Payment Reminder Email For Overdue Invoices – Samples

Sellers may offer services or products to clients with the agreement that payment will be made at intervals on specific dates. Even though some clients might be careful to abide by these agreements, others might forget, which could result in an overdue payment. Such instances require the seller to take action to retrieve the payment. The action taken often includes writing a payment reminder email.

A seller’s email to a customer reminding them to make a payment is known as an overdue invoice. The email informs the client that a due payment has yet to be made. The seller may also send the payment reminder in a letter or make a phone call to the client. Most independent contractors or freelancers prefer emails, as they are quicker. The overdue invoice letter is also referred to as the following:

• Outstanding payment letter
• Debt recovery letter
• Payment reminder email

Pro tip: It is not uncommon for clients to forget about an invoice or find themselves overwhelmed by the backlog, which can slow down the rate of pending payments to sellers. With this in mind, the first step sellers must take upon realizing an overdue payment is to communicate with the client by making a friendly phone call, writing a letter, or sending an email.

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The seller should clearly understand what to include in a payment reminder email. Knowing the information contained in the email will help the seller write it appropriately. It will also ensure that adequate information is conveyed to the client. The payment reminder email should contain the following information:

Your company name and address

The payment reminder email should outline the seller’s company name and address. If a seller writes an email, then these details should be indicated at the bottom of the payment reminder email; however, if a letter is written, then the seller’s details should be mentioned at the top of the page.

Recipient’s name and address

The recipient’s details must then be indicated. The details include the name and address of the recipient. They should be included at the top of the payment reminder email.

Date

The full date of writing should also be provided. It should contain the day, month, and year. 

Account reference number

The account reference number should also be indicated in the payment reminder email. It tells the client which accounts the email is highlighting. 

Your reason for contacting them

The seller should clearly outline why the client is being contacted. However, an offensive or rude statement as the subject of the letter can make customers defensive or embarrassed about overdue payments, so the subject line should be polite and courteous. 

Invoice and payment details

The payment reminder email should contain specific details about the invoice and the payment. Clients can use these details to check their records and confirm that payment is overdue. The details should include the following information:

• Invoice number: The invoice number is the unique sequential code assigned to the client’s invoice. It, therefore, helps both the client and seller when referring to payments. 
• Amount owed: The seller should indicate the specific amount owed in the payment reminder email. In addition, the amount already paid and the outstanding amount may also be shown. These details provide the client with a complete picture of payment transitions with the seller.
• Original payment due date: The original payment due date that the client and seller had agreed on should be fully indicated in the payment reminder email. The seller can also provide additional information by indicating when the initial payment was made. The original payment due date helps remind the client when the payment should have been made and clearly shows that the payment is overdue.
• A brief explanation that no payment has been received: The seller should briefly explain that no payment has been received. If the payment was meant to be made by a particular department of the client’s business, then the department’s name should be included in the explanation. The seller should maintain a friendly tone while indicating these details.
• Reminders of previous letters: The payment reminder email should also remind the client of previous letters that the seller had sent to them. The seller should indicate the date on which the letter was sent. 
• Instructions for payment: The seller should indicate instructions for payments that are pending. The instructions can be included as a link in the email. The link helps keep the email brief.
• Payment options: The client’s available payment options should be mentioned. By providing a comprehensive list of available options, clients can choose how to make the outstanding payment. 

Specify late penalties

Specific late payment penalties, as well as outstanding amounts, should be specified in the payment reminder email. The late penalties may be a practical percentage of the amount or a set amount. In addition, the seller should indicate that these late penalties are under the terms of the agreement made with the client and any current government legislation. 

Offer a payment plan

The seller can offer the client a payment plan if previous attempts to demand payment have been unsuccessful. The payment reminder email should clearly express a willingness to work on the payment plan together with the client. The payment plan may encourage the client to pay the outstanding amount. 

