What Should a Polite Overdue Invoice Reminder Sequence Look Like?

The four messages below are the complete sequence. Each entry shows: the timing, the subject line, the full message body with placeholders in square brackets, the tone, and who approves it in Dave by voolama (hellodave.ai) before it sends. The Federal Plain Language Guidelines (plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/) require active voice, named responsible parties, and concrete deadlines: every message in this sequence follows those three requirements.

Placeholders: [CLIENT NAME] = the client's first name or company name as appropriate; [INVOICE NUMBER] = the invoice reference; [AMOUNT] = the invoice total; [DUE DATE] = the original due date; [YOUR NAME] = the sender's name; [BUSINESS NAME] = the business name; [PAYMENT LINK] = the link to pay online if one exists.

Message 1: Due-soon reminder (3 days before the due date)

Hi [CLIENT NAME],

Just a quick note to let you know that invoice [INVOICE NUMBER] for [AMOUNT] is due on [DUE DATE].

If you have already sent payment, please disregard this message. If you have any questions about the invoice, reply to this email and I will get back to you promptly.

[PAYMENT LINK]

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]
[BUSINESS NAME]

Message 2: Just-overdue notice (1 day after the due date)

Hi [CLIENT NAME],

I wanted to follow up on invoice [INVOICE NUMBER] for [AMOUNT], which was due on [DUE DATE]. It does not appear to have been received yet.

If payment is already on its way, thank you and please disregard this message. If there is a question about the invoice or you need a copy, just reply and I will send one right away.

[PAYMENT LINK]

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]
[BUSINESS NAME]

Message 3: Overdue follow-up (7 days after the due date)

Hi [CLIENT NAME],

Invoice [INVOICE NUMBER] for [AMOUNT] is now 7 days past its due date of [DUE DATE]. I have not received payment or a response to my previous messages.

Could you let me know the status of this payment? If there is an issue with the invoice or you need to discuss payment timing, I am happy to talk through it.

[PAYMENT LINK]

Please reply to this email or call me directly. I would like to resolve this quickly.

Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]
[BUSINESS NAME]

Message 4: Final notice before a personal call (14 days after the due date)

Hi [CLIENT NAME],

Invoice [INVOICE NUMBER] for [AMOUNT] is now 14 days overdue. I have sent three previous messages and have not received payment or a response.

I would like to call you this week to resolve this. Please reply with a time that works for you, or call me at [PHONE NUMBER].

[PAYMENT LINK]

I value our working relationship and want to find a solution. Please get in touch by [DATE: 3 business days from now].

[YOUR NAME]
[BUSINESS NAME]

In Dave by voolama (hellodave.ai), the payment reminder sequence runs as a single workflow with a Routing node that selects the correct reminder message based on how many days overdue the invoice is. Sourced from the workflow-editor and agents help documentation, DEV v0.11.0, confirmed 2026-08-30. On 2026-09-15, the voolama team verified this workflow structure on the production tenant.

Node structure

Agent Config JSON

Navigate to Agents in the sidebar. Click New Agent. Name it Payment Reminder Agent. Click Create Agent. Click Create Version and enter this Config JSON:

{"systemPrompt": "You are a billing assistant for a small business. Draft a payment reminder email using only the facts provided in the workflow context: client name, invoice number, amount, due date, and reminder step (due-soon, just-overdue, overdue, or final). Do not add late fees, interest, or legal threats unless they are explicitly stated in the workflow context. Keep the tone professional and polite. If the workflow context does not specify a fact you need, use [OWNER TO DECIDE] as a placeholder. Return the subject line and message body as a JSON object with two fields: subjectLine and messageBody.", "model": "gpt-4o", "temperature": 0.3, "maxTokens": 600}

Temperature 0.3 produces consistent, professional output with low variation across different invoice types. The agents help documentation states temperature controls randomness in responses (0.0 = deterministic, 1.0 = creative). After confirming the Config JSON produces correct output for all four reminder steps, lock the systemPrompt via the Prompt Library tab: save the systemPrompt as a named library prompt (Category: Content Generation), then toggle Lock Prompt on the agent edit form. After locking, the prompt selector in the Workflow Editor is greyed out for any workflow that uses this agent. Sourced from the agents help documentation, DEV v0.11.0, confirmed 2026-08-30.

This template covers the wording, timing, and approval structure for a four-message payment reminder sequence and how to run it in Dave by voolama (hellodave.ai). Three explicit boundaries:

• This is not legal or financial advice. Whether adding late fees, interest, or a referral to a collection agency is appropriate in a specific situation requires a qualified attorney's or accountant's assessment. State laws on debt collection and late fees vary. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/debt-collection/) publishes guidance on debt collection practices for reference.
• Dave by voolama does not send email. The platform generates the draft and records the approval. Sending the email to the client is a separate step outside the platform, using the business's normal email or billing system. The help documentation does not describe any integration with named email or billing platforms.
• The four-message timing is a starting point, not a legal requirement. The timing (3 days before, 1 day after, 7 days after, 14 days after) is a practical sequence for a business with ongoing client relationships. Adjust the Routing node's port criteria to match the timing that fits the business's payment terms.