Lesson Lineup

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Late-tuition email kit.

Fill these in on a quiet afternoon, so that when a family's March invoice is still unpaid a week later, you only have to paste and send. All three go from your own email account. If you switch on overdue reminders, Lesson Lineup emails the family once about each overdue invoice, and that email can stand in for the first one here.

The kit

When to send what

  • Day 7 overdue: the nudge. Most of the time the parent simply forgot. Keep it short and friendly.
  • Day 14 overdue: the reminder. Give the amount, the date it was due and one way to pay, in the same friendly tone as the first email.
  • Day 30 overdue: the final notice. Name the consequence your policy already has in it (a late fee, or pausing lessons) and the date it starts. If it isn't in the policy, leave it out.

Each date has its own blank. [Due Date] is the date the invoice was due. [Pay‑by Date] is the new deadline you give: a few days after you send the email, and before the next one goes out. [Start Date] is the day your policy's late fee or pause begins.

Email 1: the nudge (day 7)

Subject: [Month] invoice ([Amount])

Hi [Name],
[Month]'s invoice for [Amount] was due [Due Date] and I don't see a payment yet. I've attached it again in case it got buried. Can you pay it by [Pay‑by Date]? Thanks so much!
[Your Name]

Email 2: the reminder (day 14)

Subject: Reminder: [Amount] due since [Due Date]

Hi [Name],
I'm writing again about [Month]'s invoice. The [Amount] that was due on [Due Date] is still open on my end. Please pay by [Pay‑by Date], by [check / bank transfer / cash at the lesson]. If it's already in the mail, never mind.
Thanks,
[Your Name]

Email 3: the final notice (day 30)

Subject: Final notice: [Amount] now 30 days overdue

Hi [Name],
This is my third email about [Month]'s invoice ([Amount], due [Due Date]). Per the studio policy, if it's still open on [Start Date], [a late fee of $X will be added / lessons will pause until it's paid]. I really don't want to do that, so if something's up, tell me and we'll work it out.
[Your Name]

Rules for all three

  • Include the exact amount, the due date and one way to pay. An email with a figure and a date in it reads like routine paperwork, and parents are less likely to take it personally.
  • Don't apologize for asking. Opening with "Sorry to bother you" tells a parent that paying you is a favor.
  • Don't threaten anything your policy doesn't include. A family takes a final notice seriously only if they believe you'll follow through.

The numbers behind the emails

Check the amount before you send anything. If a family has two kids in lessons, Lesson Lineup keeps one balance for both, added up from the ledger each time you open the account. The number you copy into the email is what they owe that day. When email 1 says the invoice is attached again, choose Email from the invoice's menu and Lesson Lineup sends it with the PDF.

The payments guide explains how to invoice on a regular schedule, so fewer accounts get as far as email 2.