Academy Guide 2 · Fees

How to remind parents about fees without making it awkward

Reminders feel awkward when they're personal. Written once and sent the same way every month, they become routine.

VandhanaFounder & CEO, Lunar3 min read · Updated Oct 2026
A teacher typing on her phone, message bubbles rising, students outside the window
In short

Send the same four short WhatsApp messages every month: 2 days before the due date, on the due date, 3 days after and 7 days after. Say what the fee is for, how much it is and how to pay, with no apology. If a fee is still unpaid, call on day 14 and agree a plan by day 30.

Guide 1 sets up the system. This guide is the wording. Most owners delay reminders because they don't want to sound demanding, and that makes it worse: a fee three days late is an easy conversation; one unpaid for six weeks is uncomfortable for everyone.

1. Drop the apology

You aren't asking for a favour. You're confirming an agreed payment. Skip "Sorry to bother you" and give the facts: what, how much, how to pay.

2. Copy this: four messages, one cadence

  1. 2 days before

    Hi Priya, Aanya's October Bharatanatyam fee of ₹3,000 is due on 5 Oct. You can pay here: lunarpe.com/pay/a24

  2. Due date

    Hi Priya, Aanya's October fee of ₹3,000 is due today. Pay here: lunarpe.com/pay/a24. Thank you!

  3. 3 days overdue

    Hi Priya, a gentle note that Aanya's October fee of ₹3,000 is still pending. Pay here: lunarpe.com/pay/a24. If you've already paid, please ignore this.

  4. 7 days overdue

    Hi Priya, Aanya's October fee of ₹3,000 is now a week overdue. Please complete it here: lunarpe.com/pay/a24, or reply if you'd like to talk about it.

Need these in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam or Marathi? See 10 WhatsApp messages in 8 versions →

You may not need all four. What matters is that every family gets the same sequence every month: three messages one month and none the next feels personal.

3. After 7 days, switch from messages to a person

  • Day 14: a phone call from the owner or front desk. Ask, don't accuse: "Is everything okay with the October fee?"
  • Day 30: agree a plan — a date, a split payment, or a pause. Decide in advance whether a student keeps attending while more than a month is unpaid, and write it in your fee policy so it is never a surprise.

4. When not to send a reminder

  • The parent has already paid (this is why Guide 1 says to record payments immediately).
  • The student is on an agreed break.
  • Siblings are billed together and the family has paid the combined amount.
  • You've already agreed a payment date with the parent.

5. Automate the routine, keep people for the exceptions

Automation is right for "your fee is due tomorrow." A person is right for "you've been with us for four years and this isn't like you — is everything okay?" Automating the first gives you time for the second.

If you automate reminders on WhatsApp, parents need to have agreed to receive them, and business messages must use WhatsApp-approved templates. Ask for consent at admission.

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