15 collection email templates that get invoices paid

A collection email is a short, specific message asking a customer to pay an invoice that is due or overdue. The ones that get paid name the exact invoice and amount, give a one-click way to pay, and match their tone to how late the payment is. A friendly nudge works at one day late. It does not work at ninety.

The trick is not sending more email. It is sending the right email for each stage, so the easy invoices clear early on a polite note and only the genuinely stuck ones reach a firm notice. Below are 15 templates covering the full overdue journey, grouped by stage. Fill in the [Placeholders], keep them short, and put a payment link in front of the customer every time.

Why your collection emails get ignored

Most collection emails get ignored for the same few reasons. They bury the ask under three paragraphs of context. They forget the invoice number, so the customer has to go digging. They make paying harder than ignoring, with no link and a vague "please remit." Or they hit the wrong tone, threatening on day one or staying breezy at sixty days when the account is genuinely delinquent.

A customer who owes you money is usually busy, not hostile. The email that works does the thinking for them. It says which invoice, how much, by when, and pay here. Everything else is optional.

The anatomy of an email that gets paid

Every template below follows the same five-part shape:

1. A subject line that names the invoice. The customer should know what it is without opening it. "Invoice 4021 is due Friday" beats "Payment reminder."
2. The exact invoice and amount, up top. No hunting. Lead with the number, the amount, and the due date.
3. One clear action. A payment link, not instructions to log in somewhere and find it.
4. An open door. Invite a reply if there is a dispute or a problem. This catches issues before they age.
5. A tone that fits the age. Warm early, firm in the middle, formal at the end.

Keep the whole thing under 120 words wherever you can. Long collection emails get skimmed, and the ask gets lost.

15 collection email templates by stage

Stage 1: Before the due date (pre-due reminders)

1. Gentle pre-due reminder

Subject: Invoice [Invoice number] is due [Due date]

Hi [Customer name],

Quick heads up that invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is due on [Due date].

You can pay it here: [Payment link]

If you have already paid, thank you, ignore this. If anything looks off, just reply.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: 3 to 5 days before the due date, as a courtesy.

2. Due-date reminder

Subject: Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is due today

Hi [Customer name],

Just a note that invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is due today, [Due date].

Pay in one click: [Payment link]

Let me know if you need anything to process it on your end.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: on the due date itself, before the invoice ages.

3. Pre-due reminder with PO reference

Subject: Invoice [Invoice number] (PO [PO number]) due [Due date]

Hi [Customer name],

Invoice [Invoice number] against PO [PO number], totaling [Amount], is due on [Due date].

Here is the payment link: [Payment link]
A copy of the invoice is attached for your records.

Happy to resend anything your AP team needs.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: before the due date for customers whose AP team requires a PO match.

Stage 2: 1 to 14 days past due (first notices)

4. First overdue notice

Subject: Invoice [Invoice number] is now past due

Hi [Customer name],

Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] was due on [Due date] and is now past due. These things slip through, so no worries.

You can settle it here: [Payment link]

If there is a hold up on your side, reply and we will sort it out.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: 3 to 5 days past due, before the balance ages further.

5. Short follow-up nudge

Subject: Re: Invoice [Invoice number]

Hi [Customer name],

Following up on invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount], still showing as unpaid.

Quickest way to clear it: [Payment link]

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: about a week past due, as a light second touch on the same thread.

6. "Did this slip through?" reminder

Subject: Did invoice [Invoice number] slip through?

Hi [Customer name],

Checking in on invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount], due [Due date]. I am guessing it got buried.

Pay here when you have a second: [Payment link]

If it is stuck in your approval flow, tell me who to chase and I will help.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: 7 to 10 days past due when you suspect an internal approval delay.

Stage 3: 15 to 30 days past due (firm reminders)

7. Second notice with day count

Subject: Action needed: invoice [Invoice number] is [Days overdue] days overdue

Hi [Customer name],

We have not received payment for invoice [Invoice number], totaling [Amount], due on [Due date] and now [Days overdue] days overdue.

Please pay the balance here: [Payment link]

If you cannot pay in full right now, reply and let us know. We would rather agree a date than let this keep aging.

Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: once an invoice crosses two weeks with no response.

8. Request for a payment date

Subject: When can we expect payment on invoice [Invoice number]?

Hi [Customer name],

Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is now [Days overdue] days past due. To close it out, can you confirm a date you expect to pay?

Or settle it now here: [Payment link]

A specific date helps us plan, even if it is a couple of weeks out.

Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: around 20 days past due to pin down a commitment.

9. Statement of account

Subject: Account statement: [Amount] outstanding

Hi [Customer name],

Attached is your current statement. Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount], due [Due date], remains open at [Days overdue] days past due.

