- Chapter 01: Credit approval
- Chapter 02: Request for trade reference
- Chapter 03: Request for Bank Reference
- Chapter 04: Collateral Certificate Renewal
- Chapter 05: Tax Certificate Renewal
- Chapter 06: Credit Information Letter
- Chapter 07: Refusal of Credit Extension
- Chapter 08: Credit Limit Upgrade
- Chapter 09: Blocked Order
- Chapter 10: Sales Notification (Internal)
- Chapter 11: Pro-active Payment Reminder
- Chapter 12: Early Payment Discount Reminder
- Chapter 13: First Past-due Reminder
- Chapter 14: Second Past-due Reminder
- Chapter 15: Third Past-due Reminder
- Chapter 16: Suspension of Credit
- Chapter 17: Default on Payment Commitment
- Chapter 18: Escalation Notice
- Chapter 19: Collecting from Key Accounts
- Chapter 20: Collecting from Slow-paying Customers
- Chapter 21: Collecting from Fast-paying Customers
Chapter Chapter 01
Credit approval
The sample email is written to welcome and establish credit terms with the customer.
Best-practices:
- Be warm and clear – remember this is the first email which the customer is going to receive
- Clearly specify the credit terms with details such as <due-dates>, early payment discounts, service charges for late payments
- Attach the credit policy
Chapter Chapter 02
Request for trade reference
The sample email is written to get credit information from trade references
Best-practices:
- Clearly specify the required information from the customer
- Remind the customer to attach the required document
- Clearly redirect the customer by providing link to the portal
Chapter Chapter 03
Request for Bank Reference
The sample email is written to get credit information from banks.
Best-practices:
- Request for all the information required from the bank
- Clearly mention that the customer’s credit application has been attached for their reference
- Specify the link where they can fill in the information
- Provide a link to the portal to upload the bank reference document
Chapter Chapter 04
Collateral Certificate Renewal
The sample email is written to remind the customer to renew the collateral certificate before the expiry date
Best-practices:
- Clearly inform about the expiry of the previous document
- Clearly spell out the date by which the certificate will expire
- Remind the customer to attach the required document
Chapter Chapter 05
Tax Certificate Renewal
The sample email is written to remind the customer to renew the tax certificate before the expiry date
Best-practices:
- Clearly inform about the expiry of the previous document
- Clearly spell out the date by which the certificate will expire
- Remind the customer to attach the required document
Chapter Chapter 06
Credit Information Letter
The sample email is written requesting the customer for some additional credit information required to complete the credit application
Best-practices:
- Clearly specify the credit information that you require
- Redirect them to the portal to fill in the details
Chapter Chapter 07
Refusal of Credit Extension
The sample email acknowledges the request for a credit extension by the customer, but then informs the customer why it cannot be set up
Best-practices:
- Inform about rejection of credit extension
- Clearly specify the reason for rejection of the customer’s request
- Call out for the total value of the outstanding or past-due invoices
- Offer convenient payment options
- Attach the original invoices to avoid further to and fro in requesting invoice information
Chapter Chapter 08
Credit Limit Upgrade
The sample email is written to inform the customer regarding the extension of their credit limit
Best-practices:
- Clearly mention the existing credit limit
- Specify the extended credit limit
- Offer reaching out directly to you
Chapter Chapter 09
Blocked Order
The sample email is written when the customer’s order gets blocked due to outstanding payments
Best-practices:
- Use this as a polite reminder regarding the approaching credit limit
- Include the details of the invoices, amount and promised payment date
- Offer convenient payment options
- Attach the original invoices to avoid further to and fro in requesting invoice information
Chapter Chapter 10
Sales Notification (Internal)
The sample email is written to the sales team regarding new customers and extended credit limit for existing customers
Best-practices:
- Clearly specify the account name
- Clearly Specify the corresponding updated credit limit
Chapter Chapter 11
Pro-active Payment Reminder
The sample email is written to inform the customer regarding payment dues
Best-practices:
- Be polite – remember that this is just a pro-active reminder; do not assume that the customer will default
- Clearly specify the invoices and the due-dates
- Urge them to make a payment with their earliest A/P run
- Share options for easy payment methods through an EIPP portal
