Nobody becomes a tennis coach or camp director to write payment chase messages. Yet chasing unpaid fees is the admin job clubs do most — and the one where tone matters most. Too soft and it gets ignored; too sharp and a parent who was merely busy now feels accused.
These templates split the difference: warm, specific, and impossible to misunderstand. Copy them, adapt the bracketed parts, and stop composing chase messages from scratch at 10pm.
Before you send anything
Every effective reminder contains four things. Missing any one and you'll get a reply instead of a payment:
- The amount (exact, not "outstanding fees")
- What it's for (session, camp week, term)
- How to pay (bank details and the payment reference, or a payment link)
- When (a date, not "as soon as possible")
WhatsApp / SMS templates
1. The friendly nudge (day after due date)
Hi [Name]! This is a friendly reminder that [Child]'s booking for [Session/Camp Week] is still showing as unpaid — £[amount], due [date]. Bank transfer details: [Account name], Sort [xx-xx-xx], Acc [xxxxxxxx], Ref: [INVOICE REF]. Any issues, just reply here. Thanks! [Club name]
2. The second reminder (7 days later)
Hi [Name] — just a quick follow-up on the invoice for [Child]'s [session] (£[amount], ref [INVOICE REF]). It can be easy to miss, so sending it again just in case! If you've paid in the last day or two, ignore this. Otherwise, could you get it sorted by [date]? Thanks so much.
3. The firm-but-fair final notice (14 days)
Hi [Name], I can see the invoice for [Child]'s [session] (£[amount], ref [INVOICE REF]) hasn't come through yet. As places are limited, we'll need to release it if payment isn't received by [date]. If there's a problem with timing, message me and we'll work something out — I'd rather keep [Child] in the session. Thanks for understanding.
4. The "we received it, thanks" confirmation
Hi [Name] — payment of £[amount] received for [Child], invoice [REF] is all settled. Thanks! See [him/her] at [session] on [date].
Send confirmations for every payment. They cost nothing, prevent "did you get my payment?" messages, and quietly build trust.
Email templates
5. The structured reminder (good for term fees)
Subject: [Club name] — payment reminder: [Child]'s [term/camp] fees (£[amount])
Hi [First name],
Quick reminder that invoice [INVOICE NUMBER] for [Child]'s [term/camp] is due on [date].
- Amount: £[amount]
- Reference: [INVOICE REF]
- Bank: [Account name], Sort [xx-xx-xx], Account [xxxxxxxx]
You can also see the invoice anytime in your parent portal: [link].
If you've already paid, thank you — ignore this. If timing is tricky, reply and we'll sort something out.
[Your name], [Club name]
6. The overdue notice
Subject: Action needed: [Child]'s [session] payment (£[amount])
Hi [First name],
Invoice [INVOICE NUMBER] (£[amount]) was due on [date] and is still outstanding. As places are limited and there's a waitlist, we may need to release [Child]'s place after [date].
Paying now takes two minutes: Ref [INVOICE REF] to [bank details], or pay by card here: [link].
If something's wrong — you paid, the amount is off, or circumstances changed — just reply to this email.
[Your name], [Club name]
The rules that make any template work
- One channel, one thread. Chase in the same channel the invoice went out in. Cross-channel chasing feels like harassment.
- Never in the group chat. Payment status is private. A public callout costs you a family and their friends.
- Assume good faith, always. "Just in case it slipped through" gets paid; "you still haven't paid" gets you muted.
- Stop at the system's edge. After two reminders and a final notice, escalate structurally (release the place, pause bookings) — not emotionally.
- Automate the trigger, personalize the message. The best chase is the one you don't write: a system that knows who's overdue and reminds you (or them) on schedule.
The structural fix
If you're sending these manually, you're doing the work software should do. Club Term generates an invoice with the invoice number as the reference on every booking, tracks each invoice's paid balance automatically, and gives parents a portal where they can see their own balance — which eliminates most reminders before they're needed. Scheduled reminder emails are on the roadmap.
Automate your club's invoicing → — and for the reconciliation side, see how to handle useless payment references.