Clients don’t always stay on top of their payments. When life gets busy and inboxes fill up, your invoices may slip their minds or fall behind on their list of priorities.
However, a payment reminder message (or a few) is often all it takes to get your clients back on track.
In this article, we’ll show how to craft effective email and text message reminders. Plus, we also provide an easy way to automatically send them to your customers.
Payment reminder text message templates
When you need to send timely messages to your customers, text messaging can be the most effective choice. With far higher open rates than email, texts add urgency to your payment message and get your message across faster.
Payment reminder texts can follow the same best practices as email, like adopting a firmer, more direct tone with each reminder.
However, when asking politely for payment over text, keep them under 160 characters to avoid text message delivery issues.
Here are 12 text message payment reminder examples you can use for your business.
💡 If you manage a property, check out our rent reminder templates guide.
1. Gentle payment reminder example
When sending the first payment reminder text, keep the tone warm and include instructions that make it easy for them to pay.
“Hi [Client Name]! This is a friendly reminder that Invoice [#] is due next week. Visit [URL] to review or pay the invoice.“
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“Hi [Client Name], just a gentle reminder that Invoice [#] is coming up soon. You can take care of it at [URL].“
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2. Due date payment reminder message
On the day the invoice is due, send your customers a reminder-for-payment message. It should politely let them know that it’s time to make the payment.
“Hi [Client Name]! Your payment for Invoice [#] is due today. You can pay by credit card or eCheck at [URL]. Please respond with any questions.“
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“Hi [Client Name], Invoice [#] is due today. Pay securely by direct debit here: [URL]. Please let us know if you need help.”
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3. Late payment reminder message
If you have to send your customers a third invoice reminder text, it means the payment is late. Your message should have a firm but warm tone that encourages them to pay.
“Hi [Client Name]. Your payment of [$ amount] for Invoice [#] is overdue by [X days]. Please review the invoice and submit a payment at [URL].“
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“Hi [Client Name], Invoice [#] is overdue. Pay today at [URL] and we’ll waive any late fees. Thanks for handling this quickly.”
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4. One week late reminder message
If your customer’s payment is a week late, it’s time to let them know about the late fees that may apply if they don’t make the payment soon.
“Hi [Client Name]. We still haven’t received the [$ amount] payment for Invoice [#], which was due on [Date]. If no payment is made by [Date], late fees will apply.“
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“Hi [Client Name], Invoice [#] is still unpaid. According to our payment policy, late fees will be added after [Date]. Please complete your payment at [URL] to avoid late charges.”
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5. Two weeks late payment reminder message
Have two weeks gone by, and your customer still hasn’t made the payment? Send them another pending payment reminder text message that asks them to take immediate action.
Hello [Client Name]. We noticed the [$ amount] payment for Invoice [#] — due two weeks ago — hasn’t been made. We kindly ask you to complete your payment today by visiting [URL]. Let us know if there are any issues.
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“Hello [Client Name], Invoice [#] is two weeks overdue. Please make payment today at [URL] to avoid further action.”
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6. Final notice: One month late payment reminder message
In the final payment reminder text message, you can talk about having to take additional steps (such as legal action) if they don’t make the payment soon.
“Hi [Client Name]. The payment of [$ amount] for Invoice [#] is now one month overdue, originally due on [Date]. If we do not receive the payment by [Date], we may have to take legal action.“
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“Hi [Client Name], Invoice [#] remains unpaid after 30+ days. If payment isn’t received by [Date], we’ll have to escalate to legal action.”
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Payment reminder email templates
Over half of B2B invoices in the US become overdue, which means follow-ups are often necessary. Using email, you can add context to your reminders. Whether it’s the original invoice or a complete list of available payment methods, you can encourage your clients to start the payment process. Here are six effective payment reminder email templates you can use.
1. Gentle payment reminder email for upcoming amount owed
The first email you send should be a friendly, gentle nudge since your client isn’t at risk for an overdue invoice yet.
Subject line: Reminder: Upcoming payment due date
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Body:
Hi [Client Name],
Hope all is well. This is a friendly reminder that Invoice [#] is due next week on [Date].
We’ve attached a copy of the invoice for your convenience. Feel free to reply to this email with any questions.
Thank you,
[Company or sender name]
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2. Due date payment reminder email
On the due date of your invoice, it’s important to take a firm but friendly tone in your follow-up email. Get to the point and state your payment methods to help your client complete their payment on time.
Subject line: Invoice [#] is due today
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Body:
Hi [Client Name],
This is a reminder that your payment for Invoice [#], sent on [Date], is due today. You can pay by credit card or eCheck using the payment link on the attached invoice.
If you have any questions or need help with your invoice payment, please don’t hesitate to reach out by replying to this email.
