An invoice is past due
Send a polite reminder for a late invoice
A clear, friendly nudge with the amount and how to pay, after you check it is really unpaid.
Why it matters
Most home service businesses are paid within three days: 48% the same day and 31% within one to three days. The few still waiting after a week need a clear, polite reminder.
Source: Jobber, 2026 Home Service Trends Report
Use it when
An invoice is past due and you have checked your records that it is still unpaid.
The instruction
Copy it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot and fill in the [brackets]. The rules at the end are what stop it from guessing.
Write a polite payment reminder text. Customer first name: [name] Invoice number and amount: [invoice] Due date: [date] How they can pay: [link or options] First or second reminder: [first/second] Rules: use only the facts I give you and my business fact sheet if I shared it. Do not invent prices, warranty terms, diagnoses, code requirements, dates or promises. Mark anything I did not confirm with [brackets] and list it under the draft. Keep it short and friendly, like a local business owner wrote it. Write the draft first, then ask me at most one question.
Worked example
What you paste
Kevin, invoice #2291 for $640, due September 5. Pay with the link on the invoice or card over the phone. Second reminder.
Example draft
Hi Kevin, a friendly reminder that invoice #2291 for $640 was due on September 5. You can pay with the link on the invoice or call us to pay by card. If you've already sent it, thank you, and please ignore this.
Confirmed
- #2291, $640, due September 5
- How to pay
Check before sending
- That it is still unpaid today
Check before you send
- You confirmed it is still unpaid.
- No late fee appears unless it is in your written terms.
If something is off
Ask for one change and see the whole draft again.
This is the second reminder. Make it a bit firmer and ask them to reply with when they will pay.
Keep working on your business
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Browse free tools →Sources
- Jobber, 2026 Home Service Trends Report. 1,050 U.S. home service owners, December 2025. Vendor survey.