Payment reminder emails that get you paid.
The payment reminder sequence that works is four short emails named by timing: one before the due date, one on the due date, one seven days late and one thirty days late, each polite, each with the invoice link and the amount in it. Below is a payment reminder email template for each of the four, one more for a failed subscription card, a table of timing and tone, and an honest note on what LetSign automates today. Copy them, fill the brackets, send.
The four reminders.
Every invoice reminder email here follows the same rules. Keep it short. Name the invoice number and the amount. Put the payment link in the body, not in an attachment. Stay warm for the first three, then be plain. Never threaten, and never state a legal position you have not checked with someone who knows your contract and your jurisdiction. A friendly payment reminder sent early does more than a stern one sent late.
Subject: Invoice [Invoice number] is due on [Due date]
Hi [Client name],
A quick note before it falls off anyone's list: invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is due on [Due date].
You can pay it here: [Payment link]
If it is already on its way, thank you, and please ignore this.
[Your name]
Subject: Invoice [Invoice number] is due today
Hi [Client name],
Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is due today.
Here is the payment link again: [Payment link]
If anything on the invoice needs changing, reply and I will sort it out.
Thanks,
[Your name]
Subject: Invoice [Invoice number] is a week overdue
Hi [Client name],
Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] was due on [Due date] and is now seven days overdue.
Pay here: [Payment link]
If there is a hold-up on your side, tell me what it is and when I can expect payment.
I will check back next week.
[Your name]
Subject: Overdue: invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount], thirty days past due
Hi [Client name],
Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is now thirty days past its due date of [Due date]. I have written three times and not heard back.
Please pay today: [Payment link]
If you cannot pay in full, send me a date and an amount you can commit to, and I will hold the account open on that basis.
If I have not heard from you by [Date], I will pause work on open items until this is settled.
[Your name]
The first two are courtesy. The third is the first overdue invoice reminder email, and it asks a direct question so a reply is easy. The fourth is firm and gives a date. If the thirty-day email gets no answer, the next steps are in how to collect an unpaid invoice.
When a subscription payment fails.
A failed card on a monthly plan is not an unpaid invoice, and the email should not read like one. The client did not decide to stop paying; a card expired or a bank declined the charge. Say what happened, give the link to fix it, and say service continues for now. Stripe retries the card on its own schedule, and what happens when a Stripe subscription payment fails walks through that side.
Subject: Your card for [Plan name] did not go through
Hi [Client name],
The card on file for your [Plan name] subscription ([Amount] a month) was declined on [Date].
Update it here, it takes a minute: [Card update link]
Nothing changes on your side for now. Your service continues.
If you think this is a mistake, reply and I will look into it.
[Your name]
Dunning emails are usually written by a system and read like it. Write yours like a person, and most clients fix the card the same day.
Timing, tone and who to copy.
| WHEN | TONE | COPY WHOM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before due | Three working days before the due date | Light and helpful | Your contact only |
| On the due date | The morning of the due date | Friendly and factual | Your contact only |
| Seven days late | One week after the due date | Direct, still warm | Your contact, plus whoever approves invoices if you know who that is |
| Thirty days late | One month after the due date | Firm and plain | Your contact and their accounts or finance address |
Send the first three from a named person with a reply-to that reaches someone who can answer a question about the invoice. The thirty-day email can come from the owner or from whoever signed the contract. A change of sender tells the client the matter has moved up without saying so. Keep each invoice follow up email in the same thread so the history is one scroll away.
Automating it.
On the Team plan, LetSign sends automatic reminders for unpaid invoices and failed subscription payments. Once a client signs, it emails them the payment link every week, fortnight or month, from 1 to 12 times. Reminders come from your business name via LetSign, and replies go to the deal owner. When a card is declined, Stripe emails the client and LetSign adds a card update link, a retry now button and a pause on collection. When the reminders run out, or after a second declined card, the deal moves to Act now and its owner is emailed. Every action shows the exact email and runs only when you confirm. On Free or Starter, send these by hand from the templates above: save them as canned replies in your email client and put the four dates in your calendar when you send the invoice.
Most of this disappears when the client pays at signature. A proposal with a payment step charges the card the moment they sign, so there is no invoice to chase. See how to get paid from an AI agent's deal.
Frequently asked questions
How many reminders before I escalate?
Four, on the timing above, then escalate. By the thirty-day mark you have written four times and twice asked the client to tell you about any problem. After that a phone call, a pause on open work and the steps in the unpaid-invoice guide do more than a fifth email.
Should I add a late fee?
Only if your contract already says so, and only in the amount it says. A fee that appears for the first time in a reminder email is easy to dispute and sours the relationship. The rules on late fees and interest differ by country and by contract, so check yours before adding one. LetSign does not charge or calculate late fees.
What if the client disputes the invoice?
Pause the reminder sequence and deal with the dispute first. Ask what exactly they disagree with, the amount, the scope or the date, and answer in writing with the signed proposal next to you. If part of the invoice is agreed, ask them to pay that part now while you settle the rest.
Should reminders come from a person or a billing address?
From a person, for the first three. A named sender gets read and replied to, while a billing address gets filtered or ignored. The thirty-day email can come from the owner or from whoever signed the contract, which tells the client the matter has moved up.
What do I write if the card failed on a subscription?
Say the card was declined, give the link to update it, and say service continues for now. Do not call it an overdue invoice and do not ask for a bank transfer unless the client prefers one. Most failed cards are an expiry or a bank block, so a calm one-line fix beats a chase.
Send the invoice with the link in it.
Start free, send a proposal with a payment step, and most reminders never need writing. Let your agents close the deal. LetSign keeps the money side straight.