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How do you write a friendly payment reminder message?
A friendly payment reminder message is short, specific and polite. It names the invoice, amount and due date, says how to pay, asks for one thing, and assumes the customer forgot. Keep it under 50 words, and ask for the UTR number if they have already paid.
Tone tips
- Repeat the same facts every time. Only the tone changes.
- Never shame or threaten. In the final reminder, state the next step as a fact.
Our payment reminder message generator puts your customer, invoice and amount into these templates for you.
When should you send a payment reminder?
Send a friendly reminder 3 to 5 days before the due date and another on the day. If still unpaid, send a firm one at 7 and 15 days late and a final one at 30 days. Use WhatsApp first, email for the paper trail, and call after two unanswered messages.
| Moment | Tone | What the message does |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 days before due | Friendly | Gives payment details early |
| Due date | Friendly | Asks them to pay today |
| 7 days late | Firm | Asks for a payment date |
| 15 days late | Firm | Asks for payment by a fixed date |
| 30 days late | Final | States the next step |
| After a part payment | Friendly | Names the balance |
A micro or small supplier with Udyam registration must be paid within 45 days of the buyer accepting the goods, even if your terms say 60 or 90 (see the 45-day rule guide).
What is a good payment reminder message on WhatsApp?
A good payment reminder message on WhatsApp is short and factual: invoice number, amount, due date, and your UPI ID or bank details. Outside a 24-hour customer service window WhatsApp allows only pre-approved templates, so submit each message below once, then fill the placeholders each time [2].
Before the due date (friendly)
Hello {name}, a quick reminder from {business}: invoice {invoice no} for ₹{amount} is due on {due date}. Pay by UPI or bank transfer: {UPI ID or bank details}. If you have already paid, please ignore this message. Thank you!
On the due date (friendly)
Hello {name}, invoice {invoice no} (₹{amount}) is due today. Payment details: {UPI ID or bank details}. Once paid, please reply with the UTR number. Thank you!
7 or 15 days late (firm)
Hello {name}, invoice {invoice no} for ₹{amount} is {days} days past its due date of {due date}. Could you pay by {new date}, or tell us the date you will pay? Details: {UPI ID or bank details}. If there is a problem with the invoice, tell us and we will sort it out.
30 days late (final)
{name}, this is the final reminder from {business}. Invoice {invoice no} for ₹{amount}, due on {due date}, is 30 days overdue. Please pay by {last date}. If we do not hear from you by then, we will contact you about next steps. Details: {UPI ID or bank details}.
In a template, each {placeholder} becomes a numbered variable such as {{1}} [2]. Ask for a reply, such as the UTR number or a payment date. A reply opens a 24-hour window in which you can type freely [3].
What should a payment reminder SMS say?
Keep it to one message: invoice number, amount, due date and your UPI ID. Business SMS in India goes out through a registered sender ID and an approved template, which normally allows three variables [5]. Make those the invoice number, amount and due date.
[YOUR BUSINESS]: Invoice {invoice no} of Rs {amount} is due on {due date}. Pay by UPI to [YOUR UPI ID]. Ignore if already paid. Thank you.
[YOUR BUSINESS]: Invoice {invoice no} of Rs {amount} was due on {due date} and is unpaid. Please pay today to [YOUR UPI ID] or call [YOUR PHONE].
[YOUR BUSINESS]: FINAL reminder. Invoice {invoice no}, Rs {amount}, due {due date}, is unpaid. Pay at once to [YOUR UPI ID] or we will start recovery.
Square brackets are fixed text you register once. Curly brackets are the variables. Write "Rs", not "₹". The ₹ sign is not in the standard SMS alphabet and can push the message into Unicode, where one part holds 70 characters instead of 160 [9].
How do you write a payment reminder email?
Put the invoice number and due date in the subject line, attach the invoice, and keep the body to a few lines. Email is your paper trail, so send the firm and final reminders by email too.
Friendly email
Invoice {invoice no}: ₹{amount} due on {due date}
Hi {name}, a quick reminder that invoice {invoice no} for ₹{amount} is due on {due date}. It is attached. Pay by UPI to {UPI ID} or bank transfer ({bank details}). If you have already paid, please send the UTR number. Thank you.
