A good payment reminder message is short, polite and specific: who it is from, the bill number, the amount due, the due date and exactly how to pay. Send the first one a few days before the due date, a second on the day, then firmer follow-ups after it. Below are ready-to-copy WhatsApp, SMS and email templates for each stage.
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Updated 2 November 2026. This guide is for owners of kirana and grocery stores, medical shops, garment, hardware and mobile shops, wholesalers and small service businesses in India who sell on credit (udhaar) or raise bills with payment terms. Names, amounts and bill numbers in the templates are placeholders: replace everything in square brackets before you send.
What should a payment reminder message include?
Customers rarely ignore a reminder because they refuse to pay. Most delays happen because the message was vague, the customer could not find the bill, or paying needed one extra step. Put these six things in every reminder:
| Item | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Your business name | The customer knows at once who is writing | "This is Sharma General Store" |
| Bill or invoice number and date | They can match it with their own records | "Bill no. SI-1042 dated 12 Oct" |
| Amount due | No back-and-forth about "how much" | "₹8,450" |
| Due date, or days overdue | Sets the urgency without sounding rude | "due on 2 Nov" / "15 days overdue" |
| How to pay | Removes the extra step | UPI ID, bank details, or "pay at the counter" |
| A thank-you and a contact | Keeps the relationship friendly | "Call 98xxxxxx10 if anything is unclear" |
Attach the bill (PDF or photo) to the first reminder. If a part payment was received, say so and show the balance, so the customer does not feel you have forgotten what they paid.
When should you send payment reminders?
There is no legal schedule for reminders between private businesses; the best one is a fixed routine that you follow for every customer. A simple routine many small businesses use:
| Stage | When | Tone | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Friendly heads-up | 3 days before the due date | Light, helpful | WhatsApp or SMS |
| 2. Due today | On the due date | Polite, direct | WhatsApp or SMS |
| 3. First overdue | 3 days after | Polite, asks for a date | WhatsApp, then a call |
| 4. Second overdue | 7–10 days after | Firm, mentions the account | WhatsApp + email |
| 5. Final reminder | 30 days after | Formal, states your next step | Email or letter |
For regular udhaar customers at a shop counter, a weekly balance message works better than a bill-by-bill schedule (see the udhaar templates below).
Two habits make any schedule work: send reminders at the same time of day (late morning on a working day is usually a safe choice), and stop the reminders the moment the payment arrives.
Payment reminder WhatsApp message templates
WhatsApp is how most Indian customers expect to hear from a shop. Keep each message to four or five lines and put the amount in the first line.
1. Before the due date (friendly)
"Namaste [Customer name], a quick reminder from [Business name]: bill [Bill no.] for ₹[Amount] is due on [Due date]. You can pay by UPI to [UPI ID] or at the counter. Bill attached. Thank you!"
2. On the due date
"Hello [Customer name], your payment of ₹[Amount] for bill [Bill no.] is due today. UPI: [UPI ID]. If you have already paid, please ignore this message and share the reference so we can update our records. – [Business name]"
3. Three days overdue
"Hi [Customer name], bill [Bill no.] for ₹[Amount] was due on [Due date] and is still showing as unpaid. Could you let us know when we can expect the payment? UPI: [UPI ID]. Thanks, [Your name], [Business name]"
4. Ten days overdue (firm)
"Dear [Customer name], ₹[Amount] against bill [Bill no.] is now [X] days overdue. Please clear it by [New date] so we can keep your credit account open. Call me on [Phone] if there is a problem with the bill. – [Business name]"
5. Final reminder before stopping credit
"Dear [Customer name], despite our earlier reminders, ₹[Amount] (bill [Bill no.], due [Due date]) is still pending. If we don't receive it by [Final date], we will have to put further credit sales on hold. We value your business and would prefer to sort this out with you directly. – [Owner name], [Business name]"
Hinglish version (for customers who prefer it)
"Namaste [Customer name] ji, [Business name] se. Bill [Bill no.] ka ₹[Amount] [Due date] ko due tha. Jab convenient ho, UPI [UPI ID] par bhej dijiye ya dukaan par de dijiye. Payment ho gaya ho to reference bhej dijiye. Dhanyavaad!"
Due payment reminder message for udhaar customers
Counter customers who buy on credit through the month need a different style. They do not think in bill numbers; they think in "how much do I owe". Send one running-balance message instead of many small ones.
Weekly balance message
"Namaste [Customer name] ji, [Business name] se. Aapka udhaar balance aaj tak ₹[Balance] hai (last payment ₹[Amount] on [Date]). Is hafte tak clear kar dein to badi madad hogi. Dhanyavaad!"
When the balance crosses your limit
"Hello [Customer name], your credit balance with us is now ₹[Balance], above the ₹[Limit] limit we keep for regular customers. Please pay at least ₹[Part amount] this week so we can continue billing on credit. – [Business name]"
Month-end statement
"Dear [Customer name], your statement for [Month]: opening ₹[Opening], purchases ₹[Purchases], payments ₹[Payments], balance due ₹[Balance]. Detailed list attached. Please clear the balance by [Date]. – [Business name]"
Set a credit limit for each regular customer before you need it. It is far easier to say "you have crossed the limit" than to explain why you suddenly want money back.
