Payment reminder email generator
Fill in the invoice and its due date. The generator picks the right email for how late the payment is, from a polite heads-up before the due date to a final notice, fills in the amounts and dates, and lets you copy it in one click.
Late fee and final step
Get the Invoice Tracker Template Google Sheets + Excel, Payment Reminder Email Templates (Word + PDF), $9 one-time. Launch price: 50% off with FIRST10, first 10 buyers.
The email is suggested by days past the due date: 3 days before, on the day, 1 to 6, 7 to 13, 14 to 29, 30 to 44 and 45+ days late. Late fees are simple interest pro-rated daily, plus the flat fee from 14 days late; only charge them if your client agreed to them in advance. Nothing you type leaves your browser. Templates, not legal advice.
Never write a chaser from scratch again
The Invoice Tracker Template Google Sheets + Excel, Payment Reminder Email Templates (Word + PDF) has all 10 emails (these 7 plus replies for “we'll pay next week”, a payment plan offer and a thank-you), payment terms and a late fee policy to add before the next project, and the Invoice Chaser spreadsheet that tracks every invoice, works out late fees, flags who to chase today and writes each email for you. Word, Google Docs, Excel and Google Sheets. One-time $9.
Get the Invoice Tracker TemplateNeed a custom Excel or Google Sheets tracker built around how you work? I build them on Fiverr, from $5. See the offer on Fiverr
The reminder sequence that gets invoices paid
Most late invoices aren't refused, they're forgotten. A short, regular sequence of emails that gets a little firmer each time, and always asks for a specific payment date, gets most of them paid without a single awkward call.
| When | What it does | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days before due | Before due | Heads-up with the payment link; catches invoice problems early |
| Due date | Due today | Neutral reminder |
| 1 to 6 days late | Friendly overdue | Assumes it was missed; asks for a date |
| 7 to 13 days late | Firm overdue | Mentions the late fee in your terms |
| 14 to 29 days late | Fee added | States the new balance; work pauses if no reply |
| 30 to 44 days late | Final notice | Names a deadline and your next step |
| 45+ days late | Letter before action | Formal last warning before collection or court |
Rules for chasing a late payment
Ask for a date. "When will this be paid?" gets a commitment. "Just checking in" gets ignored.
Reply in the same thread so the client sees every earlier reminder.
Find the person who pays. From the third email, ask who handles invoices and copy them in.
Only name a consequence you will carry out. If you say work pauses at 14 days, pause it. Empty threats teach clients to wait.
Stay polite, even in the final notice. If the debt ever goes to an agency or small claims court, these emails are your evidence.
To see what the late fee comes to, use the invoice late fee calculator.
Questions
How do I politely remind a client to pay an invoice?
Keep it short: the invoice number, amount, due date and payment link, then ask the date it will be paid. For the first overdue reminder, assume it was missed rather than ignored.
How many reminders should I send for an unpaid invoice?
Usually five to seven: before the due date, on it, then at about 3, 7, 14, 30 and 45 days late. Each one gets firmer and the last two name a deadline and what you will do next.
What should a final notice for an unpaid invoice say?
The invoice number, the original due date, the balance including any agreed late fees, a final date to pay, and the step you will take if it isn't paid, such as passing it to a collection agency.
Can I add a late fee to a reminder email?
Only if the client agreed to it before the work started, usually in your contract or on the invoice. If they did, state the fee and the new balance from about 14 days late.