Template · Getting paid
Payment reminder templates: friendly, firm and final
The work's done, the invoice is out, the money isn't in. Most overdue invoices aren't refusals — they're a busy customer who needs a nudge. These three templates escalate the nudge without burning the relationship. Copy them straight off the page.
Last updated 2026-07-11 · Reviewed by the TradieCue team
Chase an overdue invoice in three stages: a friendly reminder at day 3–7 (assume they forgot), a firm one at day 14 (ask for a payment date), and a final notice at day 30 (state your next steps plainly). Each message repeats the invoice number, the amount inc. GST and your bank details, so paying takes zero effort. All three templates are below.
Template 1 — Friendly (day 3–7 overdue)
Hi [Customer name],
Just a friendly nudge — invoice [Invoice #] for the [job description, e.g. "bathroom repairs at [Site address]"] was due on [Due date] and I haven't seen it come through yet. The total is [Amount inc. GST].
Bank details for a transfer: [Bank details]. If it's already on its way, thanks — ignore this.
Any questions about the invoice, just give me a call on [Phone].
Cheers,
[Your name], [Business name]
Why this tone: at a week overdue, the odds are it's a lost email or a busy fortnight, not a problem. Writing as if they forgot lets a good customer pay immediately without embarrassment — and "ignore this if it's on its way" keeps the relationship warm for the next job. Restating the amount and bank details matters more than the wording: every reminder should be payable on the spot, without digging up the original invoice.
Template 2 — Firm (day 14 overdue)
Hi [Customer name],
Following up on invoice [Invoice #] for [Amount inc. GST], which is now two weeks overdue (due [Due date]). I sent a reminder on [Date of first reminder] and haven't heard back.
Could you let me know today when payment will be made? If there's an issue with the invoice or the work, I'd rather hear it now so we can sort it out.
Payment details: [Bank details].
Thanks,
[Your name], [Business name], [Phone]
Why this tone: the friendly assumption has expired. This message stays polite but changes the question — no longer "did you see it?" but "when, exactly?". Asking for a payment date gets you a commitment you can hold them to, and inviting them to raise problems flushes out the real reason for silence (a dispute you'd rather hear about now than at day 60). Note what it doesn't do: apologise for asking, or pad the message with "sorry to bother you". You're not the one who owes money.
Template 3 — Final notice (day 30 overdue)
Hi [Customer name],
Invoice [Invoice #] for [Amount inc. GST] is now 30 days overdue. I've sent reminders on [Date] and [Date] without a response.
Please pay the full amount by [Date — e.g. 7 days from now] to [Bank details].
If payment isn't received by then, I'll have to escalate this — including referring the debt for formal recovery. I'd much rather not go down that path, so if something is preventing payment, call me on [Phone] and we'll work out an arrangement.
[Your name], [Business name]
Why this tone: a final notice earns its name by being specific — a date, an amount, and a stated consequence. Keep the consequence honest and general ("escalate", "formal recovery"): don't name a specific legal action or a lawyer you haven't engaged, because a threat you visibly don't follow through on teaches the customer you never will. Leaving the door open for a payment arrangement is deliberate; a plan that pays you over three weeks beats a debt that pays you never.
When to pick up the phone instead: when the amount is large, when the silence follows a disagreement about the work, or when templates one and two got no reply at all. A text can be ignored; a calm two-minute call rarely is — and it tells you whether you're dealing with "forgot", "cash-flow trouble" or "won't pay", which are three different problems. Send the written reminder anyway afterwards, so the paper trail stays complete.
Timing, escalation beyond day 30 and handling part-payments are covered in how to follow up an overdue trade invoice. And the best fix is upstream: payment terms and a deposit stated on the quote before the job starts.
The hard part isn't the words — it's sending them on day 7, not day 40
Every tradie has an unpaid invoice they meant to chase weeks ago. The template was never the bottleneck; remembering, and finding ten minutes to write it without sounding narky, was. TradieCue drafts the follow-up from your job and invoice context — you just say the word:
“Chase up Sarah from the Kellyville deck job — invoice went out two weeks ago, still nothing. Keep it polite but ask when she's paying.”
Payment follow-up — Sarah · Kellyville deck
Hi Sarah, following up on the invoice for the deck at Kellyville, now two weeks past due. Could you let me know when payment will be made? If anything about the invoice needs sorting, happy to talk it through. Bank details are on the invoice. Thanks, Dave.
Sample note for illustration. Your draft stays fully editable, and it isn't sent to anyone until you share it.
Timmy pulls the customer and job details from what you've already captured, matches the tone you asked for, and gives you an editable draft. Nothing is sent automatically — you read it, adjust it if the relationship needs a lighter touch, and send it yourself. If a key detail is missing, Timmy asks instead of making it up.
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Common questions
Should I send payment reminders by text or email?
Whatever channel the customer actually reads — for homeowners that's usually text, for builders and offices usually email. For the day-30 final notice, email (or both) is safer: it timestamps cleanly and reads as more formal if you later need the paper trail.
Can I charge interest or late fees on an overdue invoice?
Only if your quote or terms said so before the job — you can't invent a fee at day 30. If your terms do allow it, mention it in the firm reminder rather than springing it in the final notice. This isn't legal or accounting advice.
What if the customer disputes the work instead of paying?
Treat it as a different problem: stop the reminder ladder, get the dispute specific ('which part, exactly?'), and put your response in writing. This is where documented variations earn their keep — an extra the customer approved in writing is very hard to dispute at invoice time.
Does TradieCue send these reminders for me automatically?
No, and that's deliberate. Timmy drafts the follow-up from your job context; you review, edit and send it yourself. A payment chase is a relationship moment — you stay in charge of what goes out and when.
Try it on your next job
TradieCue is free to download on the App Store. Say a rough note about a real job and review the draft Timmy produces — nothing is sent until you share it yourself.
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