Free template
EmailFinal notice email
At 30 days past due the email drops the "Hi" and states consequences. Precision is what keeps firmness professional: a 7-day deadline, and next steps you will actually take. Note that the template only invokes late fees "where your agreement provides for them"; an empty threat discovered is worse than none. After this email, the next contact should be a formal letter, not another email.
Subject: Final notice: invoice {{invoice_number}} ({{amount_due}}, {{days_overdue}} days overdue)
{{customer_name}},
Despite previous reminders, invoice {{invoice_number}} for {{amount_due}} remains unpaid {{days_overdue}} days after its due date of {{due_date}}.
Please arrange payment within 7 days of this notice. If we don't hear from you, we'll have to consider our options for recovering the balance, which may include late fees where your agreement provides for them.
Pay now: {{payment_url}}
If you believe this is in error, reply immediately.
{{business_name}}When to use it
- Around 30 days past due, after at least two earlier reminders
- Only when you are prepared to follow through on the stated next step
- Pair with a check of your late-fee terms and your state's rules before mentioning fees
Getting the tone right
- No greeting-line warmth; the register change itself is part of the message
- Threaten nothing you will not do; "consider our options" is honest and sufficient
- Keep the reply path open: "if you believe this is in error, reply immediately"
The merge fields, explained
Placeholders in double braces fill from the invoice when Duebay sends this template; replace them by hand if you are pasting it into your own email client.
- {{customer_name}}
- The billing contact's name
- {{business_name}}
- Your business name (the sender)
- {{invoice_number}}
- The invoice reference
- {{amount_due}}
- Outstanding balance, formatted (e.g. $1,250.00)
- {{due_date}}
- The invoice due date
- {{days_overdue}}
- Whole days past the due date
- {{payment_url}}
- Online payment link, if you have one
- {{portal_url}}
- The customer's statement page
In Duebay the payment line is conditional: it renders only when the invoice has a payment link, so an invoice without one never says "pay online here:" followed by nothing. The copies below have that line included and the conditional markers removed, so they paste straight into an email client.
Adjacent rungs of the ladder
Put this template on autopilot
This is a live Duebay template: sequences send the ladder on schedule, log every send, and stop when the invoice is paid.