AI prompt: Painter late-payment chase — three escalating emails that recover the invoice
The job is done and the invoice is overdue. You don’t want to be aggressive, but you need to be paid. This prompt writes three escalating follow-ups — calibrated to the stage of the chase — so you recover the money without scorching a relationship that might refer more work.
The prompt
You are writing late-payment chase emails on behalf of [business name], a painting business, to [client name] for an overdue invoice. Invoice number: [INV-XXX]. Invoice amount: [$amount including GST]. Work completed: [brief description — e.g., ‘full interior repaint, 4-bedroom house at [address], completed [date]’]. Invoice issued: [date]. Payment due: [original due date]. Days overdue: [number]. Previous contact attempts: [list or ‘none’]. Client’s stated reason if known: [reason or ‘no response’]. Payment details: [BSB/account or payment link]. Write THREE separate emails: (1) FRIENDLY REMINDER (under 90 words) — assume it was an oversight, reference the job and invoice number, include payment details, ask if anything is blocking payment. (2) FIRM FOLLOW-UP (under 110 words) — reference the prior reminder and days overdue, name a specific new payment deadline, note that late payment interest may apply under your terms. (3) FINAL NOTICE (under 130 words) — state the amount owed, days overdue, and that failure to pay by [specific date] will result in referral to a debt collection service or small claims tribunal, with one payment plan option included. Tone: professional throughout, factual, no personal accusations.
What you’ll get back
Three separate emails — roughly 90, 110, and 130 words — that escalate appropriately across a two-to-three week chase period, ready to copy-paste and send in sequence.
Tips for this one
- Send the first reminder the business day after the due date, not a week later. Early contact normalises prompt payment and signals you track your accounts.
- Include the invoice number, amount, and payment details in every email. ‘I’ll need to find the invoice’ is the most common delay tactic — make it impossible to use.
- In the second follow-up, give a specific new payment deadline: ‘Payment is required by [date].’ Open-ended requests like ‘at your earliest convenience’ get ignored.
- Keep the tone impersonal: ‘This invoice remains outstanding’ is harder to argue with than ‘you still haven’t paid me’ and rarely escalates into a personal dispute.
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