Payment reminders

Payment reminder to a client in the UK: 3 English templates

Your business is in Germany or Austria, your client is in the UK, and the invoice is still open? Here are three English reminders ready to copy: payment reminder, second reminder and final notice, with amounts in pounds, no EU reverse-charge line and your bank details in the right place.

Wrong country? Pick your client's country here.

Payment reminder to a client in the UK: 3 English templates
Published
Updated
Reading time
4 min read
On this page
  1. Your law, your interest
  2. The three templates
  3. What is different with clients in the UK
  4. How Backbone does it
  5. Frequently asked questions

Your law, your interest

Your contract is usually governed by your German or Austrian law; best to state that in your quote and your terms. For business clients, German law gives you 9 percentage points above the base rate, so 10.52% for the second half of 2026, plus a EUR 40 flat fee. Austrian law gives you 9.2 points, so 10.73%, also with EUR 40. The late-payment interest calculator works out the exact amount.

The three templates

Pick where your business is based, Germany or Austria, above each template: the rate, the law and the flat fee are already filled in. You only replace the bracketed placeholders.

Stage 1: Payment reminder
Subject: Payment reminder — invoice [number]

Dear [Mr/Ms surname],

I hope you are well. This is a friendly reminder that invoice [number] of [invoice date] for GBP [amount] was due on [due date] and is still open on our side.

If the payment is already on its way, please disregard this message. Otherwise, please pay the amount by bank transfer to:

Account holder: [your company]
IBAN: [IBAN]
BIC (SWIFT): [BIC]
Reference: [invoice number]

Kind regards,
[your name]
Stage 2: Second reminder
Subject: Second reminder — invoice [number], now overdue

Dear [Mr/Ms surname],

Despite our reminder of [date], invoice [number] of [invoice date] for GBP [amount] remains unpaid. The payment is now [x] days overdue.

Please settle the outstanding amount by [new date]. Under our terms and German law (§ 288 BGB), default interest of 10.52% per annum applies from [date default began], plus a flat fee of EUR 40 for recovery costs.

IBAN: [IBAN] · BIC (SWIFT): [BIC] · Reference: [invoice number]

If there is a problem with this invoice, please contact me directly so we can sort it out.

Kind regards,
[your name]
Stage 3: Final notice
Subject: Final notice — invoice [number]

Dear [Mr/Ms surname],

Invoice [number] of [invoice date] for GBP [amount] is still outstanding despite two reminders, most recently on [date].

Outstanding amount:                     GBP [amount]
Default interest ([x] days at 10.52%):  GBP [interest]
Flat fee for recovery costs (EUR 40):   GBP [fee]
Total now due:                          GBP [total]

Please transfer the total to IBAN [IBAN] by [date]. If we have not received payment by then, we will hand the claim over for collection, and any further costs will be added to your account.

Kind regards,
[your name]

What is different with clients in the UK

  • 30 days is the norm. Without an agreement, 30 days apply in the UK, and a term of more than 60 days only stands if it is not grossly unfair. Asking for 30 days puts you right where UK buyers expect you to be.
  • Pounds or euros, but agreed up front. If you invoice in pounds, the euro value moves until the money arrives, and your bank converts it. Always send the reminder in the invoice currency, or the amount will not match your client's books.
  • International transfer with IBAN and BIC. A payment in pounds is not a SEPA transfer. Intermediary banks may deduct fees, so a few pounds can go missing. If your client pays in euros, SEPA works.
  • No VAT ID, no reverse charge. The UK is no longer in the EU. B2B services to UK companies are usually not taxable in Germany or Austria, so the EU reverse-charge line drops out. One short line on why the invoice shows no VAT saves you the follow-up question.
  • Write the date out. The British write day/month/year, Americans month/day/year. "5 November 2026" instead of "05/11/2026" makes every deadline clear.

Why this one matters to us

My goal is to optimise and automate back-office tasks so that we founders can focus on what matters most.

Automating back-office work with AI agents and AI integrations is the future – that's why I built Backbone!

LucaLucaFounder, Backbone

How Backbone does it

Dunning on autopilot. In the app, or in a chat with ChatGPT, Claude and many more.

  1. Switch on dunning

    Set it once. Runs by itself.

    In the chat

    Switch on dunning: first reminder after 7 days, then 14 and 28.

    Backbone connectorupdate_reminder_settings

    Automatic reminders are on.

    • Payment reminder after 7 days
    • 1st notice after 14 days
    • 2nd notice after 28 days
    In the app

  2. Who's overdue?

    One question, every open invoice.

    In the chat

    Which invoices are overdue?

    Backbone connectorlist_dunning
    Overdue
    3
    Nordlicht GmbH
    RE-2026-0118 · 21 days
    €4,280.00
    Kinetik Studio
    RE-2026-0124 · 9 days
    €1,190.00
    Fernweh Reisen
    RE-2026-0131 · 4 days
    €942.50
    Total€6,412.50

    Nordlicht has been open the longest.

    In the app

  3. Send the reminder

    You approve. Only then does it go out.

    In the chat

    Send Nordlicht the 2nd notice now, not on the 25th.

    Backbone connectorsend_reminder
    Send reminder
    Invoice RE-2026-0118 · Due 27/09/2026
    2nd noticeDE
    To
    Nordlicht GmbH[email protected]
    Outstanding€4,280.00Late interest 10.52% · 21 days€25.91Flat fee€40.00Total€4,345.91
    Expires in 28 min28 min
    In the app
  • Automatic dunningLive
  • ChatGPT, Claude and many moreLive
  • Cards in the chatLive

More on dunning

Frequently asked questions

Can I send a client in the UK a payment reminder in English?

Yes, English is the business language there anyway. What matters is that the reminder is clear: invoice number, amount in the invoice currency, deadline and bank details.

How much interest can I charge?

Under German law 10.52% a year, under Austrian law 10.73%. On top comes a EUR 40 flat fee (as of the second half of 2026). If your contract uses your client's law, their rules apply.

What payment terms are usual in the UK?

30 days apply if nothing was agreed. A term of more than 60 days only stands if it is not grossly unfair.

Do I have to send the reminder in pounds?

No. You use the currency of the invoice. If you invoiced in euros, the reminder stays in euros, and a SEPA transfer does the job.

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General information, not legal or tax advice and no review of your case. Details on providers and laws can change. For your case, follow your tax adviser.

Sources: Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, s. 4 · § 3a(2) UStG · § 3a(6) UStG 1994 · § 288 BGB · § 456 and § 458 UGB · Deutsche Bundesbank (base rate) · OeNB (base rate) · Directive 2011/7/EU

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