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 and 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 many of the recommendations for email, like adopting a firmer, more direct tone with each reminder. However, you should keep the details to a minimum — under 160 characters — to avoid text message delivery issues.
Here are six text message payment reminder examples you can use for your business.
💡 If you manage a property, check out our rent reminder templates guide.
1. Friendly 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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2. Due date payment reminder message
Since the invoice is due today, send your customers a text that politely reminds them it’s time for them 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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3. Late payment reminder message
If you have to send your customers a third 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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4. One week late reminder message
If your customer’s payment is a week late, it’s time to let them know about 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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5. Two weeks late payment reminder message
Have two weeks gone by, and your customer still hasn’t made the payment? Send them another 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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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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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 — to encourage your clients to start the payment process. Here are six effective payment reminder email templates you can use.
1. Friendly 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 and 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 %] ($ 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 might have a good reason for why they haven’t paid yet, so ask them to reach out if they have questions and potentially avoid any misunderstandings.
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 for 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 %] ($ 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 have 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, such as 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
Whether you’re sending a payment reminder message over email, text, or both, you don’t want to show your frustration or risk damaging a customer relationship. These strategies can help you craft and send better follow-ups:
- Avoid using link shorteners for URLs in texts. The recipient’s carrier may filter out Bitly and other link-shortening 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. You can avoid unnecessary back and forth by giving your client a reference number so there’s 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. Anyone sending business texts to people in the US using a virtual phone solution such as OpenPhone must submit their business profile to The Campaign Registry. This third-party agency selected by the major US cell carriers reviews the business information you supply to them.
If you have a local business number (non-toll free) through OpenPhone, you must complete the US carrier registration form (if you haven’t done so already). When you register, include specific examples of texts you plan to send from your OpenPhone 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 OpenPhone
Sending payment reminder messages through text doesn’t have to be time-consuming. With a VoIP app like OpenPhone, you can streamline your SMS reminders in three ways.
1. Set up customized snippets for your payment reminders
When you make a snippet on OpenPhone, sending a reminder or follow-up text is as easy as tapping on a pre-saved text message template and customizing it with your customer’s invoice details. Hop on your OpenPhone 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 OpenPhone. 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 intended recipient messages you before your scheduled message goes out, your scheduled message won’t go out (to help 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 the OpenPhone Zapier integration. You can use the Zapier integration to trigger a text message when a contact property in your customer relationship management software (CRM) changes, indicating an upcoming or overdue payment.
If you’re an owner or admin user in OpenPhone, you can set up the Zapier integration in five steps.
- Log into your Zapier account or create a new account.
- Navigate to My Apps from the top menu bar.
- Click on Add connection.
- Search for OpenPhone.
- Use your credentials to connect your OpenPhone 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 automate reminders and other text touchpoints using the OpenPhone 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 payments. However, every company needs to have set payment terms for enforcing penalties, like 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 OpenPhone
If you want to reach your customers faster and get more timely payments, SMS reminders can help.
With 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, OpenPhone can help you save time. Start your free trial of OpenPhone.
FAQs
You can automate sending payment reminders to clients by using a VoIP provider like OpenPhone that offers a Zapier integration.
After you’ve set up the Zapier integration, it works like this: when a property in your CRM changes, like the payment due date, this will trigger the sequence of payment texts you’ve set up so they’re sent to your customers. The integration is easy to build and saves your reps time from having to manually write and send texts.
A strong letter for an outstanding payment 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.
Payment reminder text messages can improve cash flow, reduce late payments, and nurture customer relationships. For example, property owners can send payment reminders 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 OpenPhone, you can make it easier to collect payments with features like auto-replies, snippets, and more.
