When to use it
Send it two or three days before the due date. It is the cheapest payment you will ever collect: no fees, no conflict, no collection case. A large share of late payments in B2B are caused neither by unwillingness nor by lack of money — they are caused by an invoice sitting in an inbox where nobody has taken ownership of it. A reminder solves that before it turns into anything.
It has to be right
The wording is rarely the problem. It is the deadline, the fee and what the letter leaves out — and the mistake costs you the expenses, not the debtor.
- It is a courtesy, not a formal reminder. Sent before the due date, it triggers neither fee nor default interest
- Keep the tone light. It is not a reminder that the customer is a poor payer
- Attach the invoice again. Half of all late payments come down to an invoice nobody can find
- Send it automatically. Anything that depends on someone remembering does not get done
How to fill it in
Most placeholders are trivial. These are not.
- [DUE DATE]
- Spell it out. "In a few days" is not a date, and it is the date that makes someone put it in the calendar.
- Attachment
- Send the invoice with it again. It removes the most common excuse, and it costs you nothing.
Frequently asked questions
May I charge a fee for a reminder?
No. The claim has not fallen due yet, so this is not a formal reminder. Fees and default interest can only be charged once the due date has passed.
Does it not simply come across as nagging?
Experience says the opposite. In a finance function handling hundreds of invoices, a reminder with the invoice attached is received as help — not as pressure.
Legal disclaimer. The template is generic and free to use. It is not legal advice and does not take account of the circumstances of your particular case. Rates, deadlines and statutory references change — check them before you use the document. If the claim is large, disputed or heading for court, call us before you send anything.