80+ payment reminder SMS templates organized by urgency and tone. All under 160 characters with merge fields, WhatsApp variants, opt-out language, timing best practices, and US compliance guidelines.
Your customer isn't reading emails. The due-day reminder sat unopened. The +3 day follow-up is buried under 200 unread messages. But you know what gets read? Text messages. With 98% open rates and 90% read within 3 minutes, SMS cuts through the noise like nothing else.
The challenge is fitting everything into 160 characters while staying professional. You need the invoice number, amount, due date or days overdue, payment link, and a clear call to action—all in a text shorter than a tweet.
This guide gives you 80+ payment reminder SMS templates for every stage: pre-due, due-day, +3/+7/+14 days overdue, and final notices. You'll also get WhatsApp variants (which allow more flexibility), timing strategies, compliance basics for the US, and tips on when SMS works better than email.
For multi-channel reminder strategies including email and letters, see our complete payment reminder guide. For longer email templates with more context, check our polite payment reminder emails. Building your reminder foundation? Start with our appointment reminder guide and text message templates.
Why SMS Works for Payment Reminders
According to Forbes research, SMS has a 98% open rate compared to email's 20-25%. Even better: 90% of texts are read within 3 minutes of receipt. Your reminder isn't sitting in a crowded inbox—it's buzzing in their pocket demanding attention.
When SMS Beats Email
- Due-day reminders: Immediate notification when payment is due today
- +3 to +7 days: Quick nudge after email reminders go unanswered
- Emergency situations: "Payment needed today to avoid service interruption"
- Mobile-first customers: Younger demographics, field workers, busy professionals
- Second channel: After email got no response, SMS cuts through
- Time-sensitive: "Your card will be charged in 2 hours unless you update payment method"
When Email is Better
- First reminder (less intrusive)
- Complex explanations needed (scope disputes, detailed breakdowns)
- Legal documentation required
- Customer prefers email communication
- B2B with AP departments (they need forwarding/printing capability)
The 160-Character Challenge
Standard SMS is 160 characters including spaces. Go over and it splits into multiple messages or gets truncated. Every word counts.
What to prioritize:
- Invoice number (for reference)
- Amount owed ($ figure)
- Due date or days overdue
- Payment link (use URL shortener)
- Optional: Reply instructions or help keyword
What to cut:
- Pleasantries ("I hope this message finds you well")
- Explanations ("As per our agreement...")
- Multiple sentences about why they should pay
- Full company name if customer recognizes short version
Pre-Due SMS Templates (T-1 to T-3 Days)
Pre-due texts are your preventive strike. A quick heads-up before the invoice is late reduces overdue payments by 30-40%.
Friendly Pre-Due (T-1 Day)
Professional Pre-Due (T-2 to T-3 Days)
For email versions of pre-due reminders with more context, see our payment reminder before due date guide.
Due-Day SMS Templates (T-0)
Send these the morning payment is due. Keep tone neutral—you're not accusing them of being late yet.
Friendly Due-Day
Professional Due-Day
+3 Days Overdue SMS Templates
Now it's late. Your tone should acknowledge the delay while staying professional. This is often your most effective reminder stage for SMS.
Polite +3 Days
Professional +3 Days
+7 Days Overdue SMS Templates
A week late. Time to be firmer and hint at consequences. Use words like "urgent" and "immediate."
Firm +7 Days
With Consequences +7 Days
For email versions with more detailed escalation language, see our overdue invoice email templates.
+14 Days Overdue SMS Templates
Two weeks late. This is your last SMS before final notice or collections. Be direct and state consequences clearly.
Urgent +14 Days
Pre-Collections +14 Days
Final Notice SMS Templates (30+ Days)
Use these alongside email and letter final notices. SMS ensures they see it even if they're ignoring email.
Final Notice SMS
Last Chance SMS
For complete final notice templates in letter format, see our final notice letter guide.
Get 300+ Payment Reminder Templates (Email + SMS + Letters)
Stop writing reminders from scratch. Our Payment Reminder Mega Pack includes 80+ SMS templates plus 200+ emails and 20 letters—all organized by stage, tone, and channel. Copy, customize, and send in seconds.
What's Included:
- ✓ 80+ SMS templates (all under 160 characters)
- ✓ 200+ email templates (pre-due through final)
- ✓ 20 printable letter templates (DOC/PDF)
- ✓ WhatsApp variants (longer format)
- ✓ Merge field placeholders for easy customization
- ✓ Timing matrices and compliance guidelines
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WhatsApp Templates (Longer Format)
WhatsApp doesn't have the 160-character SMS limit, so you can be slightly more conversational while still keeping it brief.
