A payment reminder message nudges a customer about money that is due: an advance not yet paid for a cake or catering booking, a tiffin plan that renews tomorrow, a balance due at pickup, or cash on delivery the rider forgot to collect. Home bakers, caterers, tiffin services and restaurants with office accounts send these most. What makes a reminder work is that it reads like a note from a business that trusts the customer. It states the exact amount, what it is for and when it is due, and it carries a link so that paying takes one tap and nobody feels accused.
Send the first reminder a day before the due date, not after it. Space follow-ups two or three days apart and stop at three messages; after that, pick up the phone. Every reminder should quote the amount, what it covers and the due date, with a payment link or your UPI ID. Keep the tone of the third message the same as the first. Never mention someone's dues in a group chat or to anyone else, and do not send reminders late at night. These are service messages about an existing order or plan, so no opt-out line is needed, and they are not the place for offers. For the first request, use a payment link message; these templates are for what comes after.
Advance due tomorrow (pre-order or custom cake)
Hi [Name], a reminder that the advance of ₹[Advance] for your [Item] on [Date] is due by tomorrow, [Due Date]. You can pay here: [Link]. Once it is in, your slot is confirmed and we start preparing.
नमस्ते [Name], याद दिला दें कि [Date] वाले आपके [Item] का ₹[Advance] advance कल, [Due Date] तक देना है। यहाँ pay कर सकते हैं: [Link]। Advance आते ही आपका slot पक्का हो जाएगा और हम तैयारी शुरू कर देंगे।Advance not received, slot held until a time
Hi [Name], we have not yet received the advance for order [Order ID] on [Date]. We are holding the slot for you until [Time] today, after which we will have to release it. If you still want the order, pay here: [Link]. If your plans changed, reply CANCEL and we will close it.
नमस्ते [Name], [Date] वाले order [Order ID] का advance अभी तक नहीं आया है। आज [Time] तक हम आपके लिए slot रोक कर रखेंगे, उसके बाद छोड़ना पड़ेगा। Order चाहिए तो यहाँ pay कर दीजिए: [Link]। Plan बदल गया हो तो CANCEL लिख दें, हम order बंद कर देंगे।Balance due before delivery or pickup
Hi [Name], your [Item] for order [Order ID] will be ready on [Date] at [Time]. The balance of ₹[Balance] is due before delivery. You can pay it here now: [Link], or keep it ready at the time of [Pickup or Delivery].
नमस्ते [Name], order [Order ID] का आपका [Item] [Date] को [Time] तक तैयार होगा। बाकी ₹[Balance] delivery से पहले देने हैं। अभी यहाँ pay कर सकते हैं: [Link], या [Pickup or Delivery] के समय तैयार रखें।Cash on delivery, rider on the way
Hi [Name], your order [Order ID] is out for delivery and should reach you by [Time]. Amount to pay on delivery: ₹[Amount]. Please keep cash ready, or pay the rider by UPI. If you would rather pay now, use [Link].
नमस्ते [Name], आपका order [Order ID] निकल चुका है और [Time] तक पहुँच जाएगा। Delivery पर देने हैं: ₹[Amount]। Cash तैयार रखें या rider को UPI से दे दें। अभी pay करना चाहें तो [Link] पर कर दीजिए।Cash on delivery not collected (your mistake)
Hi [Name], thank you for your order [Order ID] yesterday. Our rider did not collect the ₹[Amount] at the door, which is our slip. Could you pay it here when convenient: [Link]. If you already paid the rider, reply and we will check with our team.
नमस्ते [Name], कल के order [Order ID] के लिए शुक्रिया। हमारे rider ने दरवाज़े पर ₹[Amount] नहीं लिए, यह हमारी गलती है। जब सुविधा हो, यहाँ pay कर दीजिए: [Link]। अगर आपने rider को पैसे दे दिए थे तो reply कर दें, हम अपनी team से पता कर लेंगे।Tiffin plan renews tomorrow
Hi [Name], your [Plan Name] tiffin plan ends tomorrow, [End Date]. To continue from [Start Date], the amount for next month is ₹[Amount]. Pay here: [Link]. If you want to change the plan or pause, reply here before [Time] tomorrow.
नमस्ते [Name], आपका [Plan Name] tiffin plan कल, [End Date] को खत्म हो रहा है। [Start Date] से चालू रखने के लिए अगले महीने के ₹[Amount] हैं। यहाँ pay करें: [Link]। Plan बदलना या रोकना हो तो कल [Time] से पहले यहीं बता दीजिए।Tiffin plan overdue, first follow-up
Hi [Name], the ₹[Amount] for your [Plan Name] plan was due on [Due Date] and we have not received it yet. Your tiffin is still coming as usual. Could you pay when you get a moment: [Link]. If you have already paid, please share the reference and we will match it.
