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Payment reminder email generator

Pick how late the invoice is, how firm you want to be, fill in the details. Copy, send.

Last updated 14 October 2026

How late is it?

Tone

Friendly: first contact. Firm: no reply to the first one. Final: before you pause work or hand it over.

Client's first name

Your name

Invoice number

Amount

Due date

What the invoice was for

Optional.

Mention a late fee from my terms Only if it was in your terms before the invoice. Amount: late fee calculator.

The rhythm that gets invoices paid

Most late invoices are a buried email, not a client refusing to pay. A reminder puts the invoice back on top of the pile. This is the schedule Go Lancer uses by default:

When	Tone	What it does
3 days before due	Friendly	Heads-up. Only for big invoices.
Due date	Friendly	"Due today, could you check it went out?"
3 days late	Friendly	Same ask, invoice attached again.
10 days late	Firm	Ask for a payment date. Mention the late fee if you have one.
30 days late	Final	Say what happens next: work pauses, fee applies, or collection.

Same tone from first to last. Invoice attached every time. No apologising.

8 payment reminder email templates

Square brackets are yours to fill in. "Use this" loads the template into the generator.

Before dueFriendly

Subject: Invoice [number] due on [date]

Hi [client],

A quick heads-up: invoice [number] for [amount] is due on [date]. Bank details are on the invoice.

If anything on it needs changing, tell me now and I will sort it.

Thanks,
[your name]

Due todayFriendly

Subject: Invoice [number] is due today

Hi [client],

Invoice [number] for [amount] is due today. Could you check it is on its way?

Attached again, in case it got lost.

Thanks,
[your name]

3 days lateFriendly

Subject: Invoice [number], 3 days overdue

Hi [client],

Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date] and has not arrived yet. It may have got lost.

Could you check whether it went out? Invoice attached.

Thanks,
[your name]

3 days lateFirm

Subject: Overdue: invoice [number]

Hi [client],

Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date]. I have not received the payment.

Please confirm when it will be sent. The invoice is attached.

[your name]

10 days lateFriendly

Subject: Invoice [number], can you give me a date?

Hi [client],

Following up on invoice [number] for [amount], now 10 days past the due date of [date].

Is there anything holding it up on your side? If you can give me a date, I can plan around it.

Thanks,
[your name]

10 days lateFirm

Subject: Invoice [number] is 10 days overdue

Hi [client],

Invoice [number] for [amount] is now 10 days overdue. I need a payment date from you this week.

As set out in our terms, a late fee applies from the due date. I would rather not add it, so please let me know today when the payment goes out.

[your name]

30+ days lateFirm

Subject: Invoice [number], 30 days overdue

Hi [client],

Invoice [number] for [amount] has been overdue for 30 days. I have sent two reminders without a reply.

Please pay by [date + 7 days]. Until it is paid I am pausing further work on [project].

[your name]

30+ days lateFinal notice

Subject: Final notice: invoice [number]

Hi [client],

This is my final reminder for invoice [number], [amount], due on [date].

If I do not receive payment or a payment date by [date + 7 days], I will pass the invoice to a collection service and the late fee in our terms will be added in full.

I would much rather settle this directly. The invoice is attached.

[your name]

Three rules

Invoice number in the subject. Bookkeepers search by it.
One ask per email. "Could you check it went out?" or "Can you give me a date?"
Attach the invoice. The person paying is often not the person who approved the work.

Questions people ask

How many reminders should I send before taking action?

Three: due date, 3 days after, 10 days after. Then one final notice around day 30. After that you act: pause work, add the fee, or hand it to collection. More emails than that do nothing.

What do I write when a client ignores my invoice?

Ask for a date instead of asking if they saw it: "Is there anything holding it up? If you can give me a date, I can plan around it." Send it to the person who approved the work, not only to accounts. No reply to that one: call.

Should I mention a late fee in the reminder?

Only if it was in your terms or on the invoice before the due date; otherwise you cannot enforce it. Say it once, in the 10-day email: "a late fee applies from the due date". Not in every email.

How do I remind a client without sounding rude?

Keep it short and specific: invoice number, amount, due date, one question. "Could you check it went out?" cannot be read as rude. Long emails and emotion can.

When should I stop working for a client who has not paid?

Say it in the 30-day email and give a date: "Until it is paid I am pausing further work." Then do it. A paused project usually gets paid within days.

Keep going

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Reminders that send themselves

This schedule, automated. Go Lancer chases every overdue invoice under your name and shows you who still owes you.

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