Payment reminder SMS templates
SMS works for customers who don't use WhatsApp, but keep it short (one SMS is 160 characters):
| Stage | SMS text |
|---|---|
| Before due | [Business]: Bill [No.] Rs [Amount] due [Date]. Pay UPI [UPI ID]. Thank you. |
| Due today | [Business]: Rs [Amount] for bill [No.] is due today. UPI [UPI ID]. Ignore if paid. |
| Overdue | [Business]: Rs [Amount] (bill [No.]) is [X] days overdue. Please pay or call [Phone]. |
| Final | [Business]: Final reminder. Rs [Amount] pending since [Date]. Credit on hold after [Date]. |
Payment reminder email templates
Use email for business customers, distributors and anyone whose accounts team pays the bills. The subject line does most of the work.
| Stage | Subject line |
|---|---|
| Before due | Payment due on [Date] – Invoice [No.] from [Business name] |
| Due today | Invoice [No.] for ₹[Amount] is due today |
| Overdue | Overdue: Invoice [No.] – ₹[Amount] pending since [Date] |
| Final | Final reminder: Invoice [No.] – action needed by [Date] |
Overdue email body
"Dear [Name],
I hope you are well. Our records show that invoice [No.] dated [Invoice date] for ₹[Amount] was due on [Due date] and is still unpaid. A copy is attached.
Please arrange the payment to [Bank name, account number, IFSC] or UPI [UPI ID], and reply with the payment reference once done. If there is any query on the invoice, let me know and I will sort it out quickly.
Thank you, [Your name], [Business name], [Phone]"
Final reminder email body
"Dear [Name],
This is our final reminder for invoice [No.] (₹[Amount], due [Due date]), which is now [X] days overdue. We have written on [Dates of earlier reminders].
Please clear the payment by [Final date]. If we do not hear from you by then, we will put further orders on hold and take up the matter formally.
Regards, [Your name], [Business name]"
Only state a next step you will actually take. If you are thinking about legal action, speak to a lawyer or CA first; this guide does not cover recovery law.
How do you ask for payment politely?
Polite and firm are not opposites. These habits keep the customer on your side while still getting you paid:
- Assume it is an oversight in the first two messages. "Just a reminder" works better than "you haven't paid".
- Be specific. Amount, bill number and due date in every message. Vague messages invite vague replies.
- Ask a question that needs a date. "When can we expect the payment?" gets a commitment; "please pay soon" does not.
- Make paying easy. Put the UPI ID or payment details in the message itself, not "contact us for details".
- Thank them when they pay. A short "Received ₹[Amount], thank you!" builds trust for the next sale.
- Call after the second overdue message. A two-minute call often clears up a disputed item or a cash-flow problem that a message never would.
Phone script for an overdue bill: "Namaste [Name] ji, [Your name] from [Business name]. I'm calling about bill [No.] for ₹[Amount], which was due on [Date]. Is there anything wrong with the bill? … When do you think you can clear it? … Okay, I'll note [Date]. Thank you."
Common mistakes that delay payments
- No due date on the bill. If the bill doesn't say when payment is due, the customer decides. Print payment terms on every credit bill.
- Reminding everyone the same way. A distributor's accounts team needs an email with the invoice; a regular counter customer needs a friendly WhatsApp.
- Reminders without a record. If you can't see which bills are open, who was reminded and when, you will either nag customers who already paid or forget the ones who didn't.
- Waiting too long. The longer a bill stays unpaid, the harder it usually is to collect. Start on the due date, not at month-end.
- Angry messages. Threats in writing damage the relationship and rarely speed up payment. Stay factual and state one clear next step.
For the process side (tracking due dates, ageing and follow-up), see how businesses manage overdue invoices and how invoicing improves cash flow.
How Billoxy helps you send payment reminders
Templates help, but the real work is remembering who to remind and when. Billoxy Reminder is a rules engine with an in-app inbox that watches your bills and balances for you:
| Need | What Billoxy Reminder does |
|---|---|
| Know which bills are unpaid | Tracks created, pending and overdue events across Sales, Purchase, Orders, Proforma, Payments and Collections |
| Remind on a schedule | Custom reminder schedules for pending and overdue bills, with an overdue grace period you choose |
| Reach the customer | Delivers on email (to the owner, the customer or party contacts) and on WhatsApp once WhatsApp is connected under Settings; SMS is marked "Coming Soon" in the app |
| Watch udhaar limits | Party balance triggers for receivables and payables (udhaar and len-den) above or below an amount you set |
| See the day's collections | A day-close digest of sales, collections and balances at your chosen time |
| Keep safe defaults | Built-in system rules can be customised or turned off, but not deleted by accident |
You set it up once in the app under Settings → Notifications: pick a module, choose the condition, scope and delivery channel, and turn the rule on. The Reminder module guide walks through each step, and payments you receive are recorded in Payment In.
Get paid without chasing every bill yourself: start the 10-day free trial and turn on overdue reminders for your shop today.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a payment reminder message?
Start with your business name, then give the bill number, amount, due date and how to pay, and end with a thank-you and a contact number. Keep it to four or five lines and attach the bill.
What is the best time to send a payment reminder?
Send the first reminder a few days before the due date, the second on the due date, and follow-ups at about 3, 10 and 30 days after. A working-day morning is usually a safe time. Stop as soon as the payment arrives.
How do I remind a customer about pending udhaar politely?
Send one running-balance message instead of many small ones, mention their last payment, and ask for a clear amount or date. "Is hafte tak clear kar dein to badi madad hogi" is polite and still direct.
Should I send payment reminders on WhatsApp or email?
Use WhatsApp for shop customers and small buyers who read it quickly, and email for businesses whose accounts team pays invoices. For a final reminder, email or a letter gives you a clearer written record.
Can billing software send payment reminders automatically?
Yes. In Billoxy, Reminder rules track pending and overdue bills and send reminders on email, or on WhatsApp once it is connected, on the schedule you set under Settings → Notifications.
What should a final payment reminder say?
List the bill, amount and due date, mention your earlier reminders by date, give a final date, and state the one step you will take after it, such as putting further credit on hold.