] - Days overdue: [X] You can pay here: [Payment link] Bank transfer details: [Bank details] If you've already paid, thank you, and please ignore this. If something on the invoice is holding up payment, let me know and I'll help sort it out. Thanks, [Your Name] [Your Company]
Hi [Client Name], Just a nudge on invoice #[NUMBER] for $[AMOUNT]. It was due on [DATE] and I haven't seen payment come through yet. Here's the payment link if that's easier: [Payment link] If it's already on its way, great, please ignore me. If it's waiting with someone else on your side, could you point me to the right person? Thanks, [Your Name] [Your Company]
Hi [Client Name], Invoice #[NUMBER] is now [X] days overdue, and I haven't had a reply to my reminder on [date of first reminder]. - Amount due: $[AMOUNT] - Original due date: [DATE] - Pay online: [Payment link] - Bank transfer: [Bank details] Please arrange payment by [new date], or reply to tell me when it will be paid. If you need to split the payment, I'm open to a short payment plan. [Only if your contract includes it: Under our agreement, a late fee of $[amount] applies from [date].] Regards, [Your Name] [Your Company]
Step 3: final notice
Only after at least two reminders without a reply. State only consequences your contract allows and that you will carry out.
Hi [Client Name], This is a final notice about invoice #[NUMBER] for $[AMOUNT]. It was due on [original due date] and is now [X] days overdue. - Invoice number: [NUMBER] - Original amount: $[AMOUNT] - Late fee (only if your contract includes one): $[amount] - Total due: $[total] I sent reminders on [dates] and have not received payment or a reply. Please pay by [final deadline] using one of these options: - Card or bank payment: [Payment link] - Bank transfer: [Bank details] If payment is not received by [final deadline], I will [pause all work on your account / refer the balance to a collections agency / take the next step set out in our agreement]. If cash flow is the problem, please call or email me before that date and we can agree a payment plan. I would much rather settle this directly. Regards, [Your Name] [Your Company] [Phone] [Email]
Dear [Client Name], This is formal and final notice regarding the outstanding balance on your account. Account details: - Invoice number: [NUMBER] - Original amount: $[AMOUNT] - Late fees under our agreement: $[amount] - Total due: $[total] - Original due date: [date] - Days past due: [X] Previous correspondence: - [Date]: invoice sent - [Date]: first reminder - [Date]: second reminder - [Date]: third reminder We have received neither payment nor a response. Required action: Full payment of $[total] must be received by [final deadline]. You can pay by: - Card or bank payment: [Payment link] - Bank transfer: [Bank details] If payment is not received by [final deadline]: 1. All services under our agreement will be suspended 2. The balance will be referred to [collections agency name] 3. We reserve the right to recover the balance and associated costs as permitted by our agreement and applicable law To resolve this, contact [Your Name] at [phone] or [email] by [final deadline]. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Company] [Phone] [Email]
Hi [Client Name], I'm getting in touch one last time about invoice #[NUMBER] for $[AMOUNT], which is now [X] days overdue. I've sent [number] reminders and haven't heard back. I'd like to sort this out without escalating it. What's owed: - Invoice: #[NUMBER] - Amount: $[AMOUNT] - Original due date: [date] If I don't hear from you by [final deadline], I'll need to: 1. Pause any remaining work on your account 2. Pass the balance to a collections agency 3. Consider the other remedies in our contract I'd rather not. If cash flow is the issue, let's talk. I'm open to: - A payment plan that fits your budget - A part payment now and the rest on agreed dates How to resolve it: - Pay online: [Payment link] - Bank transfer: [Bank details] - Call me: [Phone] Please reply or call by [final deadline]. [Your Name] [Your Company] [Phone] [Email]
Payment plan agreed
Send once the client agrees a plan, so the balance, dates, payment options and next steps are in writing.
