Example
Payment reminder example: how to chase an overdue invoice
A reminder is not a copy of the invoice. It deducts what has already been paid, asks only for the balance, and can carry a fee and interest from the stage it belongs to. Firm, specific and polite gets paid faster than apologetic — here is one you can copy.
Your company
Stationsplein 4
6512 AB Nijmegen
Netherlands
VAT NL 8123.45.678.B01
Chamber of Commerce 12345678
Payment reminder
R2026-0021
Bill to
Fabrikam Interiors
Jan Jansen
Rotterdamseweg 112
2628 AL Delft
Netherlands
VAT NL 8012.34.567.B01
- Reminder date
- 20 September 2026
- Relates to invoice
- 2026-0043
- Invoice payment date
- 16 September 2026
- Pay before
- 20 October 2026
| Description | Qty | Price | VAT | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice 2026-0043 — outstanding balance | 1 | €1,161.60 | — | €1,161.60 |
| Reminder fee | 1 | €40.00 | 21% | €40.00 |
- Already paid
- €0.00
- Reminder fee and interest
- €48.40
- Total due
- €1,210.00
Our invoice 2026-0043 of 17 August 2026 passed its payment date on 16 September 2026. Please pay the balance above before 20 October 2026, quoting the invoice number. If it has crossed with your payment, treat this as settled.
What goes on a payment reminder, and why
- The invoice it is about
- Number, date and original amount. A reminder that does not name the invoice makes the customer go looking, which is another week gone.
- What is actually still owed
- Payments already registered against the invoice are deducted, and the form totals Already paid and Total due separately — so a part payment never gets chased twice.
- A reminder fee and interest, where they apply
- Both come from the stage in your reminder terms rather than being typed in, so what you charge stays consistent across customers.
- Its own deadline
- The reminder gets its own expiry date, prefilled 30 days out, and that is what decides when the next stage falls due.
- A civil, unambiguous sentence
- State the facts and the date you want the money by. The escalation is in the stages, not in the tone of the first letter.
Making one in Invoice Office
Laying a payment reminder out by hand is the slow way to get it wrong. In Invoice Office the numbering, the VAT and the customer's details come from the record you already hold.
- 1
Open the overdue invoice, or go to Sales → Payment reminders.
- 2
Create the reminder from the invoice — the customer, the invoice reference and the outstanding balance come with it.
- 3
Check the reminder fee, interest rate and the reminder’s own expiry date.
- 4
Attach the original invoice and send. Later stages can follow automatically.
Questions
When should I send a payment reminder?
As soon as the invoice passes its payment date and shows as overdue. Waiting does not make the conversation easier, and a first reminder that arrives promptly is read as routine rather than as an accusation.
Can I charge a fee or interest on a late invoice?
Where your terms allow it, yes. Both are set per reminder stage in your reminder terms, so the same rules apply to every customer automatically.
Can reminders send themselves?
Yes — reminders can follow their stages automatically once an invoice is overdue, so chasing does not depend on somebody remembering.