Sending a payment reminder makes almost everyone uncomfortable: you worry about seeming pushy or ruining the relationship with a client who is otherwise punctual. But an unaddressed delay quickly becomes a habit. The good news is that most delays aren’t due to bad faith: a lost invoice, a manager on vacation, a forgotten payment. With a simple method, you can get paid and keep the relationship strong.
Before the delay: prevention
- State the due date explicitly on the estimate and invoice (not just “30 days”—specify a date).
- Indicate how to pay: IBAN, account holder name, and payment description.
- Ask for a down payment on long-term projects or supplies: it reduces your exposure.
- Send the invoice right away, not at the end of the month: every day of delay in issuing the invoice also delays payment.
- Thank them when they pay: a short message reinforces the habit.
A reminder before the due date
Some clients appreciate this, especially companies with an administrative department: a few days beforehand, send a polite email with the invoice number, amount, and due date. It’s not a reminder—it’s a service.
Three levels of tone
If you have a set system, you don’t have to decide what to write each time. Three steps, with tones that gradually become more firm:
- Polite, a few days after the due date: “Perhaps it slipped our minds…” Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