WhatsApp Pre-Due
WhatsApp +3 Days Overdue
WhatsApp +7 Days Overdue
WhatsApp Final Notice
SMS Timing Strategy
When you send matters as much as what you send. Here's the optimal schedule:
| Stage | Best Send Time | Avoid | Response Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Due (T-1) | Morning (9-11am) | After 8pm | 15-20% |
| Due-Day | Morning (8-10am) | Before 8am, after 9pm | 25-30% |
| +3 Days | Midday (11am-2pm) | Lunch (12-1pm), evenings | 35-40% |
| +7 Days | Morning (9-11am) | Weekends | 25-30% |
| +14 Days | Morning (8-10am) | Friday PM, weekends | 20-25% |
| Final | Monday morning | Weekends, holidays | 15-20% |
Day-of-Week Performance
- Best days: Tuesday-Thursday (highest response rates)
- Good days: Monday, Friday morning
- Avoid: Friday afternoon (gets lost in weekend plans), Sunday evening (poor reception), holidays
Time-of-Day Guidelines
- 8-10am: Best for urgent messages (people check phones first thing)
- 11am-2pm: Good for follow-ups (lunch break, desk time)
- 3-5pm: Decent but getting busy (end-of-day rush)
- After 8pm: Avoid unless emergency (feels intrusive)
- Before 8am: Never (violates TCPA guidelines and annoys customers)
Multi-channel strategy: Send email first (morning), then SMS follow-up if no response by afternoon. Example: Email at 9am due-day reminder, SMS at 2pm if they haven't paid. This gives them a chance to see email first (less intrusive) but catches them with SMS if they missed it.
US Compliance Guidelines for Payment SMS
SMS is heavily regulated in the US. Follow these rules or risk fines up to $1,500 per message under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
Required: Prior Express Consent
You need consent before texting customers. Acceptable forms of consent:
- Written consent: Checkbox on contract/invoice: "I agree to receive payment reminders via SMS"
- Oral consent: "Can we text you payment reminders?" (document the date and response)
- Existing business relationship: If they gave you their phone number for service communications, payment reminders fall under that scope (gray area—written is safer)
Best practice: Add SMS consent language to your contracts and invoices upfront.
Required: Opt-Out Instructions
Every payment reminder SMS must include a way to opt out. Common options:
- "Reply STOP to unsubscribe"
- "Text STOP to opt out"
- "Reply HELP for support, STOP to unsubscribe"
Honor opt-outs immediately. Once they text STOP, you can't send more texts (but can still email or call).
Time Restrictions
- Do not text before 8am or after 9pm recipient's local time
- If unsure of their timezone, use their billing address to determine
- Weekends are allowed but may get lower response (and more complaints)
Prohibited Practices
- No robocalls/auto-dialers without consent: Manual texts are fine; automated bulk SMS tools require consent
- No misleading sender info: Use your business name or a recognizable shortcode
- No excessive frequency: More than one text per day is harassment territory
- Honor Do Not Call lists: If they're on the National DNC Registry and haven't consented specifically to SMS, don't text them
Penalty risk: TCPA violations can cost $500-$1,500 PER message. For a batch of 100 texts, that's up to $150,000 in fines. Always get consent, honor opt-outs immediately, and respect time restrictions. When in doubt, send email instead.
Using URL Shorteners for Payment Links
A full payment portal URL can eat 40-60 characters. URL shorteners save space and look cleaner.
Popular Shorteners
- Bitly: bit.ly/customname - Free, tracks clicks, custom domains available
- TinyURL: tinyurl.com/customname - Free, simple, no tracking
- Rebrandly: yourdomain.link/customname - Custom branded domains ($$$)
- Your payment processor: Stripe, Square, PayPal have built-in short links
Best Practices
- Use custom slugs: bit.ly/pay-inv2847 not bit.ly/3xK9mL2 (recognizable = trustworthy)
- Include invoice number: bit.ly/inv2847 or bit.ly/sarah-inv2847
- Test before bulk sending: Click your own link to verify it goes to the right invoice
- Track clicks: Bitly shows if they clicked but didn't pay (useful data)
- Avoid sketchy-looking domains: is.gd, ow.ly, or random character strings look like spam
Character savings example:
- Full URL: https://payments.yourcompany.com/invoice/INV-2847 (55 chars)
- Shortened: bit.ly/inv2847 (16 chars)
- Savings: 39 characters (that's 2-3 extra words in your message)
Handling SMS Replies
Unlike email, SMS is conversational. Customers will reply with questions or pushback. Here's how to handle common responses.
Reply: "Who is this?"
Your response:
Reply: "Stop texting me"
Your response:
Then honor the opt-out—no more texts.
