Polite reminders for overdue invoices: 6 email templates | Blog

The invoice is the final step in a well-executed business transaction. It's at this point that both parties should be happy, as the customer has received what they asked for and you've been paid. But if your invoices aren't getting paid, then polite reminders to pay the outstanding invoices become necessary.

As an accounts receivable professional you can influence the speed at which these elements are resolved. Polite and direct engagement is key. Many overdue notices come across as automated and are perceived as cold and impersonal, therefore easily ignored.

This blog will give you the advice and payment polite reminders templates you need to ask for payment of an invoice politely, so that everyone feels respected and valued. Below, we have created six email templates to politely remind customers of overdue invoice payments, to help you get your invoices paid.

Note that anything inside {curly brackets} is placeholder text that you should replace with the appropriate information for your specific business and overdue invoice details.

1) Preventing late payments before your invoice is overdue

Email is usually the best overdue invoice payment reminder. Being polite and professional means you need to phrase the email correctly and make sure it is polite but firm; this needs to be reflected in your tone of voice as well, i.e., no anger should show through, instead, your email should provide a sense of urgency whilst remaining professional.

It is imperative to start effective invoicing communication as soon as your invoice is issued. You should use this communication to:

• Verify your point of contact
• Supply all necessary payment information
• Confirm your payment terms and invoice details, and;
• Ensure they have all necessary information to approve and make payment on time.

In your before-due payment reminder email, you can also politely ask your customer to confirm receipt of the email, and ask them to share any anticipated payment delays in advance.

Before-due payment reminder: Email template 1

For 40 polite payment reminders templates you can use for email, text and telephone calls, download our comprehensive free template guide.

2) Copy of invoice 

Once the invoice is created, send the digital version to the primary point of contact and copy any accounting team members for which they’ve provided contact information. This communication should again exude a helpful, polite tone and show gratitude for the partnership and for being chosen as a vendor. The email must set proper expectations for payment terms and expected next steps.

Issued invoice payment reminder: Email template 2

3) On your invoice payment due date

Providing grace is a key in collecting overdue payments quickly. Although not receiving payments on time can be frustrating, always ensure you remain polite - do not jump to aggressive terminology or overly emotional language that could damage your client relationships, reputation, or chances of repeat business. 

Continue the conversation in a transitionally professional candor and demonstrate that you are assuming positive intent from your client. Knowing when to chase customers’ invoices and expect payment will be contingent on the payment terms agreed by you and your customer and set out in your credit control policy.

Invoice payment due date reminder: Email template 3

If you’d like to extend additional grace to customers during your payment chasing process, and give them more chances to pay, here are 10 more payment chasing templates worth using.

"Providing grace is a key in collecting overdue payments quickly. Although not receiving payments on time can be frustrating, always ensure you remain polite"

 

4) When your invoice is overdue

Once an invoice is past due it is important to communicate the urgency of resolving the error while continuing to extend professional courtesy and maintain a polite tone. The right tenor of payment follow up message can ensure that resolving the outstanding payment does not interrupt new sales opportunities and rapport with the direct point of contact. Often, it is not the primary point of contact who is withholding the payment, rather, it is stuck in their accounts payable process. 

Overdue invoice reminder: Email template 4

If you’re having trouble keeping track of a number of overdue invoices, keep on top of them with an invoice tracker in google sheets or excel manually, or use a credit control software to keep on top of this automatically.

5) Escalating overdue invoices

If none of the previous emails have elicited effective responses it’s important to escalate the matter. Utilizing executive titles captures the attention of latent payers and can emphasize the importance of the matter at hand. 

This works on both sides, involving your executives as well as those at the invoicee’s business. Ensure this is done tactfully as this can be an extremely sensitive approach, involving someone else’s leadership can place them in a hazardous spotlight and ruin any rapport you have built.

It is essential to carefully-word these messages when reaching out to more senior staff at your clients’ business and ensure you still maintain a polite and professional tone.

Before leaning into executive involvement utilize effective payment chasing phone call scripts to try to engage your contact directly. 

Executive reminder to pay the overdue invoice: Email template 5

"If none of the previous emails have elicited effective responses it’s important to escalate the matter. Utilizing executive titles captures the attention of latent payers"

 

6) Past-due invoice negotiations

Once the invoice is severely outstanding it becomes more important to minimize the financial risk for your company than to push for full-payment. Negotiation, especially in the case of unsatisfied clients, is a tool companies can use to recoup at minimum the cost associated with the provided services.

Emails regarding negotiation should not sound desperate. Instead you want to be extending a gracious offer in hope of quick resolution and mutual compromise. Start with offering payment plan options and if necessary extend a discount. 

Overdue invoice reminder and negotiation: Email template 6

Avoid using empty threats in your payment reminders and ensure you have a reliable, friendly debt recovery service provider ready should you need to escalate outstanding invoices to debt collections. If your business is new to using debt recovery services, ensure you have the right information to-hand on commercial debt collections, to help you select the right provider.

Summary: Polite reminders to pay invoices is always the best course of action

Being proactive, consistent, and polite when asking for payment of an invoice via email can make all the difference in collecting payments before it becomes an issue. While it can be frustrating, polite reminders to pay invoices can go much further in maintaining your professional relationships and helping to ensure repeat business.

Stick to these payment reminders templates during your payment chasing process to minimize reputational damages and help get outstanding invoices paid sooner, or explore our essential guide to collections for credit controllers for our top credit control tips.

Get your invoices paid on time with Chaser

End-to-end accounts receivable software solutions, such as those offered by Chaser, make the entire invoice payment process easier for businesses and helps ensure they get their invoices paid sooner rather than later. Why not download our Chaser credit control and accounts receivable software brochure to learn more about our solutions’ capabilities.

Alternatively, you can download our 8 most effective email templates to get your invoices paid on time to save you time and effort when chasing up on outstanding invoices, or sign up to join our webinar on 7 ways to get your invoices paid on time that you've never tried before.