Email template · Staffing agency (client and candidate)
Staffing invoice email
In short
A staffing invoice email sends a client the bill for a placement fee or for temporary workers' hours, with the details their accounts payable team needs to pay on time. It names the placement or week, the amount, the due date and the PO, and attaches the invoice. Templates below cover placement fees, weekly temp billing and payment reminders.
When to send it: Send placement fee invoices on the candidate's start date, or on the date your terms specify. Send temp invoices weekly, once timesheets are approved. Send the first reminder a few days before the due date, not after it.
Staffing invoice email: 4 versions
Placement fee invoice
SubjectInvoice [Invoice Number]: placement of [Candidate Name], [Job Title]
Hi [Client First Name], Congratulations again on [Candidate Name] starting as [Job Title] on [Start Date]. Our invoice for the placement is attached. - Invoice: [Invoice Number] - PO: [PO Number] - Amount: $[Amount] ([Fee Percentage]% of first-year base salary of $[Base Salary]) - Due: [Due Date] ([Payment Terms] days, per our terms dated [Terms Date]) - Payment: [ACH / wire details or payment link] As a reminder, the [Guarantee Period]-day guarantee runs until [Guarantee End Date], provided the invoice is paid by the due date. I've copied [AP Contact] in accounts payable. Let me know if you need anything else to process it. [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name]
Weekly temp invoice
Subject[Agency Name] invoice [Invoice Number], week ending [Week Ending Date]
Hello [AP Contact Name], Attached is invoice [Invoice Number] for temporary staffing at [Client Site] for the week ending [Week Ending Date]. - Workers: [Number] - Regular hours: [Regular Hours] | Overtime hours: [OT Hours] - Total: $[Amount] - PO / cost center: [PO Number] - Due: [Due Date] Approved timesheets are attached, approved by [Approver Name] on [Approval Date]. If any line needs correcting, please tell us within [Dispute Window] days so we can adjust before payment. Thank you, [Your Name] [Billing Team], [Agency Name] [Billing Email] | [Phone Number]
Friendly reminder before due date
SubjectReminder: invoice [Invoice Number] due [Due Date]
Hi [AP Contact Name], A quick reminder that invoice [Invoice Number] for $[Amount] is due on [Due Date]. A copy is attached. If it's already scheduled, thank you, and please ignore this note. If anything is holding it up, such as a missing PO or a question about hours, let me know and I'll sort it out today. [Your Name] [Billing Team], [Agency Name]
Overdue payment
SubjectOverdue: invoice [Invoice Number], [Number] days past due
Hi [Client First Name], Invoice [Invoice Number] for $[Amount], due [Due Date], is now [Number] days overdue. A copy and statement are attached. Could you confirm when payment will be made? If there's a dispute about the invoice, please tell me what it is so we can resolve it. Please note that under our terms, [late payment charges apply / the placement guarantee is conditional on payment by the due date]. I'll call you on [Date] if I haven't heard back. [Your Name] [Title], [Agency Name]
Subject line ideas
- Invoice [Invoice Number]: placement of [Candidate Name], [Job Title]
- [Agency Name] invoice [Invoice Number], week ending [Week Ending Date]
- Reminder: invoice [Invoice Number] due [Due Date]
- Overdue: invoice [Invoice Number], [Number] days past due
- Placement fee invoice for [Job Title]
- PO [PO Number]: invoice attached
- Statement of account for [Client Company]
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [Client First Name], it's [Your Name] from [Agency Name]. Invoice [Invoice Number] for $[Amount] is due [Due Date]. I've emailed a copy to you and [AP Contact]. Let me know if anything is holding it up: [Phone Number].
Placeholders to replace: [Client First Name], [AP Contact], [AP Contact Name], [Client Company], [Client Site], [Candidate Name], [Job Title], [Invoice Number], [PO Number], [Amount], [Fee Percentage], [Base Salary], [Due Date], [Payment Terms], [Guarantee Period], [Week Ending Date], [Approver Name], [Your Name], [Agency Name]
Write for accounts payable, not just your contact
The hiring manager who loved your candidate doesn't pay the invoice. Someone in accounts payable does, and they need three things to match before they release funds: a valid PO or cost center, an amount that agrees with the agreement or approved timesheets, and a vendor record with your payment details. Put those in the email body, not only in the PDF, and copy AP from the first invoice. Most late payments in staffing aren't refusals. They're invoices stuck in an approval queue because a PO was missing.
Ask for the client's invoicing requirements at the start of the relationship, ideally in the terms of business email: invoice portal or email address, PO rules, required fields and payment run dates. Large clients often require invoices through a supplier portal or VMS and will ignore emailed PDFs.
Placement fees versus temp billing
A placement fee invoice is a one-off, often large, amount tied to a start date. Show how it was calculated (fee percentage times the agreed salary), reference the signed terms, and restate the guarantee period, since many agencies make the guarantee conditional on timely payment. Send it the day the candidate starts, together with your placement confirmation email or right after it.
Temp invoices are weekly and repetitive. The amount is hours times bill rate, with overtime billed at the agreed overtime rate. Attach or link the approved timesheets and name the approver, because hours disputes are the most common reason temp invoices are short-paid. A tight weekly cycle (timesheets approved Monday, invoice out Tuesday) keeps cash flow predictable, which matters because agencies pay temps weekly whether or not the client has paid. A shared staffing invoice template keeps every invoice in the same format.
Reminder schedule that protects the relationship
A simple sequence works for most agencies:
- Three to five days before the due date: friendly reminder to AP.
- Due date plus 3 days: short note asking for the payment date.
- Due date plus 14 days: overdue email to your client contact with AP copied, referencing the terms.
- Due date plus 30 days: call from the account owner, then a formal statement.
Keep the tone factual at every step. Your contact is usually embarrassed by late payment and can help chase it internally. If a client is regularly late, raise it in your business review and consider shorter terms or a deposit for new orders. Automated invoices with scheduled reminders cut down the manual chasing, and financial reports show aging by client so you can spot trouble early.
Mistakes to avoid
- Invoicing without a PO when the client requires one.
- Sending to the hiring manager only and assuming it reaches AP.
- Rounding or estimating hours instead of billing approved timesheets.
- Forgetting to restate the guarantee condition on placement invoices.
- Waiting until 30 days overdue to say anything.
- Inconsistent invoice numbers or formats, which slow down matching on the client side.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write an invoice email to a recruitment client?
State what the invoice is for (placement or week of temp hours), the invoice number, PO, amount, due date and payment method, attach the invoice, and copy accounts payable.
When should a placement fee invoice be sent?
Usually on the candidate's start date, unless your terms specify another trigger such as offer acceptance. Payment terms then run from the invoice date or start date as agreed.
What should a staffing agency payment reminder email say?
Reference the invoice number, amount and due date, attach a copy, and ask whether anything is holding up payment. Before the due date, keep it light; after it, ask for a payment date and reference your terms.
What are typical payment terms for staffing invoices?
Net 30 is common for both placement fees and temp invoices, with some agencies using net 14 or net 15 for smaller clients. Large employers often push for longer terms.
What if a client disputes hours on a temp invoice?
Pull the approved timesheet and the approver's name, correct any genuine error with a credit note, and ask the client to pay the undisputed amount on time.