Payment reminder email for an overdue invoice: format and examples
Last reviewed 22 October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.
A good reminder email is short, specific and easy to act on. Write to the person who can release the payment, and copy your regular contact.
What every reminder should include
- The invoice numbers, dates, amounts and due dates, and the total due.
- How to pay: bank details, UPI ID or a payment link.
- The invoice and a statement of account, attached or linked.
- A clear request: payment, or an expected payment date.
- Your name and a phone number for questions or disputes.
First reminder (a few days overdue)
Subject: Payment reminder — INV-104 (₹82,000), due 10 October
Dear Mr Sharma, a quick reminder that invoice INV-104 for ₹82,000, due on 10 October, is still open in our books. The invoice is attached. If it has already been paid, please share the UTR and we will update our records. Otherwise, could you let us know the expected payment date? Thank you.
Firm reminder (several weeks overdue)
Subject: Second reminder — INV-104, INV-109 (₹1,24,500 overdue)
Dear Mr Sharma, invoices INV-104 and INV-109, totalling ₹1,24,500, are now 30 and 21 days overdue. As a registered micro enterprise (Udyam UDYAM-XX-00-0000000), we are entitled under Section 16 of the MSMED Act to interest on payments made after the agreed period. Please arrange payment or confirm a date by 25 October. The statement of account is attached.
Final notice
Subject: Final notice — ₹1,24,500 overdue since 10 October
Dear Mr Sharma, despite our reminders of 14 and 21 October, ₹1,24,500 remains unpaid. Please pay by 5 November. If we do not hear from you by then, we will take the matter forward through the MSME Samadhaan process. We would much prefer to settle this directly; please call me on +91 …
Mention the MSMED Act only if you really are a registered micro or small enterprise, and the next step only if you mean to take it. More wording for every stage and industry is in our payment reminder templates.
Doing it without the manual work
Tagaada drafts these emails from templates you approve, fills in each customer’s open bills and totals, and sends them from your own mailbox on schedule — and stops as soon as the customer pays, promises a date or raises a dispute.
Frequently asked questions
What subject line works best?
Plain and specific: “Payment reminder: invoices INV-104, INV-109 (₹1,24,500)”. The customer’s accounts team searches by invoice number, so put it in the subject.
Should I attach the invoice again?
Yes, attach or link the invoice and a statement of account. It removes the most common excuse (“we never received it”) and lets the accounts team process the payment without writing back.
How firm can a reminder be?
Firm is fine; threatening is not. State the facts (amounts, due dates, days overdue), the interest the law allows if you are a registered micro or small enterprise, and the next step with a date. Never use abusive or intimidating language.