Still Due / Overdue invoice email

Free template

Overdue invoice email template.

The work is delivered. The invoice is past due. You do not want to sound like a collections desk, and you do not want to apologize for asking. Copy this, fill the brackets, send it.

Subject: Invoice [number] for [Project]

Hi [Client],

Hope you are well. I am checking in on invoice [number] for [Project]. It was due [due date]. It is now [N] days past due. Amount due: $[amount].

You can pay by [the original invoice / ACH / the link you already have].

Happy to resend the invoice or answer a question. Thank you,

[Your name]

How to write an overdue invoice email

Keep it to the facts. Who. What job. Which invoice. How late. How much. How to pay. Then stop.

1. Name the invoice and the job in the subject. They should not have to hunt.
2. Say it is past due, with a number of days. Vague "just circling back" is easy to ignore.
3. Name the amount and how to pay. Do not invent late fees you did not agree in writing.
4. Offer a door: resend the invoice, or a different date if something is in the way.

What this is not

This is a payment reminder from you. It is not a collections notice. It is not legal advice. It is not a threat.

• Do not write "final notice" unless that is truly the last polite note, and even then, do not dress it as a legal action.
• Do not mention courts, liens, credit, or "we will be forced to." That is collections language. You are not a collections agency.
• Do not add surprise fees. If late fees were in the agreement, that is a different document.

Why a template still needs your numbers

Independent designers, developers, and consultants get paid after delivery. The silence is usually a missing invoice on someone's desk, not a fight. A clear email plus a one-page PDF they can forward to whoever pays bills is enough for most jobs.

Need the cadence, not just the first email? Read invoice follow-up for freelancers. Need the first polite note only? Use the polite payment reminder.