Urgent Invoice Payment Reminder Subject Lines (That Get Replies)

If your reminder emails are opened late (or not at all), your subject line is the lever. Use these options to signal priority without sounding threatening, and get a clear pay date.

When to use / when to send

• Use when an invoice is overdue and your earlier subject lines didn’t get a reply from {{Company}}.
• Best for day 5+ overdue, or when you need a same-day answer (paid vs. exact date).
• Avoid if there’s an active dispute—switch to a resolution thread instead.
• Send mid-morning on a weekday and keep the email body short and action-based.
• If there’s no response after one bump, change channel (call/voicemail) using {{Phone}}.

Checklist / what to include

• Invoice #{{InvoiceNumber}} and amount {{Amount}} in the first line of the email
• A single payment link: {{PayLink}}
• A binary ask: paid today or exact payment date
• A reply request by {{ReplyByDate}}
• A calm, process-based tone (no threats, no drama)

Copy/paste templates

Recommended timing / follow-up plan

• Use an “urgent” subject line once per invoice stage (don’t spam daily)
• If no reply in 24 hours, send a one-line bump in the same thread
• Call on the next business day and reference invoice #{{InvoiceNumber}}
• If still silent, send a deadline email using {{DeadlineDate}}
• After the deadline, follow your stated next step consistently

Best practices / common mistakes

• Do: include the invoice number in the subject for easy searching
• Do: keep urgency factual (“action needed”) rather than emotional
• Don’t: use ALL CAPS or aggressive punctuation
• Don’t: change the ask mid-thread—keep it pay link or exact date
• Do: switch channels after one unanswered bump to avoid inbox limbo

FAQ

Related templates

• 7 day overdue invoice reminder email
• Accounts payable status check email
• Collections warning email before collections
• Overdue invoice voicemail script