Dunning email templates for overdue invoices
Four copy-ready dunning email templates that escalate in tone from a friendly reminder to a final notice. Includes when to send each one and the placeholders to fill in.
A dunning sequence is the set of reminder emails you send as an invoice nears and passes its due date. The point is not to send more email. It is to escalate tone in a controlled way so that most invoices get paid by an early, friendly message and only the genuinely stuck ones reach a sterner notice.
Tone should progress with the age of the invoice. The first message assumes the customer simply has not gotten to it. The middle messages get firmer and more specific about consequences. The final message states what happens next if the balance stays open. Keep every email short, name the exact invoice and amount, and put a payment link in front of the customer every time. Pause the sequence whenever a customer disputes the charge or promises a date, and route those to a person.
The four templates below cover a standard net-30 cadence. Adjust the timing to your terms.
1. Due-date reminder
Send three days before the due date, or on the due date itself.
Subject: Invoice [Invoice number] is due [Due date]
Hi [Customer name],
A quick reminder that invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount] is due on [Due date].
You can pay it here: [Payment link]
If you have already sent payment, thank you, and please ignore this note. If anything about the invoice looks off, reply here and we will sort it out.
Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company name]
When to send: shortly before the due date, as a courtesy nudge.
2. First overdue notice
Send three to five days after the due date.
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. It may have slipped through, which happens.
You can settle it here: [Payment link]
If there is a reason the payment is held up, or if you need a copy of the invoice, just reply and we will help.
Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company name]
When to send: within the first week past due, before the balance ages further.
3. Second notice and escalation
Send 15 to 30 days past due.
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], which was due on [Due date] and is now [Days overdue] days overdue.
Please pay the balance here: [Payment link]
If you are unable to pay the full amount right now, reply and let us know. We would rather set up a payment date with you than let this keep aging.
Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]
When to send: once an invoice crosses the two-week mark with no response.
4. Final notice before escalation
Send 45 to 60 days past due.
Subject: Final notice: invoice [Invoice number], [Amount] outstanding
Hi [Customer name],
This is a final notice regarding invoice [Invoice number] for [Amount], originally due on [Due date]. The balance remains unpaid despite previous reminders.
Please pay in full by [Final due date]: [Payment link]
If we do not receive payment or hear from you by that date, the account will be escalated for further collection steps and a hold may be placed on new orders. We would much rather resolve this directly, so please reply today if there is an issue we should know about.
Regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]
When to send: as the last automated touch before a person takes over or the account moves to collections.
Running this cadence by hand across a full ledger is where AR teams lose hours, and where invoices fall through. The same templates can run on a schedule that watches each invoice, sends the right message at the right age, and pauses the moment a customer replies with a dispute or a promise to pay, which is the work a platform like Rex handles so the team only sees the cases that need a decision.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a dunning email sequence?
- A dunning sequence is a set of scheduled emails that remind a customer about an invoice as it approaches and passes its due date. It usually starts with a polite reminder before the due date and escalates in tone through first overdue, second overdue, and final notices until the invoice is paid or moved to a person.
- How many dunning emails should you send before escalating?
- A common cadence is four touches: a reminder around the due date, a first notice a few days past due, an escalation notice at roughly 15 to 30 days, and a final notice near 45 to 60 days before the account moves to a manual call or collections. Adjust the spacing to your payment terms and customer relationship.
- When should a dunning email stop and a person take over?
- Stop the automated sequence the moment a customer raises a dispute, makes a promise to pay, or the balance crosses a threshold that warrants a personal call. At that point a reminder email no longer helps and may damage the relationship.