Guide · 5 minute read

How to write a final payment reminder

A final payment reminder names the invoice, the amount and how late it is, lists your earlier reminders, sets one firm deadline (usually 7 days), and says calmly what you’ll do next if it isn’t paid. Send it about three weeks after the due date, after friendlier reminders have gone unanswered.

By the Babara team · Updated

What every final reminder needs

  1. The invoice, exactly

    Invoice number, amount, original due date and how many days overdue it is.

  2. Every earlier reminder

    List the dates you already wrote. It shows you’ve been patient, and helps if it ever goes further.

  3. One firm deadline

    A real date, usually 7 days away. “As soon as possible” is not a deadline.

  4. How to pay, again

    The payment link or bank details, so paying takes less effort than ignoring you.

  5. What happens next

    Only what you will really do: a call, pausing work, statutory interest, a small claim.

  6. A way out

    Offer a payment plan or a call. Many late payers are stuck, not unwilling.

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Three templates, from second reminder to final notice

Replace everything in [brackets]. Still at the friendly stage? Start with polite ways to say “please pay”.

1. Second reminder (about 14 days late)

Subject: Second reminder: invoice #[number] is [X] days overdue

Hi [Name],

I’m following up on invoice #[number] for [amount], which was due on [due date]. I sent a reminder on [date] but haven’t seen the payment yet.

Could you pay it by [date], or let me know when I can expect it? You can pay here: [link].

If something is holding it up, a PO number, an approval, a question about the work, just reply and I’ll sort it out.

Thanks,
[You]
2. Final reminder (21+ days late)

Subject: Final reminder: invoice #[number], payment due by [date]

Hi [Name],

Invoice #[number] for [amount] is now [X] days overdue. I wrote about it on [date 1] and [date 2].

Please pay the full amount by [deadline, about 7 days away]: [link].

If I haven’t received payment or heard from you by then, I’ll pause any ongoing work and add the late-payment interest and fixed compensation the law allows for business invoices.

If paying in full is difficult right now, reply and we can agree a plan. I’d much rather sort this out together.

Thanks,
[You]
3. Final notice before further action

Subject: Final notice: invoice #[number] before further action

Dear [Name],

Despite my reminders of [dates], invoice #[number] for [amount], due on [due date], remains unpaid.

The amount now owed is [amount], plus statutory interest of [rate]% a year from [due date] and a fixed compensation of [£40 / €40].

Please pay by [deadline, at least 14 days away] using [link or bank details]. If payment isn’t received by then, I intend to start a claim to recover the debt without further notice.

If you dispute the invoice or need time to pay, please contact me before that date.

Yours sincerely,
[You]

Before a formal final notice, check the rules where your client is. In England and Wales, a claim against an individual or sole trader needs a letter following the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, with 30 days to reply. Work out the exact interest with the late payment interest calculator. Chasing a client in France? Read our French guide to the deuxième relance de facture impayée.

Still unpaid?

What to do after the final reminder

Pick up the phone

A short, calm call settles more late invoices than any letter. Ask what’s in the way and for a date.

Pause new work

Finish nothing new on the account until the overdue invoice is paid. Say so once, politely.

Add statutory interest

Business clients in the UK and EU owe interest and a fixed fee on late invoices by law.

Make a small claim

England and Wales: a court money claim, made online. Across EU borders: the European Small Claims Procedure, up to €5,000. Germany: the online Mahnverfahren. France: injonction de payer.

Before you start

Good questions

What should a final payment reminder say?
The invoice number, amount, due date and days overdue, the dates of your earlier reminders, one firm deadline, how to pay, and what you will do if it isn’t paid. Keep it calm and short.
When should I send a final payment reminder?
About three weeks after the due date, after three or four friendlier reminders. Give a deadline about 7 days away, or 14 days if it’s a formal final notice.
Is a final reminder the same as a letter before action?
Not quite. A final reminder asks for payment and says what happens next. A letter before action is the formal notice you send right before starting a claim. If your client is an individual or sole trader in England and Wales, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims sets what it must include and gives them 30 days to reply.
Can I add interest in a final reminder?
For business-to-business invoices in the UK and EU, yes. In the UK it’s 8% over the Bank of England base rate plus £40 to £100, and in the EU at least 8% over the ECB rate plus €40. Use our calculator to get the exact figure.
What if the client says they can’t pay?
Offer a short payment plan with fixed dates, confirm it in writing, and keep the original amount on record. A plan that gets paid beats a claim that drags on.

Sources

Every link checked on . This guide is general information, not legal advice.

  1. Late commercial payments: charging interest (8% plus base rate) · GOV.UK
  2. Claim debt recovery costs on late payments (£40, £70, £100) · GOV.UK
  3. Directive 2011/7/EU on combating late payment (8 points over the reference rate, €40) · EUR-Lex
  4. Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims · Ministry of Justice
  5. Make a court claim for money · GOV.UK
  6. European Small Claims Procedure (up to €5,000) · Your Europe, European Commission
  7. Online-Mahnantrag (gerichtliches Mahnverfahren) · Deutsche Mahngerichte
  8. Recouvrement de dettes : injonction de payer · Service-Public.gouv.fr

Keep reading

Unpaid invoice: what to do, day 1 to day 60The steps in order, with the email, the interest and the demand letter for each.When to send a payment reminderThe 6-step schedule, as a calendar file or checklist.How to ask for payment politelyWhen to send each reminder, and word-for-word scripts.Polite ways to say “please pay”20 phrases for every stage, from heads-up to final reminder.Overdue invoice email5 templates from 1 to 45+ days late, plus subject lines that get opened.Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act (UK)Interest, the £40/£70/£100 compensation and when it applies, in plain English.Demand letter for payment (US)Free generator, 3 sample letters and small claims limits.Invoice software for freelancersAn honest roundup with prices, free plans and reminders, each fact dated.Quote and invoice software without the spreadsheetSave items once, quote from them, invoice in one click.Late payment interest calculatorUK, euro area, Germany, France and Netherlands rules.

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