Overdue invoice reminder email: wording for each reminder day

Overdue invoice reminder email: what every message includes

An overdue invoice reminder email names the invoice number, the amount owed, the due date and a way to pay. InvoiceSherpa's own guide says a message should carry the amount owed, invoice number and payment options, and that tone starts polite and turns firmer only if payment does not arrive. Xero's US guide uses the same order, from a friendly reminder before the due date to a formal demand at 30 days past due.

This page uses five touches: before the due date, the due date, and 7, 14 and 30 days late. The cadence is our suggestion, and how to automate invoice reminders sets up the sends.

Due day and 7 days late: polite wording

The examples use invoice 1042. The touch before the due date can be one friendly line with the due date and the pay link.

Due day. Subject: Reminder: invoice 1042 is due today. Message: Hello, this is a reminder that invoice 1042 is due today. The amount due and a pay link are below. Thank you.

7 days late. Subject: Reminder: invoice 1042 is 7 days past due. Message: Hello, invoice 1042 was due a week ago and still shows a balance. Could you tell us when to expect payment? The pay link is below. If you have already paid, please disregard this note.

14 days late: a firmer reminder with the pay link

InvoiceSherpa's guide suggests sending the second reminder email 10 to 14 days after the first, in a firmer tone that mentions potential late fees.

14 days late. Subject: Second reminder: invoice 1042 is 14 days past due. Message: Hello, invoice 1042 is now 14 days past due. Please pay at the link below, or reply with the date you will pay. If anything on the invoice is wrong, tell us now and we will fix it.

If your terms include a late fee, this is the message that can mention it. How to charge late fees on invoices covers the settings and the terms wording.

30 days late: the last email before a phone call

At 30 days send the last written reminder and plan a call. InvoiceSherpa's guide says escalation should remain professional.

30 days late. Subject: Final reminder: invoice 1042 is 30 days past due. Message: Hello, invoice 1042 is 30 days past due. Please pay at the link below. If you would rather agree on a payment schedule, reply today and we will set one up. We will also call you this week.

Stop the sequence when an invoice is disputed or the customer has agreed to a payment arrangement; InvoiceSherpa's accounts receivable page lists both as reasons to stop automation. These messages never threaten legal action, credit reporting or a collection agency, and they are examples, not legal notices. The FTC's debt collection page says business debts are not covered by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Subject lines and sending from your own domain

QuickBooks recommends keeping the word reminder in the subject. Mail sent from your own domain needs authentication: Google tells all senders to set up SPF or DKIM, and Yahoo asks for SPF or DKIM at a minimum. InvoiceSherpa lists sending reminders from your company domain on every plan, and its help says the sending domain needs a DNS record to show as your own.

InvoiceSherpa comes with six reminder templates you can rewrite, and it sends each one by email or text with a pay link for card or ACH. Best invoice reminder software for small business compares the tools. The same wording can be loaded into InvoiceSherpa's templates during its 14-day free trial, which needs no credit card; a plan and card details come at the end.