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Free payment reminder template UK
The same four step ladder as the letters in message form. One thing per line. Ready to send by text or WhatsApp. Short and polite with the numbers that add up and the bank details where they are needed.
All names and invoices below are invented examples. They are marked as examples so no real person or firm is named.
Message 1: nudge on the due date
Invoice INV-2040 for £1,134.00 was due 19 Nov 2026. You paid £200.00. Balance due is £934.00.
Pay by bank transfer using INV-2040 as the reference: Northfield Electrical - 04-00-75 - 12345678
If you paid today, please ignore this. If there is a problem with the invoice, reply here. Thanks.
One thing per line. Who, what, how much, how to pay, what to do if paid or if disputed.
Message 2: firm reminder, 7 days overdue
Invoice INV-2040 for £934.00 balance is 7 days overdue. It was due 19 Nov 2026.
Please pay £934.00 by 3 Dec 2026. Use INV-2040 as the reference: 04-00-75 - 12345678
If you need a plan to pay reply here. We can agree dates. If you dispute it tell us why in writing.
Message 3: formal notice with interest and fixed sum, 14 to 21 days overdue
INV-2040 balance £934.00 is 21 days overdue.
Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, where the customer is a business, late payment can carry:
- interest at 8% above Bank base rate
- fixed sum of £40 or £70 or £100 by debt size
On this invoice: Balance £934.00 Interest 21 days at 12.25% (8% + 4.25% base at 24 Oct 2026): £6.58 Fixed sum (debt under £1,000): £40.00 Total now due: £980.58
Interest accrues at £0.31 per day until paid.
Please pay £980.58 by 17 Dec 2026 to 04-00-75 12345678 ref INV-2040. If you are not a business, other rules apply. Reply if you need advice.
Each figure is on its own line so the customer can check the maths without asking.
Message 4: letter before action as a message, 30 days warning
A message should never replace a formal letter before action where the Pre-action Protocol for Debt Claims applies. Send this as a heads up that the paper letter is coming or has been posted, with the same 30 day deadline.
Letter before action for INV-2040. Invoice 5 Nov 2026. Due 19 Nov 2026. Balance £934.00. With interest and fixed sum £980.58 at 10 Dec 2026. Daily interest £0.31 continues.
A paper letter dated 18 Dec 2026 has been posted to your address. It sets out:
- the invoice and amount
- interest and fixed sum under the Late Payment Act
- how to pay: 04-00-75 12345678 ref INV-2040
- how to dispute: reply form enclosed, return within 30 days
- how to propose a plan if you need time
You have until 17 Jan 2027 (30 days) to pay or respond. If we do not hear from you, we intend to start a County Court claim for the debt plus interest, fixed sum and court fee.
If you have paid, ignore this. If you dispute it, use the reply form in the paper letter.
Do not start a claim from a text. The court will look for the paper letter. It will also look for the enclosures and the 30 days.
What to put in a payment reminder
Every reminder needs the same facts as a letter, but shorter:
- Who you are and the invoice number
- The amount invoiced and paid and balance, with maths that adds up
- The due date and how many days overdue
- How to pay with account name and sort code and account number and reference
- At step 3, interest rate with base rate and date, interest accrued, fixed sum, daily rate and total
- At step 4, that a paper letter before action has been sent with date and 30 day deadline and what to do if they dispute
- What to do if they have paid or if they dispute, on every message
Keep one thing per line. A long paragraph hides the amount.
What the law says
This section names the actual requirement with source and date read.
- Statutory interest and fixed compensation. Gov.uk on late commercial payments and the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 on legislation.gov.uk say a business can claim interest at 8 percent above the Bank of England base rate where payment is late and no other rate is agreed, plus fixed compensation of £40 for debts up to £999.99, £70 for £1,000 to £9,999.99, £100 for £10,000 or more, and reasonable recovery costs where the fixed sum is not enough. Interest is simple daily interest from the day after the due date. Read on 24 October 2026. The specimen uses base rate 4.25 percent at that date, so statutory rate 12.25 percent. Check the base rate when you calculate.
- Where business debts end and consumer debts begin. The 1998 Act applies to business to business supply of goods or services. Where the customer is a consumer, the fixed sums and statutory rate do not apply in the same way, and interest depends on the contract or on County Courts Act 1984 section 69 when a claim is issued. If your customer is not a business, do not add the fixed sum as if it were. Seek advice.
- Letter and message before action. The Civil Procedure Rules Practice Direction on Pre-Action Conduct requires a claimant to set out the claim and give time to respond and consider mediation before starting a claim. The Pre-action Protocol for Debt Claims, where a business claims from an individual including a sole trader, requires a letter with amount, interest, agreement, documents, payment details, information sheet, reply form and 30 days to respond. A text reminder does not meet these, which is why message 4 points to the paper letter. Read the Protocol on gov.uk on 24 October 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice.
How to use these messages
Use the ladder in order. Send message 1 on the due date. Send message 2 at 7 days. Send message 3 with the maths at 14 to 21 days. Send message 4 only with the paper letter before action and give 30 days. Copy one thing per line so the amount stands out. The app's chasing feature writes these for you with the invoice number and balance filled in. Keep copies of every message and the posted letters before you claim.
Questions
Can I chase by text instead of by letter?
Yes for steps 1 to 3. A text with the amount and due date and how to pay is a valid reminder. For step 4 you need a paper letter before action that meets the Protocol with enclosures and 30 days. Use message 4 only to tell the customer the letter is on its way.
What daily interest goes on a text?
The same as on the letter. £0.31 a day on £934.00 at 12.25 percent. That is £934.00 times 12.25% equals £114.42 a year, divided by 365. State the rate and the base rate and the date you read it, as the specimen does.
What if the customer is not a business?
Do not use the statutory business rate and fixed sums in the message. The specimen notes that other rules apply. State the balance, ask for payment, and note that you will seek interest and costs if a claim is needed.
Can I add the fixed sum on a text at step 3?
Only where the 1998 Act applies, which is business to business. The specimen shows fixed sum £40.00 for a debt under £1,000. Where the customer is a consumer, the fixed sum does not apply.
Sources
Late payment law and pre-action rules read on gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk on 24 October 2026.
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