The difference between a payment reminder that gets a response and one that gets ignored is rarely the amount owed. It's the tone, timing, and framing of the email. Most collection emails fail because they feel transactional, impersonal, or vaguely threatening at exactly the wrong moment.
These five templates cover the full invoice collection sequence — from pre-due reminder through final notice. Copy them directly into your AR workflow or use them as starting points. Courtasy automates the full sequence so you don't have to send any of them manually.
5 copy-paste collection email templates
Template 1: 7 days before due date
Subject: Invoice #[INV-001] due on [Date] — [Company Name]
Hi [First Name],
Just a quick heads-up that invoice #[INV-001] for $[Amount] is due on [Date].
You can view and pay the invoice here: [Payment Link]
If you have any questions about the invoice, let me know and I'll sort it out straight away.
Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Company]
Template 2: Day of due date
Subject: Invoice #[INV-001] due today — [Company Name]
Hi [First Name],
Invoice #[INV-001] for $[Amount] is due today.
Pay online: [Payment Link]
If payment has already been sent, please ignore this — and thank you. If there's anything I can help with, just reply here.
Thanks,
[Your Name]
Template 3: 7 days overdue (first chase)
Subject: Invoice #[INV-001] — payment not yet received
Hi [First Name],
I'm following up on invoice #[INV-001] for $[Amount], which was due on [Date]. We haven't received payment yet.
If there's a query on the invoice or you're waiting on internal approval, just let me know and I can help.
Pay here: [Payment Link]
Thanks,
[Your Name]
Template 4: 21 days overdue (escalation)
Subject: Outstanding balance — [Company Name] — action required
Hi [First Name],
I wanted to follow up again on invoice #[INV-001] for $[Amount], now 21 days past due.
I understand things get busy — if there's a billing issue, payment delay, or anything I can help resolve, please reply and I'll make it easy.
If you'd like to arrange a payment plan, I'm happy to discuss that too.
Pay here: [Payment Link]
Looking forward to hearing from you.
[Your Name]
Template 5: 45+ days overdue (final notice)
Subject: Final notice — Invoice #[INV-001] — [Company Name]
Hi [First Name],
I'm reaching out one more time about invoice #[INV-001] for $[Amount], which is now 45 days overdue.
I'd like to resolve this directly before we need to escalate to our legal team. Please reply or pay here: [Payment Link]
If there's a specific issue preventing payment, let's get on a call today.
[Your Name]
[Your Phone Number]
Tips for making collection emails more effective
- →Always personalise with the customer's first name — never use 'Dear Customer'
- →Include the payment link in every email, even if you've sent it before
- →Keep tone professional and non-accusatory until 45+ days overdue
- →Give the customer an easy out — 'if you have a query on this invoice' reduces friction
- →Escalate the contact as well as the tone — copy in CFO or finance director at 30+ days
- →Send on Tuesday–Thursday mornings for highest open rates
Automate the entire sequence with Courtasy
Set up these 5 templates once in Courtasy and the platform sends them automatically — at the right time, to the right contact, without any manual effort.