Thank you,
[Company or sender name]
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3. Late payment reminder email
Your first overdue payment reminder message should be firmer than your previous emails. You’ll also need to clarify payment details, like the total due and the original payment due date. Be professional and avoid taking an accusatory tone by avoiding “you” statements (like “you haven’t paid”).
Subject line: Invoice [#] is now overdue
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Body:
Hi [Client Name],
Our records show that the [$ amount] payment for Invoice [#] is overdue by [X days]. Please review the invoice, which was originally sent on [Date]. We’ve attached a copy of the invoice for your convenience.
If you’ve already sent payment, please disregard this notice. Please respond with any questions or for help with the payment process.
Thank you,
[Company or sender name]
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4. One week late reminder email
Still haven’t received a payment? Be firm and direct about the unpaid invoice and payment terms. Reiterate that the invoice is overdue and clarify if late payment fees will start to apply. Directly asking for a response is a good way to get your client to take action, even if it’s just to reach out for payment assistance.
Subject line: Invoice [#] is one week overdue
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Body:
Hi [Client Name],
This is our fourth communication regarding the [$ amount] payment for Invoice [#], which was originally sent on [Date] and due one week ago. If this invoice remains unpaid on [Date], a late fee of [percentage %] of [$ amount] will apply.
For your convenience, a copy of the outstanding invoice is attached. We’re here to answer any questions regarding the payment. Please respond to this email to confirm you’ve received the invoice and this reminder.
Thank you,
[Company or sender name]
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5. Two weeks late payment reminder email
If your customer’s payment is two weeks overdue, the next email you send should have a serious tone. Keep in mind your customer may have a good reason for why they haven’t paid yet. Ask them to reach out if they have questions to avoid any misunderstanding.
Subject line: Invoice [#] is two weeks overdue
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Body:
Hi [Client Name],
The payment of [$ amount] for Invoice [#] is now two weeks overdue. The invoice was originally sent on [Date], and we kindly ask you to make the payment. A copy of the outstanding invoice is attached.
Please be aware that if payment is not received by [Date], a late fee of [percentage %] of [$ amount] will be applied.
If you have already made the payment, please disregard this email. If you have any questions, reach out to us by replying to this email.
Thank you.
[Company or sender name]
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6. Final notice: One month late payment reminder email
Since you’ve made repeated attempts to get your customer to pay the invoice, you can now send a final notice. It should be formal and clear, and you can mention taking legal action if they don’t make the payment by a certain date.
Subject line: Final notice: Payment overdue by 30 days for Invoice [#].
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Body:
Hi [Client Name],
This is our final notice regarding the payment of [$ amount] for Invoice [#], which was originally due on [Date]. The invoice has now been outstanding for over one month.
If payment is not made by [Date], we may need to take further steps, up to and including legal action.
Please find a copy of the outstanding invoice attached for your convenience. We kindly ask that you address this matter as soon as possible.
Thank you.
[Company or sender name]
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Best practices for sending payment reminder messages
If you send payment reminder messages over email or text, you don’t want to show your frustration or risk damaging a customer relationship. These strategies can help you craft and send professional follow-ups:
- Avoid using link shorteners for URLs in texts. Carriers may filter out Bitly and other URL-shortener services due to emerging texting regulation policies in the US.
- Help clients access their invoices. If clients have to search for your invoice, they’re not as likely to pay. Help them out by attaching their invoice or providing a direct link to it.
- Include an invoice number in every message. Avoid unnecessary back and forth by giving your client a reference number. Then there’ll be no question of what overdue payment you’re referring to in your message.
- State important dates. Deadlines can spark your clients into action. Make sure they know when a payment is (or was) due, and clarify when penalties begin.
- Be clear and concise. While it’s important to be polite, especially on your first two follow-ups, make sure your message is clear.
- Don’t overwhelm your customers. It may be tempting to send endless follow-ups, especially if you’re a small business owner who relies heavily on each invoice to pay bills. However, daily messages can be irritating, especially if your client was planning on making a timely payment in the first place. You want to encourage your customers to come back, not push them away.
- Help prevent your outbound texts from being filtered. Do you send business texts to US phone numbers using a virtual phone solution like Quo? You’ll need to submit your business profile to The Campaign Registry. This third-party agency selected by major US cell carriers reviews the business information you supply to them.
If you have a local business number (non-toll-free) through Quo, you must complete the US carrier registration form. When you register, include specific examples of texts you plan to send from your Quo number. The process is different for toll-free numbers. For more details, check out our step-by-step A2P 10DLC registration guide.
How to send payment reminder messages in Quo
Sending payment reminder messages through text doesn’t have to be time-consuming. With a VoIP app like Quo, you can streamline your SMS reminders in three ways.
