How to send automatic payment reminders for unpaid invoices

Most late payments are not bad intentions. The invoice got buried, the client forgot, or paying was too much effort. Automatic reminders fix the first two, and a Pay now button fixes the third. This guide shows how to set both up in under an hour.

Quick picks

Your situation	Tool	Reminders	Cost
You want it free	Zoho Invoice	Automatic payment reminders on the free plan	Free for up to 2 users and 500 invoices a year
You are in the US or Canada and want bookkeeping too	Wave	3, 7 and 14 days after the due date	Pro US$19 a month, or with Wave online payments on the free Starter plan
You want to control every reminder and add late fees	Invoice Ninja	First, second, third and repeating reminders, before or after the due date	Pro US$14 a month; the free plan has no automatic reminders
You also want time tracking and accounting	FreshBooks	Automated late payment reminders and scheduled late fees listed	From US$23 a month (Lite) at the regular price

Prices were shown on each vendor’s pricing page on 2 November 2026.

Step 1: Put clear terms on every invoice

Reminders work best when the invoice already says:

• the due date (for example, “Due 14 days from the invoice date”);
• how to pay (card, bank transfer);
• any late fee, if you charge one. Only charge fees that your contract or terms already state.

Step 2: Turn on online payments

A client who can pay in one click usually pays sooner. Each tool connects to a payment service:

• Zoho Invoice connects to gateways such as Stripe, PayPal and Square. Zoho says it adds no fee of its own; the gateway charges its usual fee.
• Wave adds a Pay now button for card and bank payments. Card payments were listed at 2.9% plus US$0.60 each on the free plan, and Wave approves accounts after identity and credit checks.
• Invoice Ninja shows a Pay now button once you connect a gateway such as Stripe, PayPal, Square or GoCardless.
• FreshBooks lists card, digital wallet and bank (ACH) payments.

Step 3: Set up your reminder schedule

A polite schedule that works for most small businesses:

When	Tone	Purpose
3 days before the due date	Friendly	“Just a heads-up”
3 days after	Polite	“This is now due”
7 days after	Clear	“Please pay or let me know if there is a problem”
14 days after	Firm	“Final reminder before I call”

Where to set it:

• Invoice Ninja: Settings, then Templates & Reminders. Choose first, second and third reminders, set the number of days, choose “before the due date” or “after the due date”, and make sure “Send Email” is on. You can add a fee to each reminder.
• Wave: reminders go out 3, 7 and 14 days after the due date.
• Zoho Invoice and FreshBooks: look for payment reminders in the invoice or email settings and choose your days.

Step 4: Write reminders that get paid

Before the due date:

Hi {name}, a quick reminder that invoice {number} for {amount} is due on {date}. You can pay online here: {link}. Thank you!

3 days after:

Hi {name}, invoice {number} for {amount} was due on {date}. If you have already paid, thank you and please ignore this. Otherwise, you can pay here: {link}.

7 days after:

Hi {name}, invoice {number} is now a week overdue. Could you let me know when to expect payment, or if anything on the invoice needs changing? Pay here: {link}.

14 days after:

Hi {name}, this is my final reminder for invoice {number} ({amount}), due on {date}. I will call you this week to sort it out. Pay here: {link}.

Keep them short, always include the payment link and never sound angry in writing.

Step 5: Test it on yourself

Create a test client with your own email address, send a small invoice with a due date tomorrow and check that the reminders arrive and the Pay now button works. Then delete the test.

Step 6: Check overdue invoices weekly

Automation sends the emails; you still own the follow-up. Once a week, look at the overdue list and call anyone past the final reminder.

Common mistakes

• No due date on the invoice. Reminders cannot work without one.
• Too many reminders. Four is plenty; after that, call.
• Surprise late fees. Fees must be agreed in advance.
• Reminders from a no-reply address. Let clients reply with questions.
• Forgetting to turn reminders on. In some tools the email option must be switched on for each reminder.

For a full comparison of invoicing apps, read our best invoice apps for freelancers. If reminders land in spam, see why emails go to spam.