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Writing a payment reminder: friendly but firm

The invoice is due, the customer hasn't paid — before you send a formal dunning letter, a friendly payment reminder is often worth it. It is non-binding, costs nothing and gets many customers to pay. Here is how to write it.

Updated August 2026 · 5 minutes read

Friendly reminder letter with a clock symbol beside an invoice and a pen

Payment reminder or dunning letter?

The payment reminder is the friendly first step: non-binding, no fees, often effective. The dunning letter (Mahnung) is the formal step: it sets a concrete deadline and can trigger default interest and dunning fees. Legally no reminder is required — you can send a formal dunning letter directly. But the friendly tone preserves the business relationship.

Three letters in rising escalation: friendly reminder, second reminder, formal dunning letter
The escalation ladder: payment reminder, second reminder, dunning letter — only then the legal route.

Structure of the payment reminder

  1. Reference: invoice number, invoice date, amount.
  2. Friendly opening: "You have probably overlooked it …" — no reproach.
  3. Concrete request: "Please transfer the amount by …"
  4. Offer: "If payment has already been made, please consider this letter void."

Sample wording

Subject: Payment reminder — invoice no. 2026-041 of 15 March 2026

Dear Sir or Madam,

for the service provided in March we sent you invoice no. 2026-041 for €1,190.00 on 15 March 2026. The payment deadline expired on 29 March 2026; we have not recorded a payment to date.

This is surely an oversight. We kindly ask you to transfer the amount by 15 May 2026 to the account named in the invoice. If payment has already been made, please disregard this letter.

Yours faithfully

When does the reminder become a dunning letter?

If the customer does not respond, the first dunning letter follows — more formal, with a clear deadline and a note on default interest (§ 288 BGB) and dunning fees. The template is in the article Writing a dunning letter. If that also draws no response, the judicial dunning procedure is the next step.

Send the reminder with proof — by registered mail or online via the letter editor with a dispatch confirmation. That way the dispatch is documented should it matter later.

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