--- type: Template title: Accounts Receivable Email Templates (Free) description: Six free accounts receivable email templates for chasing overdue invoices, from a friendly pre-due reminder to a final notice. Copy, paste and personalize. resource: https://accounting.events/resources/accounts-receivable-email-templates/ tags: [accounts receivable email template, collection email template, payment reminder email template, overdue invoice email, accounts receivable collection template] timestamp: 2026-10-19 author: Harry P. Smart fact_checked_by: Julie Turnbridge fact_checked: 2026-10-26 --- AR Email Templates # Accounts receivable email templates Six ready-to-send collections emails, from a gentle pre-due reminder to a final notice. Copy, paste, personalize, or download them all. By Harry P. Smart, CPA and Lead Reviewer. Fact-checked by Julie Turnbridge on October 26, 2026. Published June 9, 2026. Updated October 19, 2026. 6 min read. Quick answer **Accounts receivable email templates are ready-made messages for chasing payment on invoices, from a friendly reminder before the due date to a firm final notice once an invoice is well overdue.** This page gives six, one for each stage: pre-due reminder, due-date note, first overdue, second reminder, statement, and final notice. Each template has a subject line and body with merge fields. Copy them from the page or download all six as a CSV. For a complete follow-up schedule, see our [AR action plan template](https://accounting.events/resources/accounts-receivable-action-plan-template/). If your invoices are in Xero or QuickBooks Online, Paidnice sends emails like these automatically, on the schedule you set for each customer group. ## Key facts - The six emails go out 3 days before the due date, on it, then 3, 7, 14 and 30 days after. - The final notice gives 7 days to pay before further action. - UK law treats payment as late 30 days after the customer gets the invoice if no date was agreed ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery)). Preview Xaccounts-receivable-email-templatesCollections email templatesPre-due reminder3 days before dueSubject: Your invoice INV-1042 is due on 12 JunFirst overdue3 days overdueSubject: Invoice INV-1042 is now overdueFinal notice30 days overdueSubject: Final notice before further action Download all six email templates A CSV with the stage, timing, subject and body of every template, ready to import into your tools. [Download CSV](https://accounting.events/resources/accounts-receivable-email-templates/accounts-receivable-email-templates.csv) The golden rule: stay polite and helpful early, get firmer over time, and always make it easy to pay with a payment link. ## The 6 collections email templates Copy, paste and personalize. Replace the {{fields}} with your details, or download all six as a CSV below. Pre-due reminder **When to send:** 3 days before the due date **Tone:** Friendly heads-up **Subject:** Your invoice {{invoice}} is due on {{due\_date}} Hi {{name}}, A quick reminder that invoice {{invoice}} for {{amount}} is due on {{due\_date}}. You can pay online here: {{pay\_link}}. Thank you, {{your\_name}} Due today **When to send:** On the due date **Tone:** Polite and light **Subject:** Invoice {{invoice}} is due today Hi {{name}}, Just a note that invoice {{invoice}} for {{amount}} is due today. If you have already paid, thank you and please ignore this. Otherwise you can pay here: {{pay\_link}}. Best, {{your\_name}} First overdue **When to send:** 3 days after the due date **Tone:** Polite; ask for a payment date **Subject:** Invoice {{invoice}} is now overdue Hi {{name}}, Invoice {{invoice}} for {{amount}} was due on {{due\_date}} and is now overdue. Could you let me know when we can expect payment, or pay online here: {{pay\_link}}? Thank you, {{your\_name}} Second reminder **When to send:** 7 days after the due date **Tone:** Direct; offer to fix any invoice query **Subject:** Following up on overdue invoice {{invoice}} Hi {{name}}, I am following up on invoice {{invoice}} for {{amount}}, now 7 days overdue. If there is an issue with the invoice please let me know; otherwise a payment date would be appreciated. Pay link: {{pay\_link}}. Regards, {{your\_name}} Statement / firm reminder **When to send:** 14 days after the due date **Tone:** Firm; set a short payment window **Subject:** Overdue account: invoice {{invoice}} Hi {{name}}, Our records show invoice {{invoice}} for {{amount}} remains unpaid, 14 days past its due date of {{due\_date}}. Please arrange payment within the next few days, or contact me to discuss. Pay link: {{pay\_link}}. Thank you, {{your\_name}} Final notice **When to send:** 30 days after the due date **Tone:** Formal; give a deadline and the next step **Subject:** Final notice before further action: invoice {{invoice}} Hi {{name}}, Despite previous reminders, invoice {{invoice}} for {{amount}} remains unpaid and is now 30 days overdue. Please settle the balance within 7 days to avoid late fees or further action under our terms. Pay link: {{pay\_link}}. Regards, {{your\_name}} ## Example: one invoice through the sequence Invoice INV-1042 for $2,400 is due 12 Jun. The final notice on 12 Jul asks for payment by 19 Jul. | Email | Send date | Days from due date | | --- | --- | --- | | Pre-due reminder | 9 Jun | 3 days before | | Due today | 12 Jun | Due date | | First overdue | 15 Jun | 3 days | | Second reminder | 19 Jun | 7 days | | Statement / firm reminder | 26 Jun | 14 days | | Final notice | 12 Jul | 30 days | ## How do I write a payment reminder email? Keep it short and friendly: greet the customer, state the invoice number, amount and due date, and include a payment link. Before the due date it is a gentle heads-up; after it, a clear request for a payment date. ## How do I write a final notice for an overdue invoice? Be formal and specific: reference the invoice and the previous reminders, state how overdue it is, give a deadline (for example 7 days), and name the next step under your terms. ## Should collections emails be automated? Automating the sequence keeps it consistent and saves hours, while you still personalize the high-value or sensitive accounts manually. Accounts receivable software can send these on a schedule; see our [software guide](https://accounting.events/reviews/best-accounts-receivable-software/). ## What is a good collections email sequence? A pre-due reminder a few days before the due date, a note on the due date, then escalating overdue emails at roughly 3, 7, 14 and 30 days past due, ending in a final notice. Consistency matters more than the exact days. ## How do I keep a good relationship while chasing payment? Lead with a helpful tone, assume the best (most late payments are oversights), make paying effortless with a link, and only escalate the tone gradually. Offering to resolve any invoice query also keeps things constructive. ## What mistakes should you avoid with this template? - **Skipping the early emails.** The final notice cites "previous reminders"; sent alone, it has five missing emails behind it. Fix: send the full sequence. - **Threatening a fee your terms do not include.** A 1.5% late fee on $2,400 is $36 you cannot collect if the terms are silent. Fix: name a fee only if your terms set one. - **Leaving out the pay link.** Without {{pay_link}}, the customer must find bank details before paying the $2,400. Fix: keep the link in every email. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long should I wait before sending the first overdue email? These templates send it 3 days after the due date. Adjust the gap to your payment terms. ### What should an overdue invoice email subject line say? Include the invoice number and its status, such as "Invoice INV-1042 is now overdue". ### Can I mention interest in an overdue invoice email? Only if your terms or the law allow it. UK businesses can claim statutory interest of 8% plus the Bank of England base rate on late B2B invoices under the [Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/20/contents). **Bottom line:** these templates suit a small business that sends its own invoice reminders. Move to accounts receivable software when you cannot send each email on its day. ## Related reading Independent software reviews and guides from Accounting.Events. [Template ### AR action plan template The full 10-stage collections cadence and tracker. Read more →](https://accounting.events/resources/accounts-receivable-action-plan-template/)[Template ### AR aging report template Group unpaid invoices into aging buckets automatically. Read more →](https://accounting.events/resources/accounts-receivable-aging-report-template/)[All resources ### Resources, templates and calculators Every free AR guide, template and calculator we publish. Read more →](https://accounting.events/resources/) **About the author: Harry P. Smart, CPA and Lead Reviewer.** Harry P. Smart is a CPA based between London and New York City. Harry writes and leads the review of the software guides on Accounting.Events. **Fact-checked by Julie Turnbridge, Freelance writer and bookkeeper**, on October 26, 2026. Checked prices, review counts, awards, integrations and dates against each primary source. Last updated October 19, 2026. This guide is general information, not accounting, tax, or financial advice. ## Sources Sources checked by Julie Turnbridge on October 26, 2026: 1. [gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery) (gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery) 2. [Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/20/contents) (legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/20/contents)