Payment collection
Payment collection message for a customer: 12 polite templates for WhatsApp
Quick answer
How do you collect payment from a customer by message without being rude?
Send the collection message only to the customer, with the amount, the date and the link or key to pay in the same message. Start with a reminder before the due date, continue with a checking-in tone after it and offer a deal when the delay grows. Never threaten and never talk about the debt to anyone else.
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Messages for each stage of collection: before the due date, on the day, 3 days late, 15 days late, and for negotiating. All with the way to pay included, and none with a threat.
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See the 30 automatic message templates for customers, grouped by moment.
Summary in 7 facts
- Messages for each stage of collection: before the due date, on the day, 3 days late, 15 days late, and for negotiating.
- All with the way to pay included, and none with a threat.
- Send the collection message only to the customer, with the amount, the date and the link or key to pay in the same message.
- Start with a reminder before the due date, continue with a checking-in tone after it and offer a deal when the delay grows.
- Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
- Five days before For customers who pay by boleto (Brazilian payment slip) or link.
- Three days late Three days after the due date.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 15 days | Messages for each stage of collection: before the due date, on the day, 3 days late, 15 days late, and for negotiating. |
| 30 templates | See the 30 automatic message templates for customers, grouped by moment. |
What to send at each stage of collection
From the friendly notice to the deal proposal.
| Stage | Tone | What not to do |
|---|---|---|
| Before the due date | Friendly notice | Talking about a delay before there is one |
| On the day | Reminder with the link | Sending without the amount and without a way to pay |
| 3 days late | Checking in: it may have been forgetfulness | Accusing the customer of not paying on purpose |
| 15 days late | Conversation: what happened? | Threatening with a credit blacklist or a lawsuit |
| Negotiation | Proposal with numbers | Messaging every day until they pay |
Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
Due date reminder message for a customer
Five days before
For customers who pay by boleto (Brazilian payment slip) or link.
Oi, [Nome]! Tudo bem? Só um aviso: a parcela de [valor] do [serviço] vence no dia [data]. Quando quiser, pode pagar por este link: [link].
now ✓✓One day before, with PIX (Brazil's instant payment)
For customers who usually pay by PIX.
Oi, [Nome]! Amanhã vence o pagamento de [valor]. Se preferir Pix, a chave é [chave]. Depois é só me mandar o comprovante aqui.
now ✓✓Due today
In the morning, on the due date.
Bom dia, [Nome]! Hoje é o dia do pagamento de [valor]. O boleto está aqui: [link]. Qualquer dúvida, é só chamar.
now ✓✓Due today, by card
When you accept card payments by link.
Oi, [Nome]! O pagamento de [valor] vence hoje. Se ficar mais fácil, dá para pagar no cartão por este link: [link].
now ✓✓
Overdue message for a customer
Three days late
Three days after the due date.
Oi, [Nome], tudo certo? O pagamento de [valor] de [data] ainda aparece em aberto aqui. Pode ter sido só esquecimento. Segue o link: [link].
now ✓✓Three days, checking in
When the customer may have paid and you didn't see it.
Oi, [Nome]. Não localizei o pagamento de [valor] com vencimento em [data]. Se você já pagou, me manda o comprovante que eu confiro. Se não, este é o link: [link].
now ✓✓Fifteen days: conversation
Two weeks late.
Oi, [Nome]. O valor de [valor] está em aberto desde [data]. Aconteceu alguma coisa? Me conta, que a gente procura um jeito de resolver.
now ✓✓Fifteen days: asking for a date
When the first conversation got no reply.
Oi, [Nome]. Estou organizando os pagamentos do mês e o seu de [valor], de [data], ainda está em aberto. Consegue pagar até [data]? Se precisar de outro prazo, me fala.
now ✓✓
Message to negotiate and close the collection
Offer installments
When the customer said they can't pay it all.
Oi, [Nome]. Para facilitar, dá para pagar os [valor] em [número] parcelas de [valor da parcela]. Quer que eu mande o link da primeira?
now ✓✓New agreed date
Right after agreeing on a deadline.