Pay the balance here: [Payment link]

If any line looks wrong, reply and we will review it with you.

Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: around 30 days past due, especially when a customer has more than one open invoice.

Stage 4: 31 to 60 days past due (escalation)

10. Escalation notice

Subject: Escalation: invoice [Invoice number], [Amount] outstanding

Hi [Customer name],

Despite previous reminders, invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] remains unpaid at [Days overdue] days past due.

Please pay in full here: [Payment link]

If there is a dispute or a reason for the delay, I need to hear it this week so we can resolve it before this escalates further.

Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: around 30 to 45 days past due, when polite reminders have not landed.

11. Manager copy-in

Subject: Overdue balance on account [Account number]

Hi [Customer name],

I am copying [Manager name] on this, as invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is now [Days overdue] days overdue.

We would like to resolve this directly. Pay here: [Payment link]
Or reply with a payment date and we will work with you.

Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: 45 days past due, to raise the matter to a more senior contact.

12. Credit hold warning

Subject: Invoice [Invoice number]: action required to avoid a hold

Hi [Customer name],

Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is [Days overdue] days overdue. To keep your account in good standing and avoid a hold on new orders, please pay by [Final due date].

Pay now: [Payment link]

If something is blocking payment, reply today and let us help.

Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: around 50 to 60 days past due, when continued service is at stake.

Stage 5: 60+ days past due (final notices)

13. Final notice

Subject: Final notice: invoice [Invoice number], [Amount] outstanding

Hi [Customer name],

This is a final notice on invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount], originally due [Due date] and now [Days overdue] days past due.

Please pay in full by [Final due date]: [Payment link]

If we do not receive payment or hear from you by then, the account will move to our collections process and new orders may be placed on hold. We would much rather resolve this with you, so please reply today.

Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: as the last touch before a person or collections takes over.

14. Payment plan offer

Subject: A way to clear invoice [Invoice number]

Hi [Customer name],

Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is now [Days overdue] days overdue. If paying in full is hard right now, we can split it into [Number] instalments of [Instalment amount].

Tell me if that works and I will set it up. Or pay in full here: [Payment link]

I would rather find a path that works than see this go further.

Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: at 60+ days when a customer is willing but cash-constrained.

15. Pre-collections final demand

Subject: Notice before collections: invoice [Invoice number]

Hi [Customer name],

Invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] remains unpaid at [Days overdue] days past due, despite repeated notices.

Unless payment in full reaches us by [Final due date], or you contact us to arrange terms, we will refer this balance to [Collections agency or legal step] on [Escalation date].

Pay now to stop this: [Payment link]

Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]

When to send this: as the documented final demand before handing the account to a third party.

Tone and timing rules that work

Match tone to age. The first three stages assume the customer simply has not gotten to it. From 30 days, get specific about consequences. By 60 days, state plainly what happens next.

Space touches sensibly. On net-30 terms, a workable rhythm is a pre-due reminder, a first notice at day 3 to 5, a firm notice at day 15, an escalation at day 30 to 45, and a final notice at day 60. Tighten it for net-15, loosen it for net-60.

Always include the invoice number, the amount, and a payment link. Always invite a reply. And always pause the moment a customer disputes a charge or promises a date, because another templated chase at that point only hurts the relationship. For a version of this mapped tightly to milestones, see the past due invoice email templates. To run these as a scheduled cadence, build a proper payment reminder email sequence.

Common mistakes that delay payment

• No payment link. If the customer has to log in and find the invoice, many will not. Put the link in every email.
• Hiding the ask. Lead with the invoice and amount. Do not bury it under pleasantries.
• Wrong tone for the age. Threatening on day one burns goodwill. Staying breezy at sixty days signals you are not serious.
• Sending the same email twice. A copy-paste resend reads as automated and gets ignored. Each touch should move the conversation forward.
• Not pausing for disputes. Chasing an invoice the customer has already queried makes you look careless and stalls resolution.
• Forgetting to stop when paid. Nothing erodes trust faster than a dunning email for an invoice that cleared yesterday.

How to automate these templates with Rex

Running 15 templates across a full ledger by hand is where AR teams lose their week. Someone has to know which invoice is at which stage, pick the right message, personalize it, send it, and remember to stop when cash lands. Multiply that by hundreds of open invoices and it becomes impossible to do well.

Rex does this work continuously. It watches every open invoice, sends the right message for each invoice's exact age and the customer's payment history, and escalates tone on its own as a balance gets older. It reads replies, so it pauses the sequence the instant a customer disputes a charge or promises a date, and hands those cases to a person with the full context. When the payment arrives, Rex stops. You are not picking templates or chasing a calendar. You are reviewing the handful of accounts that actually need a human decision.

See how Rex runs collections end to end across your whole ledger.