ChaseOwlNet 30 Payment Reminder Schedule: When to Follow Up (With Templates)
Net 30 gives your client a full month to pay, which makes it feel rude to say anything until the deadline. That silence is a big reason net 30 invoices drift late. A short, predictable reminder schedule fixes it: one heads-up before the due date, one on the day, and a few follow-ups that get a little firmer each time. Here's a schedule you can use for every net 30 invoice, plus the emails to send at each step.
The schedule at a glance
Count every day from the invoice date. Net 30 means 30 calendar days, so weekends and holidays count too.
- Day 0: send the invoice and ask the client to confirm they received it.
- Day 23 (7 days before due): a friendly heads-up that the invoice is due next week.
- Day 30 (due date): a short note that the invoice is due today, with the payment link.
- Day 33 (3 days late): a polite check-in that assumes it was missed.
- Day 37 (7 days late): a direct request for a payment date.
- Day 44 (14 days late): a firm reminder that sets a deadline and says what happens next.
If the client replies with a payment date, pause the reminders until then. If the date passes without payment, pick up the schedule again the next day.
Why remind before the due date?
Many businesses pay invoices in batches, weekly or every two weeks, and each invoice needs someone to approve it first. A reminder a week before the due date gives your invoice time to get into the last batch before the deadline instead of the first one after it. It also can't offend anyone, because nothing is late yet. You're simply being organized.
Day 0: Send the invoice and ask for confirmation
Subject: Invoice #[number] for [project], due [due date] Hi [Client name], Thanks again for the work on [project]. Attached is invoice #[number] for [amount], due on [due date] (net 30). You can pay here: [payment link] Could you reply to confirm this reached the right person and everything looks correct? If it needs to go to someone in accounts payable, just let me know who. Thanks, [Your name]
Asking for confirmation surfaces problems early, such as a wrong billing contact, a missing purchase order number, or a question about the work, while you still have weeks to fix them.
Day 23: The pre-due heads-up
Subject: Reminder: invoice #[number] due [due date] Hi [Client name], Just a quick heads-up that invoice #[number] for [amount] is due next [weekday], [due date]. Payment link: [payment link] Let me know if you need anything resent. Thanks! [Your name]
Day 30: Due today
Subject: Invoice #[number] is due today Hi [Client name], A friendly reminder that invoice #[number] for [amount] is due today. You can pay here: [payment link] If it's already on its way, thank you, and please ignore this note. [Your name]
Day 33: The first overdue check-in
Subject: Following up: invoice #[number] Hi [Client name], I wanted to check in on invoice #[number] for [amount], which was due on [due date]. I haven't seen the payment come through yet, so it may have slipped through the cracks. Here's the link again: [payment link] If there's a problem on your end, just let me know and I'll help sort it out. Thanks, [Your name]
Day 37: Ask for a specific date
Subject: Invoice #[number], one week overdue Hi [Client name], Invoice #[number] for [amount] is now one week past its due date of [due date]. Could you let me know the date payment is scheduled for? If something is holding it up, such as a missing detail or an approval, tell me and I'll take care of it. Payment link: [payment link] Thanks, [Your name]
Asking for a date works better than asking for payment. "It's in process" isn't an answer, but a date is something you can hold them to.
Day 44: The firm reminder
Subject: Overdue: invoice #[number], payment needed by [deadline] Hi [Client name], Invoice #[number] for [amount] is now two weeks overdue. I've followed up on [reminder dates] and haven't received payment or a payment date. Please pay the full balance by [deadline, about 7 days from today]: [payment link] If it isn't paid by then, I'll need to [pause further work / apply the late fee in our agreement / take the next step you've decided on]. Thank you, [Your name]
Adjusting the schedule for other terms
- Net 15: send the heads-up 3 days before the due date, then follow the same after-due steps.
- Net 7 or due on receipt: skip the heads-up and start with the due-date reminder.
- Net 60: send the heads-up 10 to 14 days before the due date, since larger companies often need longer to approve.
- Retainers and repeat clients: keep the same days so the client learns your rhythm.
Tips that make any schedule work
- Put the invoice number, amount, due date and payment link in every single message.
- Reply in the same email thread so the history is easy for the client to see.
- Only mention late fees if your contract or invoice terms included them.
- Stop the reminders as soon as the invoice is paid, and send a quick thank-you.
- Stay polite at every step. Most late payments are oversights, not refusals.
Let the schedule run itself
The hardest part of a reminder schedule isn't writing the emails. It's remembering to send them on the right day for every invoice. ChaseOwl sends polite reminders on the due date and at 3, 7 and 14 days late, and stops automatically when the invoice is marked paid, so you never have to keep a calendar of who owes what.
More guides
- How to Charge Late Fees on an Invoice (Wording and Email Templates)
- What to Do When a Client Won't Pay: A Step-by-Step Plan for Freelancers
- Final Notice Before Collections: Templates and When to Send One
Free tools
- Late fee calculator: Enter the amount and due date to see days overdue and the late fee owed, as a flat fee or a monthly percentage.
- Payment reminder email generator: Write a friendly, firm or final reminder email for an unpaid invoice in seconds, ready to copy and send.
- Free invoice template: Fill in a clean invoice in your browser, then print it or save it as a PDF. No login needed.