Payment reminder SMS: when to send it, what to write and ready-to-use examples

The short answer: a good payment reminder by SMS is short, polite and carries everything the customer needs to pay: who is asking, what for, how much, by when and how. Send it at a few well-chosen moments, for example a few days before the due date, on the day and shortly after, always on working days and during business hours. In My MozOut you can write it today and set the date and time it goes out.

When to send it

Moment	Purpose	Tone
3 to 5 days before the due date	Give the customer time to plan	Informative
On the due date	Remind anyone who forgot	Friendly
1 to 3 days after	Stop the delay from growing	Firm, never threatening
Before a suspension or cut-off (if your business has them)	Final notice, with the exact date	Clear and direct

More messages than this tend to annoy more than they help. Send in the morning or early afternoon on a working day, never at night. So you do not forget, schedule it: pick the date and time at the sending step and the message goes out on its own. A date that has already passed sends it straight away.

What to write

1	Who is asking. Your company name first, so the customer does not mistake the reminder for a scam.

2	What for. Invoice no., a month's fee, an instalment. A reference the customer recognises.

3	How much and by when. The amount and the date, written in full.

4	How to pay. The reference, the account or the place, or the address where the customer finds the payment details.

5	A way out for those who have paid. “If you have already paid, please ignore this message” prevents calls and confusion, and a contact sorts out the rest.

Ready-to-use examples

In the examples, the parts in square brackets, such as [COMPANY], [PHONE] or [DATE], are there for you to replace with your own details before sending.

Situation	Message
A few days before	[COMPANY]: invoice no. [NUMBER], for [AMOUNT], is due on [DATE]. Payment details: [WEBSITE]. If you have already paid, please ignore this message.
On the day	Hi Paulo, today is the last day to pay invoice no. [NUMBER], for [AMOUNT]. Questions: [PHONE]. [COMPANY]
After the due date	[COMPANY]: invoice no. [NUMBER], for [AMOUNT], was due on [DATE] and we have not received payment yet. If you have paid, call [PHONE].
Before a suspension	[COMPANY]: unless we receive [AMOUNT] by [DATE], the service will be suspended. To pay or talk to us: [PHONE].
School fees	Dear parent, the [MONTH] school fee is due on [DATE]. You can pay at the office or by bank transfer. [SCHOOL], [PHONE].
Rent	Hi Joana, the [MONTH] rent of [AMOUNT] is due on [DATE]. Reference: [REFERENCE]. Thank you. [COMPANY]
Monthly subscription	[COMPANY]: your subscription renews on [DATE]. Amount: [AMOUNT]. To pay or cancel: [WEBSITE].
Instalment	[COMPANY]: instalment [N] of [TOTAL], for [AMOUNT], is due on [DATE]. Already paid? Please ignore this message.
Club or association	[ASSOCIATION]: your [YEAR] membership fee is unpaid. Amount: [AMOUNT]. Pay at the office or call [PHONE].
Payment received	[COMPANY]: we have received payment for invoice no. [NUMBER]. Thank you, Carlos.

Many customers, different amounts

When you send to a group, the text is the same for everyone. You can add each contact's name with {$contact_first_name} (see personalised SMS with the contact's name), but there is no variable for the amount or the invoice number. That leaves three routes:

1	One general text for the group, with no amount: “your monthly fee is due on [DATE]”. Good for customers who pay the same every month.

2	One by one, on the SMS page, when there are only a few customers with different amounts.

3	Through the API, from your billing system, which already knows each customer's amount, date and number. See how to send SMS through the API.

A reminder is not aggressive debt collection. Do not threaten or shame the customer, and remember that someone else may read the SMS on their phone: the amount and the reference are enough, with no detail about the debt. Before each send, take out everyone who has already paid.

Close the loop with a thank-you. A short SMS confirming the payment arrived saves the customer the doubt and saves you the phone call.

Want to remind your customers by SMS before every due date? See the prices and start with 1,000 credits.

See SMS prices

Categories

Categories