Steal This Workflow · video notes
Invoice reminder emails: 3 templates and the ladder
Don't build a robot: your invoicing app probably has one. Switch on its automatic reminders, paste in these three emails, and follow two rules.
The ladder
Our schedule, not a rule. It's the timing we chose. Adjust it to your clients and terms.
- Email 1 3 days before the due date friendly
- Email 2 3 days after the due date polite
- Email 3 14 days after the due date firm
Our two rules
- The moment they pay, the reminders stop. QuickBooks and Stripe only send reminders for unpaid invoices. Check how your app handles it.
- After email 3, a person calls or writes personally. No more automation after that.
The three emails
Illustration we wrote. Sample emails for a fictional client. Replace the {placeholders}; most invoicing apps can insert the client name, invoice number, amount and due date for you. Add your own sign-off. No fees, threats or legal wording, by design.
Email 1 · friendly · 3 days before due
Subject: Quick heads-up: invoice {id} due {due_date}
Hi {client} team, just a friendly note that invoice {id} for {amount} is due on {due_date}. The payment link is in the original email. Thanks again for the work together!Email 2 · polite · 3 days after due
Subject: Invoice {id} is now past due
Hi {client} team, invoice {id} for {amount} was due on {due_date} and I haven't seen the payment yet. Could you check on it this week? If it's already on its way, please ignore this.Email 3 · firm · 14 days after due
Subject: Invoice {id}: please confirm a payment date
Hi {client} team, invoice {id} for {amount} is now two weeks overdue (due {due_date}). Please reply with the date you'll pay, or let me know if there's a problem with the invoice so we can sort it out.Download all three emails (.md)
Where the switch lives
We checked five invoicing apps' own help and pricing pages. All five have automatic reminders. On Wave they work with Wave's online payments feature or the Pro plan; the other four include them in their standard plans (pricing and limits differ, so check yours). You have to switch it on. Menus as of October 2026: check your plan.
- QuickBooks Online: Settings → Account and settings → Sales → Reminders → turn on “Automatic invoice reminders”. Up to 3 reminders, up to 90 days before or after the due date.
- FreshBooks: up to three automatic reminder emails, before or after the due date. Listed on all plans.
- Zoho Invoice: Reminders settings, with 3 pre-loaded reminders set to days before or after the due date. Included on the free plan (limits apply, such as 500 invoices a year).
- Stripe Invoicing: Billing settings → Invoices → Manage advanced invoicing features → “Send reminders if a one-off invoice hasn't been paid”. Recurring invoices have a separate setting.
- Wave: automatic reminders work with Wave's online payments feature or the Pro plan (Wave's invoicing page, checked 10 Oct 2026).
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these pages, opened on 8 October 2026. Things change: check the live page before you rely on it.
- QuickBooks: send invoice reminders automatically or manually (US) International: same steps
- FreshBooks Support: late payment fees and reminders
- FreshBooks pricing
- Zoho Invoice pricing
- Zoho Invoice help: reminders
- Stripe Docs: automatic collection
- Stripe Docs: send customer emails
- Stripe Invoicing pricing
- Wave pricing
Workflow, not legal or financial advice. Check your own invoicing app's reminder settings and plan.
No sponsor and no affiliate links on this page. Vendors are named so you can check them yourself, not as recommendations.
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