Every business puts a lot of hard work and dedication into completing a task or a job. But the real task begins now – chasing overdue invoices from the client.
The final step in a smooth business transaction is a well-written invoice. Both sides should be satisfied if the consumer has gotten what they requested and you have been paid. However, even if your bills aren’t getting paid, it might be unpleasant to pursue payments without being disrespectful or confrontational properly. and for the same reason, companies write emails chasing payment.
Having to deal with late payments and invoice chasing may be a nuisance. There are several ways to impede cash flow and quickly deplete working capital. Furthermore, nearly 29% of enterprises shut down due to a lack of funds. Many businesses risk incurring costly late fees and penalties if they don’t have the money to make payroll or pay their suppliers.
Small businesses are left scratching their heads about how to request payment and email to send invoices properly. Small businesses that want to see their company succeed need to have a network of established contacts.
As of 2020, 32 percent of enterprises could not pay their suppliers because of customers’ delayed payments on outstanding bills, a significant increase from two years earlier. What then is the solution to stop chasing payments ineffectively? Then, how can you get paid without scaring away your clients using a payment follow-up email sample?
In the next section, we will go through the collection of effective email templates and payment follow-up email samples. Keep on reading for invoicing tips!
Professional Payment Reminder Email Templates
Asking for money from customers may be awkward, particularly if you’re unsure how polite or unpleasant your email will seem.
As a reminder, below are examples of an outstanding invoices request email you might use for your customer for chasing overdue invoices.
The six email templates we’ve produced are designed to ask for payment of outstanding invoices respectfully and to get paid for your chasing invoices.
Email is the most common method of requesting money for a small business owner. A courteous and professional email must be written in a forceful but polite tone, and this must be mirrored in the speaker’s demeanor so that no one can tell you’re angry. Instead, your email should convey urgency while being formal.
The effective invoicing process must begin as the first step immediately after an invoice is issued. Verify who you’re dealing with and make sure that you have all of the data needed to make a payment on time by using this message to provide any necessary payment information.
You may kindly ask your client to acknowledge receipt of the email and invite them to discuss any expected payment delays in advance in your before-due payment reminder email.
Payment Reminder Email Template for Overdue Payments
Subject Line: Reminder for an upcoming at {date}
Dear {name of correspondence},
We appreciate you using <your company name> to offer a <description of service or product.> Thank you. <Confirmation of payment of bill amount>, to be billed on <invoice date>, has been requested. To expedite payment, I would be grateful if you could put me in touch with your accounts payable department. Please don’t hesitate to call me at <phone #> if you need any further information or want to make any adjustments.
Having the pleasure of working with you is a real honor. I appreciate your valuable time to acknowledge receipt of this communication and alert us to any potential payment delays in advance.
Sincerely,
{Signature}
To swiftly get paid and chase payments, it is essential to provide a grace time frame before writing an invoice overdue email. In addition, maintaining a professional demeanor, even when you don’t get paid on time, is essential to maintaining a good connection with your clients, a good reputation, and future business.
Assume that your customer has a good purpose and continue the dialogue with professionalism and sincerity. A company’s credit control policy should specify the circumstances under which it will pursue unpaid bills and how long it expects to wait to receive payment.
Email Template for Invoice Due Upon Receipt
Subject: Incomplete Payment Information – Due today’s date>
Dear <Client name>___,
I hope everything is okay with you. <invoice number> is due today, and I’m checking on it. I’m hoping you can contact the correct people who can help me trace where the money may have been trapped.
If you’ve already paid, please let me know the date and any other details you’d want me to know so I can track it down. We may extend a ‘number of the day’s grace period if the payment is still outstanding.
Anyone in your company concerned about the invoice I’ve re-attached here may contact me.
Thank you for your kind words.
{Signature}
To get a response, it’s necessary to escalate the issue if the prior emails haven’t worked. To get the attention of potential customers, use executive titles like CEO, CFO, or COO to stress the gravity of the issue.
Both small business owners and those at the invoice company benefit from this. Make careful to do this delicately, as engaging someone else’s leadership might put them in a dangerous position and undermine whatever goodwill you’ve created with them. When contacting senior executives at your client’s company, it is critical to correctly write these communications and keep a courteous and professional tone.
Successfully chasing overdue invoices and phone call scripts before pursuing executive participation is a good idea.
Email Template for Late Payment Follow-ups
written by: Name and Title of Executive
Requesting payment of an overdue invoice
Dear <client name> ___,
My attention has been drawn to the fact that the payment for <invoice #> has not yet been received. There have been several attempts to contact you but to no avail. To expedite this issue’s resolution, I’ll be accessible to help. I’d appreciate it if you could contact me at <phone #>.
We’re grateful that you chose your company name, and we want to keep in touch in the future so that we may be of service to you again.
You should let us know as soon as possible if you cannot pay your account at this time so that we may avoid sending it to collections.
Sincerely,
‘Executive Signature.’
Send a digital copy of the invoice to the principal point of contact, along with a copy to any other accounting team members whose contact information has been supplied.
The tone of this email should be friendly, helpful, and grateful for the opportunity to work with the company and be selected as a vendor. Payment conditions and planned future actions must be clearly stated in the communication.
Email Template for Sending Bill Copies
Subject Line: Attached is an invoice, which must be processed by __.
Dear <client name>,
I am attaching a copy of your invoice for the sum of the amount due,” with the due date of the Invoice number.” Thank you.
Before the due date of the invoice, please send in your payment at the earliest. <phone number>, you may contact me for any queries. The payment will be deemed past due if it is received after the grace period has expired, in which case it will be subject to late fines and might be sent to collections.
We appreciate the opportunity to work with your <firm name> and look forward to a continued relationship.
