How to text a customer about an overdue invoice

Keep it short, name the amount and the date, make paying easy, and leave out the guilt. Send the first reminder 3 days after the due date, the second at 10 days, and call at 21.

Reminder 1: a few days late

Hi Maria, quick note: the invoice for Tuesday's deep clean ($180, due Oct 14) is still open. You can pay by Venmo @brightclean or by card here: [link]. Thanks so much!

Reminder 2: about ten days late

Hi Maria, following up on the $180 invoice from Oct 14. Could you take care of it this week? Venmo @brightclean or card: [link]. If something about the job wasn't right, tell me and I'll fix it.

Reminder 3: three weeks late, before you call

Hi Maria, the $180 invoice from Oct 14 is now three weeks past due. I'd like to sort it out before the next visit. Can you pay by Friday, or call me at [number] if you need a payment plan?

What works and what doesn't

• Name the exact amount and the job. "Your invoice" gets ignored. "$180 for Tuesday's deep clean" gets paid.
• Put the payment link in the text. Every extra step loses money.
• One question per message. "Can you pay by Friday?" is easy to answer yes to.
• Skip "just checking in" and "sorry to bother you". You did the work. Asking to be paid is normal.
• Don't threaten in writing unless you're ready to follow through.

Let AI write it for your invoice

Paste this into the free version of ChatGPT or Claude, fill in the brackets, and read the answer once before you send it.

Write a short, friendly text to a customer whose invoice of $[amount] for [service] on [date] is [number] days overdue. Keep the relationship good. Include how to pay: [payment method]. No guilt trips, no threats.

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