You have an unpaid invoice and wish to follow up with your customer via email or post?
In this article, we will see the methodology to follow, the tone to respect to preserve your commercial relationship and examples of situations. Objective: avoid holes in your cash flow.
Discover our examples of dunning letters according to a situation.
For more information, see this article on the various dunning procedures to be implemented before and after mailing.
How to write an invoice reminder?
The email reminder
Mostly due to an oversight, an accounting error, an absence or a loss, invoice reminders remind the customer of his duty to pay. The reminder can be written in a courteous style to show your understanding of a possible oversight or even an accounting error that is your fault. However, it should be firmer as time goes by. This email must contain :
- a clear object ;
- a presentation of the facts;
- the invoice reference ;
- the amount of the invoice;
- the late fee (we recommend that you include one if you do not have one);
- the due date on which the payment should have been made ;
- a claim as soon as possible;
- consequences of non-payment (email 2 and 3);
- Attach a copy of the invoice.
Don't forget to send your emails with proof of receipt to be sure of their arrival, as well as the proof of sending/receiving.
The reminder by mail
If you wish to send your unpaid invoice reminders by mail, you must make sure to send your letters by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt to have both physical and digital proof. The letter must contain the following information:
- a clear object ;
- the date the dunning notice was written;
- a presentation of the facts;
- the invoice reference ;
- the amount of the invoice;
- the late fee (we recommend that you include one if you do not have one);
- the due date on which the payment should have been made ;
- a claim as soon as possible;
- consequences of non-payment (letters 2 and 3);
- Attach a copy of the invoice in the envelope.
Telephone reminder
It is possible to follow up your customers by phone to treat your unpaid invoices amicably and thus keep a healthy commercial relationship, especially with a former customer or a major account. Be careful however, this solicitation is only a complement to your reminder letter or email in case they remain unanswered. This can help to better understand the reason for the delay and find a solution by another means.
Examples of reminder emails
Occasional forgetfulness D+7
VSES/SMES
Subject: Invoice pending payment
Hello Mrs/Mr. [Name of person or position held],
I just wanted to inform you that we have not received payment for the following invoices:
| NO. | Invoice number | Amount | Expiry date |
Please also find the attached invoice.
To make the payment, click on the link indicated.
Should your payment reach us before receipt of this letter, please disregard it.
S’il s’agit d’une erreur, veuillez nous excuser et contacter le service clientèle au <numéro de contact> ou à l’email suivant <email de contact>.
Yours sincerely,
<Signature>
Key accounts
Subject: Invoice pending payment
Hello Mrs/Mr. [Name of person or position held],
Parce que nous sommes très attachés à notre collaboration avec <nom entreprise>, nous voulions juste attirer votre attention sur quelques factures qui ont des paiements en suspens :
| NO. | Invoice number | Amount | Expiry date |
Please also find the attached invoice.
We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about invoices or help you choose a payment method that works for your team.
Otherwise, to make the payment in the traditional way, click on the link indicated.
Should your payment reach us before receipt of this letter, please disregard it.
S’il s’agit d’une erreur, veuillez nous excuser et contacter le service clientèle au <numéro de contact> ou à l’email suivant <email de contact>.
Yours sincerely,
<Signature>
Possible delay of order
Subject: Invoice pending payment
Hello Mrs/Mr. [Name of person or position held],
We would like to bring to your attention the following invoices for which payments have not yet been made:
| NO. | Invoice number | Amount | Expiry date |
Please also find the attached invoice.
We ask that you make payment as soon as possible to ensure that future and current orders are not delayed or affected in any way.
Also, I will be available to answer any questions you may have regarding these invoices.
Should your payment reach us before receipt of this letter, please disregard it.
S’il s’agit d’une erreur, veuillez nous excuser et contacter le service clientèle au <numéro de contact> ou à l’email suivant <email de contact>.
Yours sincerely,
<Signature>
Payment by date with discount
Subject: Discounted invoice pending payment
Hello Mrs/Mr. [Name of person or position held],
Je voulais vous informer que <client> peut bénéficier d’un escompte de paiement anticipé de <pourcentage d’escompte>% sur la valeur totale de la facture si vous payez au plus tard le <date>.
| NO. | Invoice number | Amount | Amount of discount | Final amount | Expiry date |
Please also find the attached invoice.
Also, I will be available to answer any questions you may have regarding these invoices.
Should your payment reach us before receipt of this letter, please disregard it.
S’il s’agit d’une erreur, veuillez nous excuser et contacter le service clientèle au <numéro de contact> ou à l’email suivant <email de contact>.
Yours sincerely,
<Signature>
Payment commitment
Subject: Invoice pending payment
Hello Mrs/Mr. [Name of person or position held],
Nous vous informons par la présente que vous vous êtes engagé à payer la facture <numéro de facture> pour un montant de <montant dû> avant la <date d’échéance>.
However, we have not yet received any payment.
Si vous avez déjà effectué le paiement, veuillez contacter le service clientèle au <numéro de contact>.
Or make an early payment through this link.
Enclosed is the invoice in question.
Yours sincerely,
<Signature>
Follow-up email 1 D+7
Subject: Invoice pending payment
Hello Mrs/Mr. [Name of person or position held],
I wanted to make sure that you are receiving our emails, as we have not yet received payment for the following invoice:
| NO. | Invoice number | Amount | Expiry date |
Please also find the attached invoice.
To make the payment, you can click on this link.
Should your payment reach us before receipt of this letter, please disregard it.
S’il s’agit d’une erreur, veuillez nous excuser et contacter le service clientèle au <numéro de contact> ou à l’email suivant <email de contact>.
Yours sincerely,
<Signature>
Dunning 2 D+7
Subject: Invoice pending payment: second reminder
Hello Mrs/Mr. [Name of person or position held],
We would like to remind you a second time that the following invoices are still outstanding:
| NO. | Invoice number | Amount | Expiry date |
We want to continue to do business with you, so we ask you to initiate payments as soon as possible through this link.
Si vous n’êtes pas en mesure d’effectuer un paiement immédiatement, veuillez nous tenir informer en nous contactant au <numéro de contact> ou via l’email <email de contact>.
Failure to pay may result in legal action against you.
Enclosed is the invoice in question.
Yours sincerely,
<Signature>
Dunning 3 D+7
Subject: Invoice pending payment: final reminder
Hello Mrs/Mr. [Name of person or position held],
We would like to remind you that we have not yet received the following payment:
| NO. | Invoice number | Amount | Expiry date |
This is the third and final reminder we will send you. If we do not hear from you in the next few days, we will be obliged to invoke the legal authorities for a formal notice.
Si vous n’êtes pas en mesure d’effectuer un paiement immédiatement, veuillez nous tenir informer en nous contactant au <numéro de contact> ou via l’email <email de contact>.
A missed payment
Enclosed is the invoice in question.
Yours sincerely,
<Signature>
A link payment solution with automatic dunning
Fintecture offers a payment solution that enables you to send payment links on a massive scale to collect all your payments. Our payment links can be sent via email, SMS, link or QR Code to your customers. All you need to create your link is :
You can also choose the number of automatic reminders you wish to program by checking the boxes below.
Finally, our control interface has been specially designed to help you get paid faster, thanks to :
- The integration of payment links in your quotes, orders or invoices;
- Massive sending of payment link to get paid;
- Automatic dunning for your overdue invoices and pending quotes.