Chapter Chapter 12
Early Payment Discount Reminder
The sample email is written to inform the customer regarding early payment discounts they can avail
Best-practices:
- Clearly call out the offer – a discount on early payment
- Clearly spell out the date by which payment must be made
- Detail any invoices with the actual amounts to be paid – this clears any confusion in buyers manually calculating final amounts
- Urge them to make a payment with their earliest A/P run
- Provide convenient payment options
Chapter Chapter 13
First Past-due Reminder
The sample email is written as the first reminder for the customer’s past-due invoices
Best-practices:
- Clarify whether the customer has received any previous invoice copies
- Call out the invoices for which payment has been delayed – specify the actual date
- Ask the customer to reach out to customer serivce in case of any issues
- Offer convenient payment options
Chapter Chapter 14
Second Past-due Reminder
The sample email is written as the second reminder for the customer’s past-due invoices
Best-practices:
- Clearly inform about the delay in payment
- Call out the email as a ‘second’ past-due reminder
- Remind the customer to make a payment at their earliest possible
- Offer the option of making a payment commitment through your EIPP portal
- Offer convenient payment options
- Attach the original invoices to avoid further to and fro in requesting invoice information
Chapter Chapter 15
Third Past-due Reminder
The sample email is written as the third reminder for the customer’s past-due invoices
Best-practices:
- Call out the possible outcomes for further non-receipt
- Drop any non-essential courtesy or flowery language
- Remind the customer to make a payment at their earliest possible
- Offer convenient payment options
- Offer the option of making a payment commitment through your EIPP portal
- Attach the original invoices to avoid further to and fro in requesting invoice information
Chapter Chapter 16
Suspension of Credit
The sample email is written to inform the customer that the credit for their account has been suspended due to prolonged delinquency
Best-practices:
- Inform about discontinued credit
- Clearly specify the reason for discontinuation of credit to the account
- Call out the total value of outstanding or past-due invoices
- Offer reaching out directly to a customer service representative as the first option
- Offer convenient payment options
- Offer the option of making a payment commitment through your EIPP portal
- Attach the original invoices to avoid further to and fro in requesting invoice information
Chapter Chapter 17
Default on Payment Commitment
The sample email is written as a reminder to the customer about the unfulfilled payment commitment
Best-practices:
- Include the details of the invoice, amount and promised payment date
- Ask the customer to contact a customer service representative for any help in facilitating the payment
- Offer convenient payment options
- Attach the original invoices to avoid further to and fro in requesting invoice information
Chapter Chapter 18
Escalation Notice
The sample email is written in an extra-ordinary circumstance in which the recipient is being reached out to for long outstanding dues
Best-practices:
- Highlight all the information they need to help process the payment
- Offer convenient payment options
- Attach the original invoices to avoid further to and fro in requesting invoice information
- Use this template sparingly to avoid diluting its impact and value
Chapter Chapter 19
Collecting from Key Accounts
The sample email is written as a polite reminder to the customer to clear few invoices that have outstanding payments
Best-practices:
- Appreciate the relationship with the customer
- Be polite and helpful with any additional details they may need in processing the payment
- Offer convenient payment options
- Attach the original invoices so that all information is available in one place
Chapter Chapter 20
Collecting from Slow-paying Customers
The sample email is written to collect from customers who are very slow in their payments and have outstanding invoices
Best-practices:
- Share all information required in a single place
- Be up-front about the implications of continued delay in payments
- Offer support in answering any questions
- Offer convenient payment options
Chapter Chapter 21
Collecting from Fast-paying Customers
The sample email is written as a polite reminder for customers who are usually fast-paying but have some outstanding invoices
Best-practices:
- Be polite – these customers have always paid you on-time
- Offer the benefit of doubt and ask them to reach out to customer service for any help
- Offer convenient payment options
- Attach the original invoices so that all information is available in one place
