BadCop › Templates › Invoice reminder email for recurring (retainer) clients

Reminding a retainer client without souring a good relationship

When to send it

Before the due date, every month, as routine. Retainer clients are late by drift, not by intent; the pre-due note prevents the drift.

The email

Subject: This month's invoice {invoice_id}, due {due_date}Hi {client_name}, Routine note from the accounts side: this month's invoice {invoice_id} for {currency} {amount} is due on {due_date}. {pay_link} If you would like to set up a standing payment so these stop landing in your inbox, reply and we will sort it out. Thanks as always, {sender_name}

Placeholders in braces are filled in per invoice. Replace them by hand, or run badcop preview INV-1 --step courtesy to render this template for a real invoice.

Why it works

With a monthly client the relationship matters more than any single invoice, so the reminder is framed as routine housekeeping from the accounts side, not as a complaint from you.

Tips

Offer autopay or a standing order in the email itself. It removes the problem for good.
Send it from the accounts address even if you are the whole company; it keeps the personal relationship separate.
If a retainer client slips twice, move them to payment in advance.

Automate it

This is the courtesy step in BadCop's default ladder, sent at T-3 days from the due date. Put your invoices in a CSV, run one command a day, and every open invoice gets the right email at the right time, once.

pip install badcop
badcop init && badcop run --dry-run