नमस्ते [Name], आपके [Plan Name] plan के ₹[Amount] [Due Date] को due थे, जो अभी तक हमें नहीं मिले हैं। आपका tiffin रोज़ की तरह आ रहा है। जब time मिले, यहाँ pay कर दीजिए: [Link]। अगर pay कर चुके हैं तो reference भेज दें, हम मिला लेंगे।Second follow-up (polite, with a pause date)
Hi [Name], a follow-up on the ₹[Amount] for your [Plan Name] plan, due on [Due Date]. We will keep your tiffin going until [Pause Date]. After that we will pause deliveries until it is paid, and restart the next day once it comes in: [Link]. Reply if anything about the amount looks wrong.
नमस्ते [Name], आपके [Plan Name] plan के ₹[Amount] के बारे में दोबारा message कर रहे हैं, जो [Due Date] को due थे। [Pause Date] तक tiffin चलता रहेगा। उसके बाद payment आने तक delivery रोकनी पड़ेगी, और payment आते ही अगले दिन से फिर शुरू: [Link]। Amount में कुछ गलत लगे तो reply कर दीजिए।Monthly office account statement
Hi [Name], the statement for [Company]'s orders in [Month] is attached: [Orders] orders, ₹[Amount] including GST. Payment is due by [Due Date] as agreed. You can pay by bank transfer to [Account Details] or through [Link]. Please share the reference once paid.
नमस्ते [Name], [Month] में [Company] के orders का statement साथ में भेजा है: [Orders] orders, GST मिलाकर ₹[Amount]। तय हुए हिसाब से [Due Date] तक payment करना है। [Account Details] पर bank transfer कर सकते हैं या [Link] से pay कर सकते हैं। Pay करने के बाद reference भेज दीजिए।Catering balance after the event
Hi [Name], thank you for having us at [Event] on [Date]. As per the quote, the balance of ₹[Balance] is now due. Your final bill with GST: [Bill Link]. You can pay here: [Link]. If the guest count changed on the day, tell us and we will adjust the bill.
नमस्ते [Name], [Date] को [Event] में हमें मौका देने के लिए शुक्रिया। Quote के हिसाब से बाकी ₹[Balance] अब due हैं। GST के साथ final bill: [Bill Link]। यहाँ pay कर सकते हैं: [Link]। अगर उस दिन मेहमानों की गिनती बदली थी तो बता दीजिए, हम bill ठीक कर देंगे।Last reminder before you call
Hi [Name], this is our last message about the ₹[Amount] due for [Order or Plan] since [Due Date]. We would like to sort it out without any awkwardness. You can pay here: [Link], or reply with a date that works for you. If we do not hear back, [Owner Name] will give you a call on [Date].
नमस्ते [Name], [Due Date] से due [Order or Plan] के ₹[Amount] के बारे में यह हमारा आखिरी message है। हम चाहते हैं कि बात आराम से निपट जाए। यहाँ pay कर सकते हैं: [Link], या आपके लिए जो date ठीक हो वो बता दीजिए। आपका reply न आया तो [Date] को [Owner Name] आपको call करेंगे।Tips for sending these on WhatsApp
- Remind before the due date. A note the day before reads as help, while a chase three days after reads as a complaint, and the first tends to get paid sooner.
- Send the reminder in the same chat as the original order or plan, so the customer can scroll up and see what the money is for.
- Track who owes what in one list, not in your head. Stopping the monthly chase for tiffin dues walks through a simple system.
- For customers who have missed payments twice, ask for payment upfront on the next order. On Tezzu you can take UPI and card payments through Razorpay at checkout as well as cash on delivery, so prepaid is one option at the time of ordering. Collecting advance payment for food orders covers when to insist on it.
- When the money comes in, send a payment received message the same day. It ends the chase on a friendly note.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a polite payment reminder message?
Start with the customer's name, state the amount and what it is for, give the due date and add a payment link. Leave out words like "pending dues" or "final notice" in the first message. Assume they forgot, because usually they did. A line such as "if you have already paid, share the reference and we will match it" keeps the tone friendly and catches payments you may have missed.
How many payment reminders should I send before calling?
Three is a sensible limit: one the day before the due date, one two or three days after, and a final one that says when you will call. More messages than that start to feel like pressure and rarely change the outcome. A short, friendly phone call usually settles what three messages could not, and it keeps the relationship intact.
Should I take an advance for custom cakes and bulk orders?
Yes. For anything made to order, such as a custom cake, a catering booking or a large office order, an advance of 30 to 50 percent covers your ingredients if the customer cancels late. State the advance and the balance due date when you confirm the order, and send the reminder the day before the advance is due.