HourSaved

Write payment reminder emails in three tones (friendly, firm, final)

Give the AI one unpaid invoice's facts and it drafts three calm reminder emails, from a friendly nudge to a final notice, after checking that the balance adds up, for you to review and send.

Setup
10 min
Saves
About 20 min a use (our estimate)
Level
Easy
Last checked
Works with
Any AI chat, QuickBooks Online, Xero
Step in a real app
Described from the official help page, not run on a real account

Run once on made-up data on with Claude. One run, not proof.

Version 1 · Draft: not yet approved by the owner · How we test

What this does

It drafts three reminder emails for one late invoice (friendly, firm and final) after checking that the total minus payments equals the balance. You check every number and send the right one yourself.

This is not financial or legal advice. For a disputed bill or collections, talk to your accountant or lawyer.

Before you start

  • Any AI chat (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot).
  • The invoice facts: number, dates, amount, payments, balance, what it was for.
  • Your payment terms, word for word, and how customers pay.
  • Setup: about 10 minutes (our estimate).
  • Privacy: a business name and contact's first name are enough.

Steps

  1. Paste the prompt into a new AI chat and fill in the invoice facts from your records.
  2. Stop if the AI writes NUMBERS DON'T MATCH, and check your records.
  3. Check every number, date and payment instruction against the invoice.
  4. Send the one that fits from your email or accounting app. QuickBooks Online: send a reminder from the invoice, or set up to three automatic ones under Settings > Account and settings > Sales > Reminders. Xero also offers automatic reminders before and after the due date.

The prompt

Prompt · fill the [brackets]
Write three payment reminder emails for one unpaid invoice. Use only the facts I give you. Don't send anything.

My business: [name]. Me: [your name and role].
Customer: [business or person]. Contact: [first name].
Invoice: [#], issued [date], due [date].
Total: [amount]. Payments received: [amounts and dates, or "none"]. Balance due: [amount].
What it was for: [one line].
How to pay: [payment link, mailing address for checks, or the instructions you already share].
Payment terms, word for word: [terms, or "none"].
Today's date: [date].

Write:
1. Friendly: a short nudge that assumes it slipped through.
2. Firm: clear, asks for payment or a payment date by [date].
3. Final: calm and direct, says what happens next: [your real next step].

Rules:
- First check that total minus payments equals the balance. If not, write NUMBERS DON'T MATCH and stop.
- Mention late fees only if my terms include them, quoted exactly. Don't calculate fees.
- No threats, legal words or guilt. Don't mention anything I didn't give you.
- Each email gets a subject line with the invoice number.
- If anything is missing or unclear, write UNCLEAR next to it.

Before and after: the made-up input, then the real output the AI gave us.

Try it with made-up data

Copperline Signs (made up). Me: Theo, owner. Customer: Hollis Street Deli, contact Mara. Invoice #1047, issued 2030-02-04, due 2030-03-06. For: two vinyl window decals plus install. Total $1,240.00. Payment received $400.00 on 2030-02-20. Balance $840.00. Pay at copperline.example/pay. Terms: "Net 30. Balances over 30 days past due are charged 1.5% per month." Today 2030-03-20. Firm date: 2030-03-27. Next step: pause new orders until the account is current.

What the AI gave us

Check: $1,240.00 − $400.00 = $840.00. Matches.

1. Friendly. Subject: Quick reminder: Invoice #1047
Hi Mara, a quick note that Invoice #1047 for your window decals and install was due on March 6, 2030. Thank you for the $400.00 payment on February 20. The remaining balance is $840.00. You can pay at copperline.example/pay. If it's already on its way, please ignore this. Thanks, Theo, Copperline Signs

2. Firm. Subject: Invoice #1047: $840.00 past due
Hi Mara, Invoice #1047 is now 14 days past due, with $840.00 still open after your $400.00 payment. Could you pay the balance at copperline.example/pay by March 27, 2030, or reply with a date you can pay? Our terms are: "Net 30. Balances over 30 days past due are charged 1.5% per month." Thanks, Theo

3. Final. Subject: Final reminder: Invoice #1047
Hi Mara, I haven't been able to reach you about the $840.00 balance on Invoice #1047, due March 6, 2030. I'll need to pause new orders until the account is current. You can pay at copperline.example/pay, or reply so we can agree on a plan. I'd like to keep working together. Theo, Copperline Signs

Good: it checked the balance, counted 14 days correctly, and quoted the late-fee terms without inventing a fee. One line to fix: "I haven't been able to reach you" is only true if the first two emails were sent and went unanswered.

Check before you send

  • Invoice number, amounts and dates match your records, including recent payments.
  • Payment link or instructions are correct.
  • Late fees appear only if they're in the agreed terms.
  • The final email's next step is something you'll really do.
  • Tone fits the relationship, with no threats.

Don't paste

  • Bank or routing numbers, customer card details, or accounting app logins.
  • Private details about why a customer can't pay.

When not to use this

  • The customer disputes the work or the amount. Talk to them first.
  • Debts handed to collections or a lawyer.
  • You aren't sure what was agreed. Find the signed quote or terms first.

Questions owners ask

How do I ask a customer for an overdue payment politely?

State the invoice number, balance and due date, make paying easy, and ask for a date if they can't pay now, like the friendly email above.

When should I send each reminder?

Leave time between them to respond. QuickBooks Online can schedule reminders up to 90 days before or after the due date.

Sources

Related guides

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The newsletter

One new guide a week, free.

Start with the free starter: three short emails over your first week. First the 15-minute Start here guide, then the three jobs we'd hand to AI first, then one question about what eats your week. The first two come with a practice task and the check you do before anything goes out. After that, one new guide every Tuesday: one task, the prompt to paste and the check to do. At most one ad, always labeled.

  1. Day 1Your first 15 minutes with a free AI assistant
  2. Day 3Summarize a long email thread into decisions, open questions and next steps
    Draft routine email replies in your own voice, without promises you didn't approve
    Write payment reminder emails in three tones (friendly, firm, final)
  3. Day 6What eats your week? Reply in one line, plus how the weekly guide works