CANADIAN B2B INVOICE FOLLOW-UP
Canadian payment reminder templates for overdue business invoices
A late business invoice may be waiting on the wrong contact, a purchase order, a vendor portal or a payment that has not reached your ledger. Pick the message that fits the actual hold, then replace every bracketed field with verified details.
Before you send a reminder
- Match the invoice, due date, credits and payments to your records.
- Use the customer’s requested AP contact or billing channel; a vendor portal may be required.
- If the work or amount is disputed, pause payment requests and have a person review the issue.
- Check your basis for contacting the recipient and respect any opt-out or channel restriction.
These are examples for your business to adapt and send. RemitRight’s automated follow-up is by text; it does not email a shared AP inbox or submit invoices to vendor portals. These examples are not formal legal demands or a determination of what provincial rules permit.
Four accounts-payable follow-ups
First check: is the invoice in AP’s queue?
Use this when you have not confirmed that the customer’s accounts-payable team received the invoice.
Subject: Invoice [number], due [date] — payment status
Hi [AP name], could you confirm whether invoice [number] for [work or order], [amount] due [date], has reached your payment queue? If you need a purchase order, vendor form or supporting document, please tell me what is missing and where to send it. If payment has already been sent, a remittance reference will help us reconcile it. Thanks, [your name].
A purchase order or vendor-portal step is missing
Use this after AP identifies a processing hold. Ask for the exact step instead of sending another payment demand.
Subject: Invoice [number] — details needed for AP processing
Hi [AP name], thanks for explaining that invoice [number] is on hold because [missing requirement]. Could you confirm the purchase-order number, portal link or document you need, and the person who can approve it? We will correct the submission and confirm when it is received. Please let us know if any part of the invoice itself is in dispute. Thanks, [your name].
The customer says payment is already on its way
Use this when AP reports an EFT, cheque or card payment that your ledger does not yet show.
Subject: Invoice [number] — remittance details for reconciliation
Hi [AP name], thank you for letting us know payment for invoice [number] was sent. Could you share the payment date, amount and remittance reference, plus the payment method if available? We will check our records before following up about this balance again. Thanks, [your name].
The balance is agreed, but the customer needs time
Use this only after the amount and payer are confirmed. The AP contact may need to refer a proposed arrangement to someone with authority to approve it.
Subject: Invoice [number] — discuss payment timing
Hi [name], thanks for confirming the outstanding balance of [amount] on invoice [number]. If paying it in full by [date] is difficult, would you like to discuss a written payment schedule? Please tell me who can approve an arrangement and which dates are realistic. We can review the amount, timing and any applicable fees before either side agrees. Thanks, [your name].
Choose the next step after AP replies
Fix a missing billing step first. Reconcile a payment claim before sending another reminder. If the balance is agreed and the payer wants more time, discuss a voluntary arrangement with the person who can approve it. For a dispute, insolvency or approaching legal deadline, get appropriate professional advice.