Sincerely,
{Signature}
Past due invoices must be communicated as urgently as possible while maintaining a pleasant tone and professional demeanor to prevent late payments and manage accounts receivable.
To avoid disrupting future sales possibilities and a positive connection with the point of contact, the proper tone of the payment follow-up message must be used. Paying a bill may be held up by an accounts payable procedure.
Email Template for Bills Past Due
Subject: Please Resolve – Overdue Invoice reminder
Dear first name,
We regret to inform you that your invoice with <the invoice number> for the <amount due> has already passed its due payment date and is thus no longer in process. We kindly request that you deliver your payment in a timely manner. Your account has been charged a late fee of the overdue fee.”
Please let me know if there is a problem working through it together.
‘Description of service’ was an enjoyable experience, and we look forward to more possibilities to work together in the future.
Please contact <phone number> if you have any queries we can also have a friendly phone call! if required.
Sincerely,
{Signature}
It becomes more vital to reduce your company’s financial risk rather than to pursue full payment after the invoice is substantially overdue. Negotiation is a method that corporations may use to reclaim as much of the cost of the offered services as possible while dealing with dissatisfied customers. Negotiation emails do not need to seem desperate.
For speedy settlement and mutual compromise, you should instead be making a polite offer. To begin with, consider establishing payment plans and, if required, slashing the advertised price.
Email Template for Unpaid Invoice Negotiations
Subject: Invoice’ invoice number’ payment plans possibilities.
Dear ___,
The invoice number has an overdue invoice of the amount <invoice amount> on my desk, and I’m writing to inquire about it.
To avoid using a collection agency, I wanted to give it one more go to talk with you and find a solution to this past-due payment that would be advantageous to both of us. After speaking with my finance director, I’ve been granted permission to prolong a payment plan option.
Let us know what works best for your accounts payable, and we’ll work together to get this set correctly in motion.
Before the date of mailing to collections,” I’ll need your approval. If I do not hear from you before then, your debt will be sent to a collection company.
If you require anything further, please do not hesitate to contact us. You may reach me at <telephone number>.
Sincerely,
{Signature}
How to Ask for Payment of an Invoice Politely Email
You are now aware that you must request payment. As the due date has passed and no money has been received, you cannot know whether the customer has forgotten about your invoice, accidentally deleted or anything else. Writing an email is the easiest way of chasing overdue invoices. It’s safe, simple, and sounds polite to the customer.
Follow the below-mentioned tips for invoice chasing or writing invoice overdue friendly reminder emails.
1. Attractive & Crisp Email Subject-Line
The subject line is the most important consideration when requesting money from a customer through email. Your customer may decide not to read the body of your email if the subject line isn’t compelling enough. The following are a few pointers:
- Don’t put your late payers, and customers, in danger (in the subject) during the first reminder. Instead, use the phrase “friendly payment reminder emails” in the subject line of your emails.
- Consider using “contract updates” when referring to your reminder emails.
- If appropriate, utilize your client’s name instead of your business name in your communications with them.
2. Reminding Customers of the Payment Terms
While the invoice is overdue while writing an email chasing payment clear payment terms should have been explicit on your invoice. Likewise, the contract document between you and the client should spell out the payment terms, including the due date and any late fees.
Add payment conditions, such as “Net 3 Months,” on the invoice.
3. Attaching an Invoice with Every Email
When sending an email about past-due debts, a copy of the invoice should be included. Include this information in your proposal to aid your clients in remembering what you did for them and how much they owe you. However, bills and payment information might occasionally be misunderstood.
- Legally, an invoice isn’t binding. It is your written contract that serves as the foundation of your invoice.
- Regardless of how many payment reminders you send, customers may disregard or return your bills if they do not include the necessary invoice information, such as the addresses of all parties involved, dates, and invoice numbers.
There is no use in sending an invoice email if the invoice is not attached to the email. At the same time, chasing payment when requesting payment or sending payment reminders through email always includes a copy of your invoice.
4. Add Bank Account/ Online Payment Details in Your Payment Request
Make it easy for your customer to pay you if you ask them to pay the overdue payment. For example, include all company contact information, including the payment information, in the email and on the invoice itself.
You should provide your consumers the choice of paying by transferring money, bank card, or another online payment method. In order to avoid future payment issues, make it as simple as possible for your consumer to pay.
Set Alerts for Due Payments!
Fasten your business’s payment cycle by setting up payment alerts for invoices due upon receipt with Moon Invoice.
How to Prevent Late Payment from Clients
The good news is that there are things you can do now to assist prevent problems of overdue payments and invoice chasing in the future. In addition, a good cash flow may be maintained if you follow these measures to avoid late payments from customers.
- Always clear and present clear terms of payment to the customer
- Be communicative throughout
- Automate the chasing process with accounting software
- Provide multiple payment channels to pay
- Provide some discount on early payment, such as payment made in 30 days or 60 days
- Charging interest on the amount for paying late
- Know your client and how they operate
- Use a third-party debt collection agency
- Pursue legal action as a last resort
Conclusion
So, that was it from our end when it came to receiving payments, writing original invoice overdue emails, collecting email templates, and having emails for past-due customer invoices. We hope that all or some of the tips may work for you to recover late payments.
If you are automating your invoice-chasing process to receive prompt payments – consider using Moon Invoice’s Online invoicing software.
FAQs
Jayanti Katariya is the founder & CEO of Moon Invoice, with over a decade of experience in developing SaaS products and the fintech industry. He holds a degree in engineering. Since 2011, Jayanti's expertise has helped thousands of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises, streamline invoicing, estimation, and accounting operations. His vision is to deliver top-tier financial solutions globally, ensuring efficient financial management for all business owners.
