How to politely remind a client to pay

Why asking for money feels awkward

Most trainers have a friendly relationship with their clients – which makes it even harder to write "you haven't paid yet." The result: payments get put off, the trainer keeps them in their head, and some disappear altogether. Yet all it takes is a short, polite, to-the-point message at the right time.

When to send a reminder

• With a new package – right after you agree on it, with the exact amount and how to pay. Ideally before the first session.
• When a payment is late – a day or two after the due date, not three weeks later.
• When a package is running out – at the last or second-to-last session, so the client knows it's time for a new one.
• After a payment – a short thank-you. The client knows the payment came through and doesn't have to ask.

What a good reminder looks like

1. Short – two or three sentences. Nobody reads long explanations.
2. Specific – the amount, what it's for and when it's due. If you can, add your payment details or a payment link.
3. No blame – anyone can forget. A matter-of-fact tone works better than either apologizing or blaming.
4. With a next step – for example, the time of the next session. Then the message feels like normal scheduling, not a demand for payment.

Tip: send a link instead of your bank details. In the generator you can create a link for your client – it opens a neat card with their name, the amount, the due date and a QR code they simply scan in their banking app (EPC QR for euro accounts, PAY by square in Slovakia, QR Platba in the Czech Republic). Your client doesn't have to type anything in, and you don't have to send your IBAN separately.

Know who has paid

The best reminder is one you don't have to dig out of your memory. When every package is marked as paid or not, you can see in seconds who you need to message.

See who hasn't paid yet in TrainzenoEvery session package shows Paid or Pending, and the overview shows how much is still coming in.

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