How to chase a late invoice: 3 reminder emails you can copy

Start friendly, get firmer step by step, and always ask for a date. These are the first three emails of a 6-stage sequence for freelancers.

Send 1-2 days after the due date

1. Friendly reminder

Subject: Reminder: invoice #[INVOICE NUMBER] is due

Hi [CLIENT NAME], Hope you're doing well. Just a quick reminder that invoice #[INVOICE NUMBER], issued on [ISSUE DATE] for € [AMOUNT], was due on [DUE DATE]. This is probably just an oversight - I've attached the invoice again (or you can find it at [INVOICE LINK]) for convenience. If you've already sent the payment, please disregard this message. Otherwise, let me know if there's anything I can do to help get it processed. Best, [YOUR NAME/BUSINESS]

Send 7-10 days after the due date

2. First formal reminder

Subject: Payment reminder — Invoice #[INVOICE NUMBER]

Hi [CLIENT NAME], I'm following up on invoice #[INVOICE NUMBER] for € [AMOUNT], which was due on [DUE DATE] and doesn't appear to have been paid yet. Could you please check the status on your end and confirm a date I can expect payment by? If the delay is due to missing details (PO number, bank information, etc.), happy to help sort that out quickly. Looking forward to hearing from you by [SHORT DEADLINE, e.g. 5 business days]. Best regards, [YOUR NAME/BUSINESS]

Send 15-20 days after the due date

3. Second reminder, firmer tone

Subject: Invoice #[INVOICE NUMBER] still outstanding — please respond

Hi [CLIENT NAME], I haven't heard back after my previous message, so I'm following up again on invoice #[INVOICE NUMBER] for € [AMOUNT], now [NUMBER OF DAYS] days overdue. I understand things can get busy, but I do need a concrete answer: please confirm a firm payment date by [DEADLINE], or reach out if there's an issue we should discuss. I value our working relationship, but an extended delay without communication makes it hard for me to plan further work together. Looking forward to your reply by [DEADLINE]. Best regards, [YOUR NAME/BUSINESS]

Liked it? Download the sample or get the full pack

The full pack has all six stages up to the final notice, in English and Italian, plus a tracker to log each reminder.

Download the sample (.txt) See the full 6-email sequence

When to send each reminder

Friendly reminder: 1-2 days after the due date.
First formal reminder: 7-10 days after.
Second reminder, firmer: 15-20 days after.
Formal notice, final notice, handoff: from 30 days, only if the earlier steps got no answer.

Texts prepared with the help of AI and reviewed before publishing. These are templates to adapt, not legal advice. Always replace the [bracketed placeholders] with real details.