Payment reminders

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

Your business is in Germany or Austria, your client is in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE, and the invoice is still open? Here are three English reminders ready to copy: payment reminder, second reminder and final notice, with euro or dirham amounts and your international transfer details in the right place.

Wrong country? Pick your client's country here.

Payment reminder to a client in the UAE: 3 English templates
Published
Updated
Reading time
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On this page
  1. Your law, your interest
  2. The three templates
  3. What is different with clients in the UAE
  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 [EUR / AED] [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 [EUR / AED] [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 [EUR / AED] [amount] is still outstanding despite two reminders, most recently on [date].

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

  • English is the business language. The official language is Arabic, but business is done in English. The templates above work as they are.
  • Euros, dirhams or dollars. The local currency is the dirham (AED), pegged to the US dollar. Fix the currency in the contract. If you invoice in euros, your client carries the exchange-rate risk, not you.
  • International transfer with IBAN and BIC. There is no SEPA in the UAE. Intermediary banks may deduct fees, so allow a few extra days before you send the next stage.
  • Final notice with proof of delivery. In the UAE, notices in commercial matters go by notary, registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, approved electronic means or the method you agreed on. Send the final notice in a way that lets you prove it arrived.
  • Weekend and Ramadan. The working week is Monday to Friday, the weekend Saturday and Sunday. During Ramadan, working hours are shorter and approvals take longer. The month moves every year, so set deadlines in that period more generously.
  • No VAT ID, no reverse charge. The UAE is not in the EU. B2B services to companies there are usually not taxable in Germany or Austria, so the EU reverse-charge line drops out.

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

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Frequently asked questions

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

Yes. English is the usual business language in the UAE. What matters is that the reminder is clear: invoice number, amount, 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.

Which currency do I use in the reminder?

The currency of the invoice, so euros or dirhams, depending on what you agreed. Never switch to a different currency in the reminder.

How do I best send the final notice?

By email, plus in a way that lets you prove delivery, such as a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or the method agreed in your contract.

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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: Federal Decree-Law No. 50 of 2022 (Commercial Transactions Law) · § 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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