What is a payment reminder?

A payment reminder is a notification sent to a subscriber before a payment is due or shortly after a payment has failed. Its purpose is to prompt the customer to ensure their billing information is current and their account has sufficient funds before the next charge attempt.

Payment reminders are a proactive retention tool. Unlike dunning emails, which respond to a failure that has already occurred, pre-billing reminders give customers an opportunity to prevent the failure entirely.

Types of payment reminders

There are two main categories. Pre-billing reminders notify the customer that a charge is coming — typically 3–7 days before the billing date. These are especially useful for annual subscriptions or high-value charges where a surprise decline would be disruptive. Post-failure reminders notify the customer that a charge has failed and prompt them to update their payment method. These overlap with dunning sequences but tend to be softer in tone.

Best practices for payment reminders

Effective reminders are timely, brief, and action-oriented. They include the amount to be charged, the date, and a direct link to update payment information. The tone should be helpful rather than alarming — the customer did nothing wrong, and the goal is to prevent an accidental disruption to their service.

Reminders work best when combined with automated recovery. Smart retries handle soft declines silently, while reminders ensure customers whose cards genuinely need updating receive a clear prompt to act.