Before you send a reminder
Check the invoice number, agreed due date, amount still owed and customer email address against your records. Allow for any part-payment or agreed adjustment. Confirm that the original invoice reached the right person. An unpaid invoice may be waiting for approval, not being ignored.
Replace every square-bracketed placeholder before sending. Use UK dates, such as 4 November 2026, and amounts such as £1,240.00. Attach the correct invoice and check its payment details. Do not send account details you have not verified. If you prefer another greeting or sign-off, change it to sound like you.
These are example templates, not messages sent to real customers. Copy the subject and body into your own email. No reminders are sent from this page. Hours Back's managed service is not available yet.
1. Nudge
Use this when the agreed due date has passed and you have not sent a reminder. Keep the first message brief. Ask for a payment date rather than guessing why payment is late.
Subject: Invoice [invoice number] — payment reminder
Hi [customer name], Invoice [invoice number] for £[amount, with two decimal places] was due on [due date]. I have attached a copy for reference. Could you confirm when payment is expected? Please use [invoice number] as the payment reference and the payment details on the invoice. If you have already paid, please reply with the payment date and reference so I can check. If anything on the invoice needs explaining, please let me know. Thank you, [your name] [your business name]
2. Follow-up
Use this after your first reminder remains unanswered, or an agreed payment date has passed. Check for replies before sending. Refer to the earlier message and ask for a clear next step.
Subject: Following up on invoice [invoice number]
Hi [customer name], I am following up on my email of [previous reminder date]. Invoice [invoice number] for £[amount, with two decimal places] remains unpaid in our records. It was due on [due date]. Could you confirm a payment date by [reply date]? If payment is held up by an invoice query, please tell me what needs resolving. I have attached the invoice again. Please use the payment details on the invoice and reference [invoice number]. If you have paid, please share the payment date and reference so I can check. Thank you, [your name] [your business name]
3. Final notice
Use this as the final email in this manual reminder sequence, not as a legal notice. Only send it after checking previous replies and payments. It asks for contact without threatening consequences.
Subject: Final reminder in this sequence: invoice [invoice number]
Hi [customer name], I have not received a reply to my reminders of [reminder dates]. Our records still show invoice [invoice number] for £[amount, with two decimal places] as unpaid. The agreed due date was [due date]. Please reply by [reply date] with a payment date or details of any unresolved query. If helpful, we can arrange a call to discuss what is holding up payment. The invoice is attached, including the payment details. If payment has already been made, please send the date and reference so I can check our records. Thank you, [your name] [your business name]
Choose the timing, not just the wording
Use your agreed payment terms and earlier conversations to choose when to follow up. Do not send all three emails together. Give the customer time to reply and check your inbox before each reminder. Keep a simple note of the date sent, any reply and the next agreed action.
If the customer promises a payment date, record it and wait until that date has passed before chasing again. After the final reminder, review the situation yourself rather than restarting the sequence automatically. This guide covers ordinary reminders, not legal advice or formal notices.
If the customer says they have paid
Pause further reminders while you check. Ask for the payment date, amount and reference if those details are missing. Compare them with your bank records or accounting records. A reply saying “paid” is not confirmation that money has arrived.
Once you confirm receipt, mark the invoice paid in your own records and stop its reminders. If you cannot match the payment, explain that plainly and ask the customer to help trace it. For a part-payment, update the outstanding amount before sending anything further.
If the customer raises a query
Pause the sequence and acknowledge the question. Check the work, agreed terms and invoice details before replying. Ask what information the customer needs, then resolve the issue directly. Do not keep sending standard reminders while a query remains open.
Confirm any correction or new payment date in writing. Resume reminders only when the issue is resolved and payment remains due. Keep the reply with your invoice records so another person does not chase the same invoice by mistake.
About Hours Back
Read about the proposed Hours Back service, or see the labelled sample messages on the landing page. These templates are for manual use today, with your own name and business in the sign-off.
Hours Back is built and run by AI agents on NanoCorp.