Enlist help

If payment is not made, the seller may warn that the debt will likely be turned over to a collection agency or lawyer. The statement indicating that an attorney or collection agency will contact the client if no effort is made will help show the last warning before the account is handed over. In addition, indicating a willingness to turn over the payment can motivate the client to respond to the overdue invoice letter or email or make the payment.

Offer to resend the invoice

The seller should also offer to resend the invoice in case the client misplaced the original copy. The seller may attach the invoice to the payment reminder email. The attachment will save the client’s time and effort. The attached invoice should be sent in the form of a PDF to ease the client’s ability to view it.

Add your availability to answer questions

The email’s final section should end with an offer to discuss the invoice or answer any questions the client may have. The statement should express a willingness to speak about any issues. The seller should also indicate that a follow-up phone call will be made later.

When to Send an Overdue invoice Letter?

If products or services have been provided, an invoice has been issued, and yet no payment has been made by the client even after the agreed period, then an overdue invoice letter should be sent. It can also be sent if the seller’s approach of calling or sending an email to the client does not work. The overdue invoice letter helps formalize the demand. The seller should have a copy of all formal correspondence with the client, along with an up-to-date address of the client’s residence or office.

Overdue Invoice Letter Samples

While writing the payment reminder email, the seller aims to both express the need for the payment to be made and maintain the relationship with the client. Various tips can help the seller attain both of these objectives, as discussed below:

Follow up at the right time

If a client is known to make late payments, the payment reminder email should be sent immediately after the due date. However, if the client usually makes timely payments or is new, the email should be sent after one or two weeks. Then, the seller should follow up again 30, 60, or 90 days after the due date.

Adapt the language

The language used should be adapted both to the situation and to when the payment remainder is written. For example, a payment reminder email sent one to fifteen days after the due date should be polite and friendly to serve as a gentle reminder while maintaining a relationship with the client.

A letter or email written thirty to sixty days after the due date should be firm and professional to convey the situation’s urgency. A payment reminder email sent after ninety days should inform the client that the debt runs the risk of being turned over to a collection agency as, at this point, payment is less likely to be received.

Be polite

The payment reminder email should convey a polite tone, as it may factor into whether or not the seller gets paid. Phrases that show humility and appreciation towards the client have proven to increase the seller’s chances of getting paid and improve the business’s image. These phrases include ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’

Remind your client of your late payment policies

If the payment is more than a week overdue, the email should make note of the late payment policies in the contract between the seller and the client. In addition, interest rates can motivate clients to make timely payments.

Provide online payment options

The seller should incorporate online payment options in the payment reminder email. These options are faster and easier to use for clients. They help reduce delayed payments

Make it easy for your client

The client should be able to easily access the fundamental details about the past-due payment using the information provided in the payment reminder emails. Clearly outlining details such as the original due date and the amount owed increases the seller’s chances of getting paid. 

The seller should consider a few practices to avoid late payments. By following these procedures, the seller will avoid wasting time and resources requesting payment. They will also help facilitate good business practices by the seller. The following should be practiced to prevent late payments:

Check your customers’ credit history

The seller can determine whether the buyer will make payments on time by conducting a credit check. It also helps reveal if the client is running a reputable business or company.

Implement clear payment terms

Implementing clear payment terms helps the client understand when payment is due. It also ensures that the client and the seller understand their rights and obligations from the beginning of the work.

Include late payment penalties

The seller can deter overdue payments by outlining late payment penalties in the agreement with the client. Penalties for late payments could include interest or fees.

About This Article

Authored by:

Mary Erickson

Business Writing | PhD in Communication and Society

Mary Erickson is an expert in business writing and currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Western Washington University. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of Oregon, obtaining a PhD in Communication and Society in 2011. Mary is an active member of prestigious academic organizations, including the Modern Language Association, the National Communication Association, and the Society for Cinema and Media Studies. With her deep knowledge and extensive experience in the field, Mary is dedicated to advancing the understanding and practice of effective business writing.