Collection emails are essential for getting paid on time, especially in B2B, where late payments can seriously impact cash flow. A well-crafted collection email template helps you follow up on unpaid invoices professionally, without straining client relationships.
Whether you’re sending a friendly payment reminder or a final escalation collection email, knowing what to say, and when, can make all the difference. Poorly written messages risk being ignored or damaging trust, while clear, consistent communication improves your accounts receivable collection process and reduces DSO. Keep reading to find out:
What Makes a Good Collection Email?
Components of a Collection Email
What to Avoid in Collection Emails
The Strategy Behind Your Collection Emails
Collection Email Templates
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free collection emails What Makes a Good Collection Email? A good collection email is one that is simple, personalized, and gets your point across. You want to be friendly but assertive too – the exact balance depends on the type of relationship you have with your client, of course.
You won’t send the same collection email to a first-time client as you will to a corporate client who’s subscribed to your highest offer for years.
Components of a Collection Email As for the content, here are the elements you should always include in your collection emails (or any communication) regarding a late payment:
A copy of the original invoice – or at least the invoice reference number (which you can put as an email subject line, too) (in case you’re using an image of the invoice in your email, consider resizing the image to focus only on the important details)
The amount due, including any late payment fee.
The due date: It can be helpful to highlight by how many days the invoice is past due, too.
The payment method(s) with a clear CTA (call to action) to pay. It can be your bank account number or a link to an online platform to pay
A personal touch: Use at least your client’s name and company mail, so they don’t think it comes from an email list. The more personal, the better. Additionally, keeping your list updated through email verification ensures your messages reach the right people.
Your contact information if they have any questions or queries, as well as your business name. You can use email signature templates to make sure they know who you are and what you’re talking about.
What to Avoid in Collection Emails Since it can be easy to do a faux-pas when it comes to debt collection, there are a few more things you should pay attention to
Become aggressive or rude: Even if the matter doesn’t move forward as you’d like it to, remain civil at all times. Relationships are at the heart of the business, and it’s worth remembering that a customer who has a bad experience is likely to tell people about it.
Be generic: Always make your communications personal (you’re talking to a human!) but also send your payment reminders from a personal email address – not info@company.com for instance, which could end up in your client’s SPAMs. Having the same person send various collection emails from the same email is best for clarity.
Let it slide: Your A/R collection needs to be followed through like any other project. You might need to send several collection emails, not dropping the ball mid-game is important. Of course, there is a fine line between being consistent and harassment. You have to find the right balance between both, depending on who you’re dealing with. We recommend one action/week after your 4th follow-up.
Have a look at our free email templates and set up an effective collection strategy.
cta email templates
The Strategy Behind Your Collection Emails
Setting Up Your Collection Strategy. The first step in making your Accounts Receivable collection more efficient is to have a look at a few things in your business, namely:
What your payment methods and payment terms are,
Who your clients are (small businesses, big corporations, etc.),
Depending on your payment methods and terms, you will indeed approach the matter differently.
For example, if you have a subscription-based business that charges their customer monthly via their credit card, you will have a specific A/R process. This process will be different for a business that charges big contracts every 5 years via international bank transfers.
It’s also important to have a look at your current data to find patterns amongst your customers. You might find that some profiles tend to have a later payment rate than others.
That’s all good info that will allow you to tailor your payment reminders. Even better, you’ll then have a proactive approach to your collection, being able to solve problems before they arise.
Setting Up Your Collection Email Workflows. With these insights in mind, you can start designing specific workflows for different subclient groups. By workflow, we mean a series of payment reminders – an initial collection email with various follow-up ones.
Usually, it makes sense to have:
An email with the original invoice.
A payment reminder before your due date (if applicable).
A follow-up after the due date (1-3 weeks after).
A sequence of email reminders after that (1-2 weeks apart).
You can for example set up a workflow for
Clients who pay via credit card,
Clients you have identified as late payers,
Clients whose case is about to be escalated.
Having a different workflow for each will make you more efficient. One, because you’ll have all your templates ready to use already. Two, because they are tailored specifically to their target, which means they’re more likely to lead to collection faster.
Remember: it’s all about making it as personalized and easy for your clients. When they’ll know you mean business and they have a clear cta with all the info they need to act on it, they will pay faster.
If that sounds like a lot (and it can take a lot of energy), it might be easier to let an automated collection tool do all that for you. Our tool offers in-depth analytics which highlights the categories of accounts that should get your attention.
We also allow you to send personalized payment reminders from our template collection, straight from our platform. It’s all centralized and integrated with your other accounting and financial tools for maximum efficiency.
cta demo request [Rest of the document remains the same as the original, with the remaining Upflow-specific references removed from the final paragraphs]
Key Takeaways:
Setting up various collection emails workflows allows you to be proactive and efficient in your A/R collection process.
A good email payment reminder has a friendly yet assertive tone. It also contains all the information needed for your client to pay you straight away.
Your communications should always remain polite, personal, and consistent for maximum efficiency.
Mapping out your payment processes and who your late payers are will help you to set up a relevant email strategy.
Using pre-written templates will facilitate your A/R collection process.
Automating your email collections workflows assures that you get paid on time and focus your efforts on higher-value projects.
FAQs Q: What should I include in a collection email?
A: A collection email should always contain the invoice number or reference, the total amount due (including late fees, if any), the original due date, clear payment instructions or a payment link, and a polite but direct call to action. Personalize the message using the client’s name and include your contact details in case they have questions.
Q: How do I write a polite collection email that gets results?
A: Start with a friendly tone, acknowledge that delays happen, and clearly explain what the email is about. Be respectful but firm in requesting payment, and avoid sounding aggressive. Tailor the tone based on the client relationship, for example, you may be softer with a first-time late payer and more assertive with a chronic one.
Q: When should I send a payment reminder or collection email?
A: Start with a reminder a few days before the due date (if applicable), then follow up 1 week after, and again 2–3 weeks later if no payment is made. After 3–4 reminders, escalate your tone or switch to phone calls or formal notices.
Q: Can I automate collection emails without losing the personal touch?
A: Yes! Many tools let you automate collection workflows while keeping your emails personalized. You can segment your audience, customize templates, and still use variables like the client’s name, invoice details, and contact info to maintain a human tone.
