Guide
Past due invoice email templates
Four polite reminder emails for an unpaid invoice, from a courtesy note before the due date to a final notice. Each one states the facts, makes paying easy, and leaves room for the customer who has already paid. Copy one, fill in the brackets, send.
Updated
What should you check before sending a past due reminder?
First check that the invoice is still unpaid: look at bank deposits, card and online payments and any remittance advice since your last check. Then put the facts in every email: invoice number, amount, due date, days overdue, how to pay and who to contact. Escalate the tone, not the volume, and stop when they reply.
- Check that it is still unpaid. Look at bank deposits, card and online payments and any remittance advice since your last check, so a customer who has paid never receives a reminder.
- Put the facts in every email. Invoice number, amount, due date, days overdue, how to pay, and who to contact. Attach or link the invoice.
- Escalate the tone, not the volume. Each reminder is a little firmer than the one before. None of them needs capital letters or threats.
- Stop when they reply. A question, a dispute or a request to stop contacting them should pause the sequence until a person has dealt with it.
Which reminder emails do you need?
Four, each a little firmer than the one before: a courtesy reminder a few days before the due date, a first overdue reminder at 7 days past due, a second at 30 days past due, and a final notice after those reminders, naming the next step your terms allow. None of them needs capital letters or threats.
1. Courtesy reminder A few days before the due date
Subject: Invoice [number] is due on [due date] Hi [first name], A quick, friendly note that invoice [number] for [amount] is due on [due date]. A copy is attached, and you can pay by [payment method or link]. If it is already on its way, thank you, and please ignore this note. If anything on the invoice needs a second look, just reply and I will sort it out. Thanks, [Your name] [Company] | [Phone]
2. First overdue reminder 7 days past due
Subject: Invoice [number] is 7 days past due Hi [first name], Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [due date] and is now 7 days past due. I have attached a copy in case the original went astray. Could you let me know when we can expect payment? You can pay by [payment method or link]. If you have already paid, please send me the payment date and reference so I can match it on our side. Thank you, [Your name] [Company] | [Phone]
3. Second overdue reminder 30 days past due
Subject: Invoice [number] is 30 days overdue Hi [first name], I am following up on invoice [number] for [amount], which was due on [due date] and is now 30 days overdue. I last wrote about it on [date of previous reminder]. Please arrange payment by [date], or reply to let me know what is holding it up. If there is a problem with the invoice, or you would like to pay in instalments, I am glad to work something out. [Optional, only if your terms provide for it: Under our terms, overdue invoices carry interest at [rate]% a year.] If you have already paid, please send the date and reference and I will update our records. Best regards, [Your name] [Company] | [Phone]
4. Final notice After the reminders above
Subject: Final notice: invoice [number], [amount] overdue Hi [first name], Invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [due date] and is still unpaid after our reminders of [dates of previous reminders]. This is our final reminder before [the next step your terms allow, for example applying the late fee in our terms or pausing new orders] on [date]. To avoid that, please pay by [date] using [payment method or link], or call me on [phone] before then so we can agree a plan. If you have already paid, thank you, and please send the payment reference so we can close this out. Regards, [Your name] [Company] | [Phone]
Adding interest to a reminder? The late payment interest calculator works out the figure and shows the formula.
Or have the reminders drafted for you
Ataski's AR Cash Collector: Chases your overdue invoices and gets you paid — and never emails a customer about a bill they already settled.
It reads your open invoices from your accounting system, matches every payment before a single draft is written, and drafts a polite reminder, firmer the longer the invoice is overdue, only for invoices that are genuinely unpaid. An invoice already paid, disputed or on a payment plan is not chased, and every reminder waits for your approval by default.
Questions
What should a past due invoice email include?
The invoice number, the amount, the original due date, how many days it is overdue, how to pay, and who to contact with a question. Attach or link the invoice so nobody has to search for it.
When should each reminder go out?
The four templates on this page follow one cadence: a courtesy note before the due date, then reminders at 7 and 30 days overdue, then a final notice. Pick the cadence that suits your customers and keep it consistent.
How do I avoid chasing a customer who has already paid?
Check every payment record before each reminder goes out: bank deposits, card and online payments, and any remittance advice, so a customer who has paid never receives a reminder.
How firm should a final notice be?
Stay factual and polite. Name the amount, the date it was due, the reminders already sent and the next step your terms allow, such as late fees or pausing new orders, with a date.