Reply: "I'll pay Friday"
Your response:
Document this promise. If they don't pay Friday, reference it: "You committed to paying Friday. Invoice still unpaid..."
Reply: "Can I pay half now?"
Your response:
Reply: "Wrong number" or "I don't owe this"
Your response:
Then investigate. If it's truly wrong, apologize and remove them from your list.
SMS vs. Email: When to Use Each
| Factor | Use SMS | Use Email |
|---|---|---|
| Urgency | Due today, +7 days, final notice | Pre-due, +3 days, detailed explanations |
| Amount | Under $2,000 | Over $2,000 (needs more context) |
| Customer Type | Individuals, mobile-first users | Businesses, AP departments |
| Previous Contact | After 2+ emails ignored | First reminder |
| Complexity | Simple: pay/call/reply | Disputes, detailed breakdowns |
| Documentation | Low priority | Legal/collections possible |
Optimal multi-channel sequence:
- Pre-due: Email only
- Due-day: Email (morning)
- +3 days: Email (morning), SMS (afternoon if no response)
- +7 days: Email + SMS (same time)
- +14 days: Email + SMS + Phone call
- Final: Email + Letter (certified) + SMS
For the complete multi-channel strategy, see our 1st, 2nd, 3rd reminder guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you write a short payment reminder text message?
Include invoice number, amount, due date or days overdue, payment link, and call to action—all in 160 characters. Example: "Reminder: Invoice INV-2847 ($1,250) due tomorrow. Pay: bit.ly/inv2847. Questions? Reply HELP." Use URL shorteners for links and cut pleasantries to save space. Test before sending to verify character count.
When is the best time to send payment reminder SMS?
Send between 9-11am Tuesday-Thursday for best response rates. Avoid before 8am or after 9pm (violates TCPA rules and annoys customers). Don't send Friday afternoons or weekends unless urgent. For due-day reminders, send early morning (8-10am) so they can pay before end of day. Never text on holidays.
Do I need permission to send payment reminder texts?
Yes—you need prior express consent under TCPA rules. Get written consent via contract checkbox, invoice terms, or verbal consent (documented). If they gave you their phone number for business purposes, payment reminders may fall under that (gray area). Best practice: add SMS consent language to all contracts and invoices upfront to avoid legal issues.
What should I do if a customer replies STOP to payment reminders?
Honor the opt-out immediately—stop sending SMS but continue other channels (email, mail, phone). Send one final text confirming they're unsubscribed and stating the invoice is still due with payment instructions. Example: "You're unsubscribed from SMS. Invoice INV-2847 ($1,250) still due. Pay: bit.ly/inv2847 or we'll email." Document the opt-out in your records.
Can I send payment reminder texts on weekends?
Legally yes (TCPA allows it), but response rates are 20-30% lower and complaint rates higher. Use weekends only for urgent situations (service about to be cut, deadline today). For best results, stick to Tuesday-Thursday during business hours. If you must text on weekends, do so Saturday morning (9-11am), never Sunday evening.
Start Using SMS Reminders Today
SMS gets read. That's the bottom line. While your emails sit unopened, texts buzz in pockets and demand attention. Used strategically—after email goes unanswered or for time-sensitive situations—SMS can be your most effective collection tool.
Your action plan:
- Add SMS consent language to your contracts/invoices starting now
- Pick 5 templates from this guide (pre-due, due-day, +3, +7, final)
- Set up URL shorteners for your payment links (bit.ly is free)
- Test templates on yourself to verify character count and link functionality
- Start with due-day and +3 day reminders (highest response rates)
- Track responses: which stage gets most payments? Adjust timing accordingly
- Always honor opt-outs immediately
The key is knowing when to use SMS vs. email. Email is your workhorse for first reminders and detailed communication. SMS is your power tool for cutting through noise when time matters.
Related resources:
- Complete Payment Reminder Guide (Email, SMS, Letters, Automation)
- Polite Payment Reminder Email Templates
- Overdue Invoice Email Templates
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd Reminder Cadence
Get 80+ SMS Templates Plus 200+ Emails and Letters
Stop writing payment reminders character by character. Our Payment Reminder Mega Pack includes every template you need: 80+ SMS (all under 160 chars), 200+ emails, 20 letters, plus WhatsApp variants, timing guides, and compliance checklists.
What you'll save:
- 2-3 hours per week not writing reminders from scratch
- $10,000+ in recovered payments annually (average user)
- Legal headaches with TCPA-compliant templates
Limited Time: Use code PAYONTIME20 for 20% off Mega Pack + any Mini-Pack. Expires April 30, 2025.
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