1. Set up customized snippets for your payment reminders
When you make a snippet on Quo, sending a reminder or follow-up text is easy. Just tap on a pre-saved text message template and customize it with your customer’s invoice details. Hop on your Quo account from the web or desktop app and follow these steps to create a snippet:
1. Type /snippets into the message box of any text message thread, then press Enter.
2. Select + Create snippet.
3. Name your snippet and type out the text message template you want to use.
4. Click Share to share your snippet with users or other numbers on your account.
5. Click Save, and your snippet is ready to use.
2. Schedule your payment reminders
Once you have your payment reminder snippets, you can schedule payment reminder texts in Quo. Here’s how:
1. Type /snippets and select the snippet you wish to send.
2. After you’ve tweaked your drafted message, click the clock icon.
3. Scheduled messages estimate your recipient’s time zone based on their phone number’s area code. You can change this to a different time zone from the drop-down menu.
4. Specify the date and time you wish your payment reminder message to go out.
By default, if your recipient messages you before your scheduled message goes out, it won’t send. This helps you avoid awkward conversations.
Instead, the message will be canceled and saved as a draft. You can update this setting to Even if they message first if you wish for your message to go out regardless of whether the recipient messages you first.
3. Automate your payment reminder messages
Want to make your payment reminder messages hands-free? You can send automatic payment reminder messages with Quo’s integrations.
For example, with its Zapier and Make integrations, you can trigger an overdue payment text when a contact property in your CRM changes.
Let’s take a look at how this would look using Quo’s Zapier integration.
If you’re an owner or admin user in Quo, you can set up the Zapier integration in five steps:
- Log in to your Zapier account or create a new account.
- Navigate to My Apps from the top menu bar.
- Click on Add connection.
- Search for Quo.
- Use your credentials to connect your Quo account to Zapier.
If you’re using HubSpot as your CRM, you can trigger an automated text by changing a specified contact property field in HubSpot:
You also have the option to send automated reminders and other text touchpoints using the Quo API.
When should you send a payment reminder message?
You can send payment reminder messages at set intervals until you receive a payment. Weekly reminders work well for many businesses since they’re not too pushy or too sparse.
No matter what time intervals you choose, it’s best to prepare invoice reminders to send before, on, and after the payment due date. Using our payment reminder message templates, you can follow up with each of your clients using:
- An advanced payment reminder the week before the due date
- A due date payment reminder on the due date
- A late payment reminder a week after the due date
- A follow-up late payment reminder two weeks after the due date
You can also choose to send more follow-up messages for outstanding balances. However, every company needs to have set payment terms for enforcing penalties. These penalties can include late fees or sending invoices to collection agencies. No business owner wants to get stuck in an endless loop of follow-up emails or text messages.
Simplify and modernize your payment reminder messages with Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
If you want to reach your customers faster and get more timely payments, outstanding SMS payment reminders can help.
With Quo (formerly OpenPhone), you can speed up and simplify the process of following up with your clients by using our modern text messaging features. Whether you’re creating snippets or automating texts, Quo can help you save time.
You’ll also get access to features like AI call tags that automatically label conversations at the end of every call. This helps your team quickly see which ones they should follow up with first.
And with our AI voice agent, Sona, you’ll never miss an important call. It can answer, respond to FAQs, and take messages for your team when they’re unavailable to pick up the call.
FAQs
You can automate sending payment reminders to clients by using a VoIP provider like Quo. It offers an API or integrations with tools like Zapier and Make.
With the Zapier integration, for example, a change in your CRM like a payment due date can trigger a text sequence. The integration is easy to build and saves your reps’ time from having to manually write and send texts.
It should have information that encourages and makes it easy for your customers to make a payment. You can include the date, invoice number, amount due, and more.
They can improve cash flow, reduce late payments, and nurture customer relationships. For example, property owners can send rent payment reminder messages to make sure they collect rent on time each month from tenants.
Reasons for late payments can include:
– Cash flow problems
– Billing disputes
– Changes in contact information
– Not sure how to make the payment
– Technical issues
By sending your customers payment reminder messages with a VoIP provider like Quo, it’s easier to collect payments. You’ll get access to auto-replies, snippets, scheduled texts, and more. These features help you speed up your SMS workflows and increase customer engagement.
If an invoice is under 90 days late, it’s usually best to follow up with a friendly invoice reminder. That way, you can nudge the client without straining the relationship. Once an invoice is more than 90 days overdue, you can also take a firmer approach, such as setting payment deadlines or charging late fees.
It could be that your reminders are too easy to miss. For example, if you only send one text, it may get buried in a crowded SMS inbox. Your timing may also be off — reminders sent too early or too late don’t have the same impact.
You can reduce late payments by setting clear terms upfront so customers know exactly when and how to pay. For example, you can ask for deposits or partial payments before starting work. Plus, sending reminders a few days before the due date keeps your invoice top of mind. That way, you make it easier for clients to pay on time.
Yes, it’s legal to send payment reminders by SMS if your customer has opted in to receive texts from your business. If not, you’ll risk your account being suspended.
