12 templates to copy

Payment reminder message: 12 WhatsApp templates to copy

Written by Bernardo Villela, CEO of CertuAI

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 and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Create my agent

Asking for money is the message owners put off the most. These twelve go from the first friendly note to the final notice, without losing the customer.

Updated on 13 October 2026 · Written by CertuAI

Summary in 7 facts

Asking for money is the message owners put off the most.
These twelve go from the first friendly note to the final notice, without losing the customer.
Short answer State the facts and nothing else: what the payment is for, the amount and the due date, followed by the way to pay in the same message.
A calm note before the date solves many of them.
Every message still has the amount and the way to pay.
The payment link expired When to use: The customer tried to pay and the link or code no longer works.
Put the amount, the due date and the way to pay in every reminder.

In numbers

Number	What it means
67 businesses	CertuAI measured when customers write on WhatsApp to 67 businesses that answer with its AI agent: 32.5% of 122,720 messages arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.
122,720 messages	Source: CertuAI's own service data, 67 businesses, 122,720 messages received on WhatsApp from 30 July 2026 to 30 September 2026, measured on 9 October 2026.
28.1%	The largest business sent 28.1% of the messages; without it, 32.3% arrived outside those hours.

How do you write a payment reminder message on WhatsApp?

Short answer

State the facts and nothing else: what the payment is for, the amount and the due date, followed by the way to pay in the same message. Stay polite and do not guess why it is late. End with one easy next step, such as asking the customer to send the receipt or to tell you a date.

Before and on the due date

Most late payments are forgotten payments. A calm note before the date solves many of them.

1. Sending the invoice

When to use: The first message about a payment, when the amount is defined.

Hello [Name], this is [Business]. Here is the invoice for [product or service]:

Amount: [amount]
Due date: [due date]
How to pay: [payment details]

When you pay, please send the receipt here. Thank you!

2. Reminder a few days before

When to use: A few days before the due date.

Hi [Name], a quick reminder from [Business]: your payment of [amount] for [product or service] is due on [due date].

Payment details: [payment details]. If you already paid, please ignore this message.

3. Reminder on the due date

When to use: The day the payment is due.

Good morning, [Name]. Your payment of [amount] to [Business] is due today.

You can pay with [payment details]. Do you need me to send the invoice again?

4. Deposit to hold a booking

When to use: A booking is kept only after a deposit is paid.

Hello [Name], to hold your booking on [date] at [time] we ask for a deposit of [amount] by [deadline].

Payment details: [payment details]. After [deadline], the time goes back to the open calendar.

After the due date

The tone gets firmer one step at a time. Every message still has the amount and the way to pay.

5. One day late

When to use: The day after the due date, with no payment and no message.

Hi [Name], I did not find your payment of [amount], which was due yesterday ([due date]). It may have slipped your mind.

Here are the details again: [payment details]. Can you pay today?

6. One week late

When to use: A week went by and the first reminder had no answer.

Hello [Name], this is [Business]. The payment of [amount] for [product or service] has been open since [due date].

Please tell me a date when you can pay, so I can note it here. If there is a problem with the charge, tell me and we will look at it together.

7. Offering a payment plan

When to use: The customer said they cannot pay the full amount now.

Thank you for being open with me, [Name]. We can split the [amount] into [number] payments of [amount per payment], the first on [date 1] and the next on [date 2].

Does that work for you? If yes, I will send the details for the first one.

8. Final notice before pausing the service

When to use: Several reminders went unanswered and the next step is to stop the service.

[Name], this is our last reminder about the payment of [amount], open since [due date].

If we do not receive it or hear from you by [deadline], we will have to pause [service]. I would rather find a solution with you. Please reply to this message.

Problems and the thank-you

9. The payment link expired

When to use: The customer tried to pay and the link or code no longer works.

Sorry about that, [Name]. The old link expired, so here is a new one: [payment link]

It is valid until [date]. The amount is the same: [amount].

10. Part of the amount was paid

When to use: A payment arrived, but for less than the total.

Hi [Name], we received [amount paid]. Thank you! The total was [total amount], so [amount left] is still open.

Can you send the rest by [date]?