Firm email
Overdue: invoice {invoice no} (₹{amount}) was due on {due date}
Hi {name}, invoice {invoice no} for ₹{amount} is {days} days overdue. Please pay by {new date} or reply with the date you will pay. If something is wrong with the invoice, tell us today. Payment details: {UPI ID or bank details}
Final email
Final reminder: invoice {invoice no}, ₹{amount}, overdue since {due date}
Hi {name}, this is our final reminder. Please pay invoice {invoice no} (₹{amount}) by {last date}. If we receive neither payment nor a firm payment date by then, we will start recovery steps, including a formal notice. Payment details: {UPI ID or bank details}
A micro or small supplier with Udyam registration can add a line on interest under Section 16 of the MSMED Act, 2006. The MSME interest calculator gives the amount.
How do you write a payment reminder SMS in Hindi?
In Hindi, a payment reminder is भुगतान अनुस्मारक. Businesses write reminders in Devanagari or in Hinglish, which is Hindi in English letters. Add "ji" after the name, and use the same schedule as for English.
Payment reminder in Hindi (Devanagari)
नमस्ते {name} जी, {business} की तरफ से एक छोटा सा रिमाइंडर। बिल नं. {invoice no} का ₹{amount} {due date} तक देना है। भुगतान यहाँ करें: {UPI ID or bank details}। भुगतान हो चुका हो तो कृपया UTR नंबर भेज दें। धन्यवाद!
नमस्ते {name} जी, बिल नं. {invoice no} का ₹{amount} {due date} से बाकी है। कृपया {new date} तक भुगतान कर दें या बताएँ कि किस तारीख तक हो जाएगा। विवरण: {UPI ID or bank details}। धन्यवाद।
{name} जी, यह {business} की तरफ से आखिरी रिमाइंडर है। बिल नं. {invoice no} का ₹{amount} {due date} से बाकी है। {last date} तक भुगतान या पक्की तारीख नहीं मिली तो हम आगे की कार्रवाई के बारे में आपसे संपर्क करेंगे। विवरण: {UPI ID or bank details}
Payment reminder in Hinglish
Namaste {name} ji, {business} ki taraf se ek chhota sa reminder. Invoice no. {invoice no} ka ₹{amount} {due date} tak dena hai. Payment yahan karein: {UPI ID or bank details}. Payment ho chuka ho to please UTR number bhej dein. Dhanyavaad!
Namaste {name} ji, invoice no. {invoice no} ka ₹{amount} {due date} se pending hai. Please {new date} tak payment kar dein ya bata dein ki kis date tak ho jayega. Details: {UPI ID or bank details}. Dhanyavaad.
{name} ji, yeh {business} ki taraf se final reminder hai. Invoice no. {invoice no} ka ₹{amount} {due date} se pending hai. {last date} tak payment ya pakki date nahi mili to hum aage ke steps ke baare mein aapse baat karenge. Details: {UPI ID or bank details}
Payment reminder SMS in Hindi
A Devanagari SMS is usually sent as Unicode, so one part holds 70 characters [9]. Expect two parts or more, and register the Hindi text itself as the template.
[YOUR BUSINESS]: बिल {invoice no} का Rs {amount} {due date} तक देना है। UPI: [YOUR UPI ID]। भुगतान हो चुका हो तो अनदेखा करें।
The Hinglish version fits in one part:
[YOUR BUSINESS]: Bill {invoice no} ka Rs {amount} {due date} tak dena hai. UPI: [YOUR UPI ID]. Payment ho chuka ho to ignore karein.
What do you say after a part payment or a bounced cheque?
After a part payment, thank the customer, name the amount received, and state the balance and its date. After a bounced cheque, give the cheque number and return date, ask for UPI or bank transfer, and ask a lawyer about a formal notice.
Thank you, {name}. We received ₹{part amount} on {date} against invoice {invoice no}. The balance of ₹{balance} is due on {due date}. Details: {UPI ID or bank details}.
{name}, cheque no. {cheque no} for ₹{amount} was returned unpaid by the bank on {return date}. Please pay today by UPI or bank transfer: {UPI ID or bank details}. [We will also send a formal notice by email and post.]
To keep a case under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act open, send the written demand within 30 days of the bank's return information. The drawer then has 15 days to pay, and a complaint must follow within one month [8].
Which WhatsApp rules matter for payment reminders?