Combinado, [Nome]! Fica o pagamento de [valor] para o dia [data]. Um dia antes eu te mando o link. Obrigado por avisar.
now ✓✓Agreed deadline passed
When the agreed date passed without payment.
Oi, [Nome]. A data que combinamos para o pagamento de [valor] era [data]. Ainda consegue pagar esta semana? Se não, me diz qual dia fica bom.
now ✓✓Payment on time
When the money comes in.
Recebi seu pagamento, [Nome], e está tudo em dia. Obrigado por resolver tão rápido!
now ✓✓
Three rules for the collection message
What makes the person pay without it turning into a fight.
Always with the way to pay
Amount, date and link, key or boleto in the same message. A collection message that forces the customer to ask for the link delays payment by another day.
A checking-in tone, not an accusing one
"I couldn't find the payment" opens a conversation. "You didn't pay" closes it.
Only to the person who owes
No collecting in a group, talking to a relative or a boss, or posting a name. The law prohibits exposing the customer during collection.
See how it looks in your industry
Each industry gets different questions on WhatsApp. Pick yours to see how CertuAI's AI serves that kind of customer.
How to organize collection on WhatsApp
Collection runs late when it depends on someone remembering. The way to fix it is to make it a routine.
Save the templates by stage
In Tools, Quick replies, create shortcuts like /due, /late and /deal.
Keep the week's due-date list
In a spreadsheet or in your billing system, with name, amount, date and phone number.
Send at the same time every day
In the morning, on a business day, check who is due today and who is late. No collection messages at night.
Leave the negotiation to one person
The reminder can go out automatically. Requests for more time, disputes and deals need someone who decides.
What the law doesn't allow in collection
Article 42 of Brazil's Consumer Protection Code says that, in collection, the consumer cannot be exposed to ridicule or subjected to embarrassment or threats (Law 8,078 of 1990). This applies to WhatsApp too.
In practice: a message only to the customer themselves, never in a group; no pressure phrases like "we will take measures"; and no messages several times a day. Collections offices have a page just about this: what can't go in a collection message.
For clinics, the templates are in appointment payment collection message. The general list is in automatic messages for customers, and the notice for people who write at night is in the business hours message. To see who was reminded and who replied without a spreadsheet, see the customer dashboard connected to WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write a polite collection message?
Greet them, state the amount and the date, send the link or key to pay and leave room for the customer to explain. No threats and no sarcasm.
What message should you send to remind the customer of the due date?
A short notice, a few days before, with the amount, the date and how to pay. On the day, a reminder with the same link.
What should you write to a customer with an overdue payment?
With a few days, use a checking-in tone: "I couldn't find the payment". With two weeks, ask what happened and offer a way to sort it out.
Can you collect payment from a customer on WhatsApp?
Yes. What the law prohibits is the way you do it: exposing the customer, embarrassing or threatening them. A polite message, only to them, is within the rule.
How many times can I send a collection message?
Brazil's Consumer Protection Code doesn't set a number, but persistence becomes harassment. One notice before, one on the day, one at three days and one conversation at fifteen respects the customer.
Can I collect in a WhatsApp group or talk to a relative?
No. Both expose the debt to other people, and the law prohibits exposing the consumer to embarrassment during collection.
Where to go next?
AI reminds them of the due date on its own, without embarrassing anyone
With CertuAI, the reminder goes out on the day you choose, with the polite text you wrote, and the AI answers questions about amount, date and way to pay using what you taught the Brain. Requests for more time, disputes and deals come to you to decide.
From US$ 75 per month.
Create my agentOi, [Nome]! Tudo bem? Só um aviso: a parcela de [valor] do [serviço] vence no dia [data]. Quando quiser, pode pagar por este link: [link].now ✓✓
This is the first message on this page, sent by the AI in your tone, with nobody at the counter.
In short
How do you collect payment from a customer by message without being rude? Send the collection message only to the customer, with the amount, the date and the link or key to pay in the same message. Start with a reminder before the due date, continue with a checking-in tone after it and offer a deal when the delay grows. Never threaten and never talk about the debt to anyone else.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent