Unpaid invoice reminder letter in English and French (lettre de relance bilingue)
If your customer or their accounts team works in French, a reminder in both languages helps it reach the right person. Here are three reminder letters, with the English and the French side by side, ready to copy and adapt. Une relance de facture impayée en anglais et en français.
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About these letters
These are wording templates for a UK supplier writing to a customer who reads French, or for a French speaker who needs the English wording used on UK invoices. They are written for a simple reminder of an unpaid invoice and do not set out legal rights. Which country's law applies to a debt depends on your contract and your customer, so check before you claim interest or fees on a cross-border invoice. For UK late payment rules between businesses, see late payment fees in the UK.
Replace the items in square brackets. Keep the invoice number and amounts identical in both languages.
Useful words
| English | Français |
|---|---|
| invoice | facture |
| invoice number | numéro de facture |
| due date | date d'échéance |
| overdue / unpaid | en retard / impayée |
| payment reminder | relance de paiement |
| bank transfer | virement bancaire |
| amount due | montant dû |
| final reminder | dernier rappel |
1. First reminder: polite (première relance)
Subject: Payment reminder: invoice [NUMBER] Objet : Relance de paiement – facture n° [NUMBER] Dear [NAME], Bonjour [NOM], I hope you are well. Our invoice [NUMBER] for [AMOUNT], dated [DATE], was due on [DUE DATE] and we have not yet received payment. A copy is attached. J'espère que vous allez bien. Notre facture n° [NUMBER] d'un montant de [AMOUNT], datée du [DATE], était à régler le [DUE DATE] et nous n'avons pas encore reçu le paiement. Vous la trouverez en pièce jointe. Could you please confirm when payment will be made? If you have already paid, please ignore this message. Pourriez-vous nous confirmer la date de règlement ? Si vous avez déjà payé, merci de ne pas tenir compte de ce message. Kind regards, Cordialement, [YOUR NAME]
2. Second notice: firmer (deuxième relance)
Subject: Second reminder: overdue invoice [NUMBER] Objet : Deuxième relance – facture n° [NUMBER] impayée Dear [NAME], Bonjour [NOM], We wrote to you on [DATE] about invoice [NUMBER] for [AMOUNT], which was due on [DUE DATE] and is now [X] days overdue. Nous vous avons écrit le [DATE] au sujet de la facture n° [NUMBER] d'un montant de [AMOUNT], échue le [DUE DATE] et en retard de [X] jours. Please pay the full amount by [DATE] by bank transfer to the account below. If there is a problem with the invoice, please tell us by return so that we can resolve it. Merci de régler la totalité du montant avant le [DATE] par virement bancaire sur le compte ci-dessous. En cas de problème concernant cette facture, merci de nous le signaler dès réception de ce message afin que nous puissions le résoudre. Account name / Titulaire du compte : [NAME] Sort code / Account number : [SORT CODE] / [ACCOUNT NUMBER] IBAN / BIC (if paid from abroad / si paiement depuis l'étranger) : [IBAN] / [BIC] Reference / Référence : [NUMBER] Kind regards, Cordialement, [YOUR NAME]
3. Final reminder (dernier rappel)
Subject: Final reminder: invoice [NUMBER], payment due by [DATE] Objet : Dernier rappel – facture n° [NUMBER], à régler avant le [DATE] Dear [NAME], Bonjour [NOM], Despite our earlier reminders of [DATE 1] and [DATE 2], invoice [NUMBER] for [AMOUNT] remains unpaid. This is our final reminder. Malgré nos relances du [DATE 1] et du [DATE 2], la facture n° [NUMBER] d'un montant de [AMOUNT] reste impayée. Il s'agit de notre dernier rappel. If we do not receive payment, or a written explanation, by [DATE], we will consider the steps available to us to recover the amount owed. Si nous ne recevons ni le paiement ni une explication écrite avant le [DATE], nous envisagerons les démarches à notre disposition pour recouvrer la somme due. Kind regards, Cordialement, [YOUR NAME]
If you are claiming interest and a fixed fee from a UK business, use the English letters in payment reminder and final demand letter templates. Have the figures ready from the late payment interest calculator.
Tips for sending bilingual reminders
- Send to a named person in accounts where you can, and attach the invoice every time.
- Write dates unambiguously: "15 October 2026 / 15 octobre 2026", because 10/11 can mean different months to different readers.
- Say which currency the invoice is in, and include IBAN and BIC for foreign payers.
- Keep the first two letters light. Most late invoices are oversights. See invoice email wording for the first message.
For the English invoice itself, see what must be on it in sole trader invoice requirements.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a payment reminder in French?
Use a clear subject such as « Relance de paiement – facture n° … », state the invoice number, amount and due date, and ask for payment or a payment date. The templates above give the wording.
Comment relancer une facture impayée en anglais ?
Écrivez un message court et poli : rappelez le numéro de facture, le montant et la date d'échéance, joignez la facture et demandez la date de règlement. Le modèle ci-dessus fournit le texte en anglais et en français.
Can I claim UK late payment interest from a customer in France?
That depends on your contract and which country's law applies. The UK statutory scheme is for UK business-to-business payments, so check before you claim on a cross-border invoice.
What bank details should I add for a foreign customer?
Add your IBAN and BIC alongside your UK sort code and account number, and state the currency of the invoice.
Sources
- Late commercial payments: charging interest and debt recovery – GOV.UK
- Invoices: what they must include – GOV.UK
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and rates change, so check the linked GOV.UK pages for the current position.