Freelance

How to write an invoice email that gets paid faster

📅 July 2025 · ⏱ 5 min read · ProfesionalDocuments.com

Creating a professional invoice is only half the job. How you send it — and how you follow up — has a significant impact on how quickly you get paid. Here's the exact approach that works.

The invoice email — first send

Your invoice email should be brief, professional and include everything the client needs to pay without coming back to you with questions.

✓ Standard invoice email

Subject: Invoice #[number] — [Your name / company] — due [date]

Hi [Name],

Please find attached invoice #[number] for [brief description of work] — £[amount], due on [date].

Payment details:
Bank: [Bank name]
Account name: [Your name]
Sort code: [XX-XX-XX]
Account number: [XXXXXXXX]
Reference: INV-[number]

[Optional: payment link if you use Stripe, PayPal, etc.]

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Make it easy to pay

Every friction point between receiving your invoice and making a payment increases the chance of delay. Include:

Bank details directly in the email body — don't make them open the PDF to find them
A payment link if you use one (Stripe, PayPal, GoCardless, Wise)
The exact reference to use so the payment can be matched to your invoice
The due date prominently in both the subject line and body

Timing — send immediately

Send your invoice the same day the work is delivered or the project is completed. Every day you wait to send it is a day you've added to your payment timeline. For ongoing retainer clients, send on the same day each month — predictability helps their accounts team.

Reminder email — 2 days before due date

✓ Friendly reminder

Subject: Invoice #[number] — payment due [date]

Hi [Name],

Just a quick reminder that invoice #[number] for £[amount] is due on [date]. Reattached for convenience.

Thanks,
[Your name]

First chase — 1 day after due date

✓ Post-due reminder

Subject: Invoice #[number] — overdue

Hi [Name],

Invoice #[number] for £[amount] was due on [date] — just checking in case it's slipped through. Do let me know if you need me to resend anything or if there's a query.

Thanks,
[Your name]

💡 Include the invoice number in every subject line. This makes it searchable in both your inbox and your client's — and signals professionalism when your client's accounts team needs to cross-reference it.

Create a professional invoice

Our free invoice generator creates ready-to-send PDF invoices in minutes.

🧾 Create my invoice →