{"id":101179,"date":"2026-10-13T08:32:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:32:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/13\/payment-reminder-examples\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T12:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T12:04:09","slug":"payment-reminder-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/blog\/2026\/10\/13\/payment-reminder-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"Payment reminder: email, SMS and WhatsApp examples to copy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How many times have you opened your inbox to send a payment reminder, only to close the window without writing anything? Asking for money is awkward. But waiting for the customer to remember on their own costs you.<\/p>\n\n

Most late payments aren’t made in bad faith. The customer forgot, their card expired, or the invoice ended up in someone else’s inbox.<\/strong> A good payment reminder solves almost all of these cases with a short, friendly message.<\/p>\n\n

In this guide, you’ll see what a payment reminder is, when to send it and what it should include. Above all, you get 20 examples ready to copy<\/strong>: 8 for email, 6 for SMS and 6 for WhatsApp, ordered by stage of the collection process.<\/p>\n\n\n

What is a payment reminder?<\/h2>\n\n

A payment reminder is a message that lets a customer know they have an upcoming or overdue payment<\/strong> and makes it easy for them to pay. It can be sent by email, SMS or WhatsApp, and it’s usually part of a sequence of several reminders.<\/p>\n\n

Its goal is to get paid without damaging the relationship. That’s why the tone changes with each stage: informative before the due date, friendly on the first day it’s late and firmer at the end.<\/p>\n\n

It’s worth not confusing it with other collection documents.<\/p>\n\n

<\/th>Invoice<\/th>Payment reminder<\/th>Formal demand<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
What it is<\/td>The document that proves the debt<\/td>A notice asking the customer to pay<\/td>A demand with legal effect<\/td><\/tr>
When to send it<\/td>When you sell the product or provide the service<\/td>Before and after the due date<\/td>When reminders haven’t worked<\/td><\/tr>
Tone<\/td>Neutral<\/td>Friendly and practical<\/td>Formal and firm<\/td><\/tr>
Usual channel<\/td>Email or customer portal<\/td>Email, SMS or WhatsApp<\/td>Burofax, registered letter or lawyer<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

If you work with subscriptions and recurring payments, you’ll also want to read about the dunning email<\/a>: the automated sequence that kicks in when a charge fails.<\/p>\n\n

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Automate your payment reminders with Mailrelay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedule the advance reminder, the due-date reminder and the overdue reminders, and let them go out on their own. Free up to 80,000 emails a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"Timeline<\/figure>\n\n

When to send a payment reminder<\/h2>\n\n

Send the first payment reminder before the due date, not after.<\/strong> That way you prevent a good share of late payments, and the message doesn’t sound like a reproach.<\/p>\n\n

From then on, it’s best to space out the reminders and raise the tone gradually. Here’s a reference schedule and the channel that works best at each stage:<\/p>\n\n

When<\/th>Goal<\/th>Recommended channel<\/th>Tone<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
3 to 7 days before<\/td>So they can plan for it<\/td>Email<\/td>Informational<\/td><\/tr>
On the due date<\/td>Get paid today<\/td>SMS or WhatsApp<\/td>Friendly<\/td><\/tr>
3 days after<\/td>Catch oversights<\/td>Email and WhatsApp<\/td>Understanding<\/td><\/tr>
10 days after<\/td>Solve the problem<\/td>Email and phone call<\/td>Direct<\/td><\/tr>
20 to 30 days after<\/td>Final notice before taking action<\/td>Email with read receipt<\/td>Firm<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

Adapt the timing of each payment reminder to your business. An academy that charges its monthly fee on the 5th needs short reminders close together. A supplier that invoices on 60-day terms can space them out more.<\/p>\n\n

That said, don’t send the same message through two channels on the same day.<\/strong> An identical email and SMS at the same time feel like pressure. If you work with deadlines, you’ll also find it useful to read how to plan the email schedule for a call for applications<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

\"What<\/figure>\n\n

What a payment reminder should include<\/h2>\n\n

Everything the customer needs to pay without having to ask you anything.<\/strong> Every question means one more day of delay.<\/p>\n\n

Check that your payment reminder includes these details:<\/p>\n\n