7 Best Outstanding Payment Reminder Email Templates for Overdue Payments (2023)

We are sure you must have encountered at least one client who was reluctant to pay the bill on time for whatever reason. Chasing and dealing with such late-paying clients is not only a time-consuming process but also an emotional and financial drain since a steady cash flow is critical to the survival and growth of any business.

However, this does not mean that you use unethical & unprofessional means to collect the money owed to you. On the contrary, you must maintain a professional attitude and a polite tone throughout the process to avoid damaging your relationship with the client and losing them. Moreover, your company’s reputation is far more valuable than late payment.

7 Outstanding Payment Reminder Email Samples (Templates)

In this section, we’ll walk you through 7 invoice payment reminder email samples templates you can use at various intervals.

• Email 1 | The First Payment Reminder Email: 7 Days Before The Due Date
• Email 2 | Payment Due Date Reminder Email: On The Due Date
• Email 3 | Payment Reminder Email Template: 7 Days After An Overdue Payment
• Email 4 | Payment Reminder Email: 14 Days After Overdue Payment
• Email 5 | Final Payment Reminder Email: Payment Due For More Than A Month
• Email 6 | Final Payment Reminder Email: Payment Due For More Than 2 Months
• Email 7 | Final Payment Reminder Email: Payment Due For More Than 3 Months

Mail 1 | The First Payment Reminder Email: 7 Days Before The Due Date

The first email you send should be welcoming and informative. It also has to be brief. Make sure you don’t ask for payment immediately because the invoice isn’t due yet. Ensure that you write the email in such a way that your client believes you are regularly tracking their invoices and will contact them if they do not pay on time.

Mail 2 | Payment Due Date Reminder Email: On The Due Date

This will be your first attempt to persuade your customers to make a payment. However, you should not only keep it short, but you should also keep it to the point. Also, you must maintain a friendly and courteous tone since the payment is technically not past due.

Mail 3 | Outstanding Payment Email Template: 7 Days After An Overdue Payment

You can send payment reminder messages seven days after the due date. This should be the first late payment reminder email informing your customer that their invoice is past due. As a result, your tone should become a little more assertive.

Also, attach a copy of the invoice or send them a link to the original invoice so they can get it if they misplaced or deleted it.

Mail 4 | Payment Reminder Email: 14 Days After Overdue Payment

You must be more direct in this email. For example, make an explicit request for payment and a request for the client to respond if they have received your message.

Mail 5 | Final Payment Reminder Email: Payment Due For More Than A Month

After multiple failed attempts to contact the client, you must take a more aggressive approach. If the customer takes your professionalism for granted, consider the possibility of receiving compensation for late payments.

Mail 6 | Final Payment Reminder Email: Payment Due For More Than 2 Months

Mail 7 | Final Payment Reminder Email: Payment Due For More Than 3 Months

This should be the last email for unpaid invoice reminders. You can be strict and even consider mentioning the repercussions of not paying the invoice, such as legal issues.

If the client fails to pay attention or the overdue payments despite receiving seven outstanding payment reminder emails listed above, you should call them and confront them directly. If they agree to pay within a mutually agreed-upon time frame, wait a few more days. However, if they fail again, there is always a legal way to bring them to justice.

But we hope you never have to get to this point and that you only use the legal action as a last resort to ensure that your relationship with the client does not deteriorate and that you do not lose a potential client. But, at the same time, ensure you get your hard-earned cash, which is essential for cash flow and business expansion.

6 Things To Include In Your Outstanding Payment Reminder Email Format

When you send invoice payment reminder emails to a company, keep in mind that your email will be one of the hundreds they receive daily. So, when sending a payment reminder, ensure your email stands out in the inbox and grabs the recipient’s attention.

1. Keep The Subject Line Concise And Precise

When we receive an outstanding payment email, we want it to be precise. Therefore, include your Company Name or Contact Name in the email’s subject line and body. This will help the recipient figure out who sent the email.

Another reason to keep your subject line short is that email providers show a limited number of characters in the email. Therefore, long subject lines won’t be visible completely and can reduce the open rates significantly.

2. Include Updated Information

When creating an outstanding payment reminder email, it is critical to include information about a client’s invoice. This will help the client find out essential details. Besides, if you have a large client base, we recommend using e-invoicing software to streamline the payment process.

3. Clarify The Payment Options You Accept

To make payments easier for your customers, including the payment methods you accept – cash, credit card, check, mobile payments, money orders, or Automated Clearing House (ACH), in your Outstanding Payment Reminder Email as well. Note that offering an online payment solution can help you settle invoices/payments more quickly.

4. Mention The Billing Date

When sending payment reminders, you must include the invoice date, whether it is for a past due or upcoming payment. Ultimately, encapsulating all this necessary information, including a date in an outstanding payment reminder email, will ensure that the client has no reason to delay payment any longer.

5. Use The Right Tone

In order to come across as friendly and approachable, your tone should be:

• Friendly: You’re writing in a way that makes your reader feel like they’re talking directly with you. Use words such as “we” and “our” rather than “I,” “me,” or “my.”
• Conversational: It should sound like you’re conversing with your reader instead of addressing them formally. This helps them identify with you more quickly and makes the email easier to read.
• Polite: Always use polite language when communicating with customers. Your goal is not just to address their immediate problem but also to build goodwill so that they’ll be more likely to recommend your product or service in future conversations.

6. Show Gratitude

While it may seem obvious, sending a thank you email when someone makes a purchase is an easy way to show appreciation and make them feel valued. You must let customers know how much they mean to you, so thanking them for staying with you over time is an excellent way to do this.

Essential Elements of an Effective Payment Reminder Email

• Have a clear and concise subject line.
• Use a professional tone in your emails, even if you’re writing to friends or family members.
• Be sure to include friendly reminders about the payment due date and amount owed in each reminder email you send out. This will help ensure that your customers don’t miss their payments without being too aggressive or pushy.
• State the amount due in each payment reminder letter as well as any other relevant information, such as late charge fees and interest rate increases (if applicable).

The Bottom Line

Every business or individual needs consistent and timely payments to run and grow their business empire. However, this is a far-fetched dream since no company receives all payments on time.

You’ll need professional tactics to secure late payments, including the above-mentioned outstanding payment reminder email samples. However, we are confident that if used properly, these late payment reminder emails will help you secure your overdue payment.