Hi [Client Name], Thanks for talking this through. Here is the payment plan we agreed for invoice #[NUMBER], so we both have it in writing. Outstanding balance: $[TOTAL] (invoice #[NUMBER], originally due [date]) [Only if your contract includes it: late fee of $[amount] included above / waived if the plan is kept] Payments: - $[amount] by [date] - $[amount] by [date] - $[amount] by [date] How to pay: [Payment link] or bank transfer to [bank details]. Please use #[NUMBER] as the reference. While the plan is on schedule: [work continues as normal / work resumes on (date)]. If a payment is missed: [what you agreed, e.g., "the remaining balance becomes due in full"]. Please reply to confirm this matches your understanding. Thanks, [Your Name] [Your Company]
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
Best practices
Open with a check-in, not an accusation
"I wanted to check on invoice #1042" lands better than "Your payment is overdue." A polite email is more likely to be forwarded to the person who can actually pay it.
Restate the details every time
Include the invoice number, amount, original due date and days overdue in every reminder. Do not assume the client can find the original invoice. The aim is an email they can forward to accounts payable without adding anything.
Offer a way forward
If a client is short of cash, a payment plan or a part payment now is better than waiting for a full payment that may not come. A line like "If timing is the issue, I'm happy to agree a payment plan" opens that conversation.
Keep a record
Reminder emails also document your efforts to collect. If you ever need a collections agency or legal advice, dated and professional emails are your evidence, so keep the tone consistent from the first reminder to the last.
Quick tips
- For large invoices, send a courtesy reminder a few days before the due date
- Send the first overdue reminder 3 to 5 days after the due date
- Assume an oversight first; you can always get firmer later
- Include the payment link in every reminder
- Escalate in steps: friendly, firm, then a final notice with a deadline
- Only mention late fees or paused work if your contract includes them
What makes this template work
Escalates in stages
A friendly first reminder, a firmer second reminder and three final-notice versions, so you never write the hard one from scratch.
Assumes good faith first
The first reminder treats the late payment as an oversight, which keeps the conversation easy if that is what it was.
Restates every detail
Invoice number, amount, original due date and days overdue, so the email can be forwarded to accounts payable as it is.
Payment link in every version
Each reminder includes a payment link placeholder, so the client can pay from the email itself.
Room for a payment plan
Later versions offer a short payment plan, which gives a client who has gone quiet an easier way to reply.
A dated, factual record
Each email records what you asked for and when, which matters if you later need a collections agency.
Frequently asked questions
When should I send the first late payment reminder?
Three to five days after the due date is a reasonable first nudge. For large invoices, also send a courtesy reminder a few days before the due date, so the invoice is in the client's approval queue on time.
How often should I follow up on a late payment?
Roughly weekly for the first month is a sensible default: a reminder at 3 to 5 days, another at about 14 days, then a final notice around 30 days. If the final notice gets no reply, decide whether to pause work or use a collections agency, as your contract allows.
Can I charge late fees?
Only if your contract or terms of business include them, and only within what the law where you operate allows. If you do charge them, state the fee in the contract, on the invoice and in the reminder. Waiving a first late fee for a good client costs little and is often remembered.
When should I stop work for non-payment?
Only when your contract allows it, and only after saying so in writing: "Under our agreement, I'll need to pause work on [project] until the balance is paid." Set the trigger in the contract, for example 15 or 30 days overdue, so it is not a surprise.
Can AgencyPro send payment reminders automatically?
Yes. Payment reminders are part of invoicing on every AgencyPro plan. You turn on pre-due, due-date, overdue and final-notice reminders, set the timing and edit each email. Every reminder includes the invoice's payment link, and you can add a late fee after a grace period you choose.
Related email templates
Invoice email template
A short invoice email that puts the invoice number, amount, due date and payment link where the client sees them first.
View templateThank you email template
A short, specific thank-you email for clients after a project, a renewal, a referral or a fast approval.
View templateClient offboarding email template
An email that closes a client engagement cleanly: final files, account handover, final invoice, support period and a door left open.
View templateLet reminders do the chasing
AgencyPro sends pre-due, due-date, overdue and final-notice reminders with a payment link in each one, and can add a late fee after a grace period. Included on every plan.