11. The amount paid was wrong

When to use: The customer paid more than they should, or paid twice.

Hello [Name], we received [amount paid], but the correct amount was [correct amount].

Would you like the difference of [difference] returned to you, or kept as credit for your next purchase?

12. Thank-you when the payment arrives

When to use: As soon as you confirm the payment.

Payment received, [Name]. Thank you! Your [amount] for [product or service] is confirmed and nothing is open on your account.

If you need a receipt, tell me and I will send it.

Five rules for a payment reminder

Put the amount, the due date and the way to pay in every reminder. The customer should not have to scroll up to find them.
Do not guess the reason. "It may have slipped your mind" is as far as a message should go.
Send it in a private chat, never in a group, and only to the person who owes the payment.
Add "if you already paid, ignore this message" before the due date. Payments and messages cross.
Always send the thank-you. It closes the subject and makes the next reminder easier to receive.

How to send a payment reminder automatically

Save it as a quick reply. The WhatsApp Business app has quick replies, made for texts you send often. WhatsApp explains them on its own help page: How to use quick replies. Save each message from this page once, then change the name, the date and the time before you send.

A saved text does not know who paid. Before each reminder, someone has to check the list of payments, or a customer who paid yesterday gets a reminder today.

Let an AI agent answer. An AI agent on your WhatsApp number reads what the customer wrote and answers with the information you gave it: your hours, your prices, your rules. You write the rule once, in plain words, and the agent uses it in every conversation. A person on your team can step in at any time.

An agent answers the customer who writes back: it can repeat the amount and send the payment details again. Note that on Meta's official WhatsApp Business API, messages a business starts, such as reminders, follow Meta's own rules and are charged by Meta separately, at a rate that depends on the country.

What CertuAI measured on the WhatsApp of businesses

CertuAI measured when customers write on WhatsApp to 67 businesses that answer with its AI agent: 32.5% of 122,720 messages arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. If your team works those hours, that is the share of messages that waits until someone is back.

When customers write, at 67 businesses, 30 July 2026 to 30 September 2026
What was measured	Result
Customer messages that arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm	32.5%
Customer messages that arrived at the weekend	15.8%
Customer messages that arrived on weekday evenings, 6 pm to midnight	12.7%
Conversations that started outside Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm	34.6%
Time for the AI agent to reply, median	11.7 seconds

Source: CertuAI's own service data, 67 businesses, 122,720 messages received on WhatsApp from 30 July 2026 to 30 September 2026, measured on 9 October 2026. The hours are counted in each business's own time zone. Test accounts, test contacts and imported chat history are left out. The largest business sent 28.1% of the messages; without it, 32.3% arrived outside those hours.

Questions people ask

When should I send the first payment reminder?

A few days before the due date works for most businesses, with a second message on the day itself. A reminder sent before the date is read as a service. The same words sent after the date are read as a charge.

How many payment reminders can I send?

There is no fixed number, and rules about collecting payments differ from country to country. A common path is one before the date, one on the day, one the day after, one a week later and a final notice. Leave days between them.

Is it rude to ask for a payment on WhatsApp?

Not when the message is private, polite and factual. State the amount and the date, give the way to pay and offer help if there is a problem. What customers resent is pressure, blame and messages sent at night.

What do I do when a customer reads the reminder and does not answer?

Wait a few days and send the next message on the path, a little firmer, asking for a date and not only for the payment. A customer who cannot pay today will often answer a question about when they can.

Should I offer a discount to get paid faster?

That is a business decision this page cannot make for you. If you do, write the new amount and the last day it is valid in the message. A payment plan is often easier to offer than a discount, and it keeps the full amount.

More message templates

WhatsApp message templates for businessThe main page: greeting, away and quick reply messages. Appointment cancellation messageWhen you cancel, when the customer cancels, and after a missed appointment. Appointment reschedule messageOffering new times, confirming the change and following up. Chat closing messageEnding a customer service conversation clearly and politely. Welcome message for a new patientFrom the first hello to the day after the first visit.

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In short

Twelve payment reminder messages for WhatsApp: before the due date, on the day, after it is late, with a payment plan and the thank-you once it is paid.