A request for payment is made when you want to collect the money that is owed. When writing a letter to request for payment, your letter should contain all information About your customer’s account, encourage him/ her to pay the money owed, and retain customer’s goodwill. To make your letter effective, your letter must be short, clear, specific, firm and fair but also polite and professional.
In a series of making requests for payment, the requests should become increasingly service and demanding until you finally threaten to take aggressive action against the customer. You may, course, write more than one of letters. However, never write more, than one of the final letter as it will weaken the strength of your message.
Therefore, a first request should contain a short message to gently remind the Customer that the payment is overdue and request for prompt payment. It usually asks the customer to ignore the letter if he/ she has already paid.
If the customer replies to your request but still does not pay, or does not answer at all, you can make a second request. This request still takes the from of a first request but more demainding ans less cordial. You may include copies of relevant invoices and statement. You should mention any previes correspondence and firmly ask for payment in a more urgent tone. Alternatively, you may offer your customer new terms of payment. It is better to collect your money partially than not to collect it at all.
If the customer does not answer any of your requests, you can make a third request or a final demand. You should review the history of the account, give a deadline for payment, and let the customer know what you are going to do. However, you must not threaten legal action if you do not intend to take it because it will make you look weaken and indecisive. If the third request fails to bring results, never send another letter
Asking for payment. You must follow through with your stated action.
The body of a letter making a request for payment generally has three parts.
• opening
• reviewing future action
• closing