How To Ask for Payment Politely Via Text Message 

We usually think of texting as an informal way to communicate with friends and family, but it can be used for so much more. 

You can text to schedule meetings, plan events, clarify information, and ask for payments from others, but as a business owner or freelancer, it can be tough to know how to phrase a payment request. You want to be approachable, professional, and kind while still setting expectations. 

Luckily, requesting invoice payments isn’t nearly as hard as any of those analytical essays in English class were. Seriously, has anyone considered that perhaps the character’s bag was blue because they liked blue and not because they were sad? 

So, if you survived English class, requesting payment is going to be a piece of cake with these tips and templates.

1. The Introduction

The first thing your recipient will see when you request payment from them is your introduction. This is not a whole paragraph; don’t worry. It’s just a few sentences to set the tone of your message and hopefully start on the right foot. 

The Greeting

To start, all you need to include is a simple greeting and the client’s name. The greeting you pick can depend on who you’re contacting and how friendly you are with them. But a good place to start is a simple “Hello.” Then, you have them at hello. 

Your “hello” should be followed by the recipient’s name. Again, depending on your relationship with them, you can decide if a first name is enough or if the situation calls for their full name. Including their name is important so they’re sure you meant to contact them. 

Here are a few examples ranging in formality: 

Formal: 

• Hello, Susan Smith. 
• Dear Susan Smith, 
• Good morning/evening, Susan Smith. 

Less Formal:

• Hello Susan! 
• Good morning/evening, Susan! 

Using punctuation like commas, exclamation points, and periods can help set the tone of your message. 

A Sentence To Show You Care

If you actually like the person you’re requesting payment from or simply want to butter them up, it’s best to insert a nice sentence to show you care. After your greeting, add something like: 

• I hope this message finds you well. 
• I hope you are having a nice day. 

If you know the recipient personally, you could add something personal here as well. But if not, be sure to keep it clear, concise, and professional. So, all together, your introduction should read something like: 

• Hello, Susan Smith. I hope this message finds you well. 

OR

• Hello Susan! I hope you are having a great day. 

Including Your Name

It can be helpful to include a short statement that explains who you are if the person you’re requesting payment from has more of a business relationship with you. Especially if the person doesn’t have your contact information in their phone, you want to be sure to state who you are. 

This can be done quickly, like so: 

• Hello, Susan Smith. This is Mike Johnson. 

If there is any other necessary information that would help the recipient identify you, like a group you belong to or a common place you’ve been to, you can include that as well. 

Your message would then be something like: 

• Hello, Susan Smith. This is Mike Johnson from the apple market. 

And now we’re thinking about apple pie. 

2. Requesting the Payment

Now for the nitty gritty “asking for payment” portion of your message. The best strategy is to be upfront, explanatory, and detailed when asking for the payment. You want the recipient to have no questions about what it is you’re asking for. 

By including all of the essential information, you also build your credibility as someone asking them for a payment. That way, they can’t possibly consider that you may be involved in a scam or fraud. 

A few key details to include in your payment request are: 

• What the payment is for 
• The amount due 
• The due date of the payment 

Providing the recipient with this information upfront will prevent any delays that may come from them having to ask follow-up questions. An example of this information phrased together would be: 

Polite/Friendly:

I just wanted to send a friendly reminder to you about the payment of (amount of payment) for (whatever it’s for). It was due on (date). 

More Urgent:

I wanted to let you know that you have an overdue payment of (amount of payment) for (whatever it’s for). The agreed due date was (date). 

Reminding them of the pre-established payment terms is crucial in ensuring they are able to find the payment details in their records and hopefully, settle the bill before legal action is necessary. 

The Follow-Up Sentence 

So, you’ve informed them of their outstanding payment, added the payment deadline, and included any other necessary details. But you can’t sign off there. It’s nice to include one buffer sentence before officially diving into your conclusion to avoid sounding too demanding or aggressive. 

Some simple sentences to use for this are something like: 

• Let me know if you have any further questions. 
• I appreciate you checking on this. 
• Please settle this bill at your earliest convenience. 
• Let me know if there is anything I can do to facilitate the payment process. 

If your agreed payment method includes any late fees, you’ll want to address this here as well. Add something like: Just a reminder that there is a $20 late fee for every day the payment is overdue. That way, the recipient knows how their payment option works and can’t forget any late payment fees. 

The point is that you want to reinforce the idea that they are going to pay the overdue invoice or payment, but you also want to maintain approachability. 

3. The Conclusion

The grand finale. The epic climax of the action movie. This is your moment to close it all out and feel the sweet relief of one more item checked off your to-do list.

Your concluding statement's main requirement is to include some sort of “thank you” or acknowledgment of their time and attention. 

Try something like: 

• Thank you for understanding. 
• Thank you for attending to this situation. 
• Thank you for your time. 

Finally, sign off essentially how you would in a letter. Including your name is important, especially if you opt out of the greeting. You want them to be sure who you are. 

A good sign-off would be: 

• Best wishes, Mike Johnson. 
• Regards, Mike Johnson. 

Choose something that fits the tone you’ve established in the rest of the message. 

4. Putting It All Together

So, you have the puzzle pieces. The building blocks. But what does it look like all together? The template below is a great example of a professional but courteous payment reminder text. Just insert your information into the blanks. 

Hello, (recipient name). I hope this message finds you well. I just wanted to send a friendly reminder to you about the payment of (amount of payment) for (whatever it’s for). It was due on (date). I appreciate you checking up on this. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Regards, (your name). 

Nailed it. 

Be Mindful of the Time of Day

For the best responses, be sure to send your payment requests during the daytime, when the recipient is more likely to be awake and able to respond. 

When asking for money, the last thing you need is for your text to wake them up at night. And if they live in another timezone, take that into consideration before sending your message. 

5. Follow Up

Despite the masterful payment request we know you sent, people sometimes need a few polite reminders. If you don’t receive a response or a payment within a few days, send a similar message asking for them to complete the payment. 

Just add something like: 

• I wanted to follow up on my previous message regarding the overdue payment for (reason for payment). 

6. Using a Second Number for Payment Reminders

Organizing payments, both past due and presently due, can be overwhelming when managing it all on one phone number. A great strategy to help manage your cash flows and late payments is to use a second phone number app. 

Second-number apps like Burner allow you to keep your payment contacts separate from your primary ones. This way, when you need to ask for timely payments, all of your contacts are already in one place. And when people reply, you’re less likely to lose their response amidst the rest of your regular messages. It’s an organizer’s dream. 

If you ever need to make phone calls to those who pay you, you can do that as well on your Burner phone. You can generate a custom phone number to heighten digital security and prevent anyone unknown from accessing your real number. 

And if you’ve ever asked, “How can I send a text message without showing my number?” The answer is Burner. 

With Burner, you can easily streamline managing payments and contacting those who’ve missed their payment due date.

Texting for Payment: The Bottom Line

The important things to remember when asking for payment politely via text or SMS messages are: 

• Address the recipient by name with a nice greeting
• Explain the situation and include payment details
• Sign off with a polite farewell and include your name

Texting is faster than sending payment reminder emails and easier than agonizing over lengthy email templates or polite subject lines. So craft that amazing note, make sure it’s concise but includes all the details, and send a follow-up text if needed. 

Sources: 

How to Write Any Type of Letter

How To Make a Short Letter Work | SOFII

Late Fee: Definition, How They Work, and How to Avoid Them | Investopedia