WhatsApp sorts templates into marketing, utility and authentication. A payment reminder should be utility, so keep it factual and free of offers. Message only people who agreed to hear from you [4][10].
| Rule | What it means for payment reminders |
|---|---|
| Template first | Outside the 24-hour window, only approved templates can be sent. Review takes up to 24 hours [2][3]. |
| Utility, not marketing | Utility templates follow up on the customer's own transaction. Meta's example is a billing reminder, not an overdue invoice, so Meta decides the category. An offer line makes it marketing [4]. |
| Cost and limits | Since 1 Oct 2026 Meta charges for every delivered utility template and reply: ₹0.115 each to an Indian number, with the first 1,000 replies a month free per number [11]. Meta can reject templates that sound threatening, so keep legal steps for email or post. WhatsApp can stop delivering marketing templates to someone who has received many (error 131049) [12]. |
| Opt-in | Message only people who gave you their number and agreed to receive messages. Honour every stop request, or risk a limit or ban [10]. |
These rules cover the WhatsApp Business Platform that automation tools use. WhatsApp's terms bar bulk and auto-messaging on the ordinary app [13].
When should you stop reminding and escalate?
Escalate when the final reminder gets no reply, or sooner on a large amount. Send a written demand. A micro or small supplier with Udyam registration can file on the government's ODR portal, odr.msme.gov.in, where new delayed-payment cases go [14].
Check whether you are covered in the MSME 45 days payment rule guide, then price the delay with the MSME interest calculator.
FAQ
How many payment reminders should I send before taking action?
Five: before the due date, on it, and at 7, 15 and 30 days late. Then send a written demand or, for micro and small suppliers, file on the ODR portal.
Is a payment reminder on WhatsApp a utility or marketing message?
It should be utility, but Meta decides the category. An offer or discount line can make it marketing, which is charged and capped per person [4][12].
Do I need permission to send payment reminders on WhatsApp?
Yes, WhatsApp's policy requires it. Add a line to your quotation or order form, such as "{business} will send invoices and payment updates to this number on WhatsApp", and stop when someone asks [10].
What if the customer says they already paid?
Ask for the UTR number (the bank's transaction reference) or a screenshot, and check your bank statement. If the money has arrived, update your books and apologise. If not, ask them to check with their bank.
Can I charge interest on late payments?
That depends on your contract. A micro or small supplier with Udyam registration also gets interest by law: 3 times the RBI Bank Rate, compounded monthly, whatever the contract says [6][7]. Use the MSME interest calculator.
Sources
All pages opened on 18 Oct 2026.
- Recordent, Indian SME Receivables Report 2026, as reported by MediaBrief, 29 Jun 2026. Vendor data from Recordent's own users (about 1.1 lakh MSMEs). https://mediabrief.com/recordent-report-highlights-working-capital-stress-for-indian-smes-as-average-overdue-receivables-cross-%E2%82%B93-83-crore/
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform, message templates overview (approval status, review time, only template messages outside the customer service window, variable format). https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/overview
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform, send messages (24-hour customer service window). https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/messages/send-messages
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform, template categorization (marketing, utility, authentication; utility examples; mixed content). https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-categorization
- TRAI, Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018, consolidated document dated 21 May 2026 (headers, content templates, variables). https://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/2026-05/CA_21052026.pdf
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, Gazette text as enacted, sections 2(b), 15, 16 (not amended by the 2026 Bill as introduced). https://samadhaan.msme.gov.in/WriteReadData/DocumentFile/MSMED2006act.pdf
- Reserve Bank of India, notification RBI/2026-27/283 of 7 Oct 2026, Bank Rate raised from 5.50% to 5.75%. https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=13728&Mode=0
- Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, sections 138 and 142, India Code. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/15327/1/negotiable_instruments_act%2C_1881.pdf
- Twilio, SMS character limits (160 characters in GSM-7, 70 in Unicode). https://www.twilio.com/docs/glossary/what-sms-character-limit . The ₹ sign is not in the GSM 7-bit alphabet of 3GPP TS 23.038: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_03.38
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, last updated 23 Sep 2026 (opt-in, opt-out, enforcement), and Meta's opt-in guidance. https://whatsappbusiness.com/policy/ and https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/getting-opt-in
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform, pricing (per-message charging; INR rate card effective 1 Oct 2026: utility, authentication and service ₹0.115, marketing ₹0.8631; first 1,000 service replies a month free). https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing/
- Meta, WhatsApp Business Platform, per-user marketing template limits (error 131049). https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/marketing-templates/per-user-limits
- WhatsApp Terms of Service, effective 4 Jan 2021 (bulk messaging, auto-messaging). https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service
- Ministry of MSME, Annual Report 2025-26, paragraph 1.7.1 (new delayed-payment cases on the MSME ODR portal from 15 Oct 2025). https://www.msme.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/05/1bfda06b460e72543530b40817573495.pdf . Portal: https://odr.msme.gov.in/