# How to Ask for Remittance Advice (and How to Send One)

> How to ask a customer for remittance advice, what to include when you pay a vendor, who keeps the copy, plus an email template and a ChatGPT prompt.

Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/how-to-ask-for-remittance-advice · Updated 2026-10-21 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com)

Quick answer

To ask for [remittance advice](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/remittance-advice), email the customer's [accounts payable](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/accounts-payable) contact with the payment date and amount, ask which [invoices](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/invoice) it covers and how much went to each, and ask for remittance details with future payments. When you pay a vendor, send those details yourself. The free [overdue invoices lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/collect-overdue-invoices-chatgpt) practices factual AR emails.

Last updated October 21, 2026

[Take the free module →](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/ai-for-accounting-firms/9)Module 9 of the free [AI for Accounting & Bookkeeping Firms](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/ai-for-accounting-firms) course, about 12 minutes. No account needed.

By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) · Published October 21, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 · 4 min read

Accounting · Accounts Receivable · Email

This guide is for bookkeepers, AR clerks and office managers on both sides of a payment: the one trying to match money to invoices, and the one sending it.

## What is remittance advice, in one sentence?

[Remittance advice](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/remittance-advice) is a short note from the payer that says which invoices a payment covers, how much went to each, and any credits or deductions taken. It lets the vendor apply the money to the right invoices, a step called [cash application](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/cash-application).

## When should I ask a customer for remittance advice?

Whenever a payment arrives and you can't tell what it is for. Common cases:

- One payment covers several invoices, and the total doesn't match any single one.
- The amount is short, because the customer took a credit, a discount or a deduction.
- The bank shows only a company name and an amount, with no invoice number.
- A large customer pays through a portal that sends remittance details to the wrong inbox.

Ask quickly. An unapplied payment makes your [accounts receivable](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/accounts-receivable) report wrong, and a customer may get a reminder for an invoice they already paid.

## How do I write the email?

Keep it short, factual and easy to answer. Give them the details you have, and ask for the ones you don't.

```text
Subject: Remittance details for your payment of $4,860.00 on Oct 14

Hi Jordan,

Thank you for your payment of $4,860.00, received on October 14 by ACH. To apply it correctly, could you send the remittance details: the invoice numbers it covers and the amount applied to each, plus any credits or deductions?

We have invoices 1042 ($2,400.00), 1047 ($1,980.00) and 1051 ($960.00) open, which total $5,340.00.

For future payments, sending remittance details to ar@yourfirm.com would help us apply them the same day.

Thanks,
Sam, Accounts Receivable
```

Never ask for bank account numbers by email, and never send them. Fake payment and remittance emails are a common fraud, so confirm any request to change payment details by phone.

## Can ChatGPT write the request for me?

Yes, if you give it the facts and tell it not to add any. A four-part prompt works:

```text
Role: You write accounts receivable emails for [FIRM].
Context: Payment received: [AMOUNT] on [DATE] by [METHOD] from [CUSTOMER]. Open invoices: [NUMBERS AND AMOUNTS]. Our AR email: [ADDRESS].
Task: Ask the customer's AP contact for remittance details for this payment.
Format: Under 120 words, polite and plain. Use only these facts. Don't suggest the customer made a mistake.
```

Then check every number against your records before you send. The [Reply Faster lesson for accountants](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-reply-client-refund-emails-accounting) adds a step that makes ChatGPT list every claim in its draft next to the fact that supports it.

## Try it free, step by step

**Collect Overdue Invoices Faster using ChatGPT**. Upload your aging report, have ChatGPT build this week’s chase list (oldest and biggest first, disputes held back), check it against the file, then draft a friendly, firm or final reminder for each… You do every step yourself in a practice copy of ChatGPT, it checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, and nothing touches your real accounts.

[Start the free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/chatgpt-overdue-invoices)

[Or read the full step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/collect-overdue-invoices-chatgpt)

## What should I include when I send remittance advice to a vendor?

When you are the payer, send it the same day you pay, to the vendor's AR address. Include:

1. Your company name and customer or account number with the vendor.
2. The payment date, method (ACH, check, card) and total amount.
3. Each invoice number and the amount applied to it.
4. Any credit memo, discount or deduction, with the reason.
5. A payment reference, such as the check number or ACH trace number.

Many accounting and bill-pay tools generate a remittance advice automatically when you pay. If yours does, check it has the invoice numbers before it goes out.

## Who keeps the remittance copy?

Both sides should. The vendor keeps it as support for how the payment was applied. The payer keeps a copy with the payment record. Store it with the invoice and payment in your accounting system or document storage, so anyone checking the account later can see which invoices the money covered.

## Key takeaways

- Remittance advice tells the vendor which invoices a payment covers and how much went to each.
- Ask for it as soon as a payment can't be matched, giving the date, amount and open invoices.
- When you pay, send invoice numbers, amounts, deductions and a payment reference.
- Never ask for or send bank details by email; verify changes by phone.
- Both payer and vendor keep a copy with the payment record.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is a remittance advice the same as a receipt?**

No. A receipt comes from the seller to confirm payment was received. A remittance advice comes from the payer to explain what a payment is for.

**What if the customer never sends remittance details?**

Apply the payment to the oldest open invoices if your terms or policy allow it, note what you did, and tell the customer in writing so they can correct you.

**Do I need remittance advice for a single invoice?**

Usually not, if the amount matches exactly and the invoice number is in the payment reference. It matters most for combined or short payments.

**Can a remittance advice email be fake?**

Yes. Scammers send fake remittance emails with harmful links or attachments. Be wary of unexpected remittance emails from unknown senders, and check your bank to confirm a payment actually arrived.

## Where can I go next?

Read [What Is Dunning?](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/what-is-dunning) for overdue reminders, and the [lockbox](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/lockbox) entry for how banks capture remittance details.

## Free lessons in this post

- [Collect Overdue Invoices Faster using ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/collect-overdue-invoices-chatgpt): Upload your aging report, have ChatGPT build this week’s chase list (oldest and biggest first, disputes held back), check it against the file, then draft a friendly…
- [Answer Refund-Date Emails Without Overpromising using ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-reply-client-refund-emails-accounting): A client wants a refund date while two tax forms are still missing. Give ChatGPT the thread and your firm's facts, catch the date it shouldn't promise, and send a calm…

## Watch it in a free lesson: Turn a Client Meeting into Action Items and a Follow-Up Email (Accounting Firms)

### A client meeting in, a clear recap out with ChatGPT

Full walkthrough · 3:04 · with captions

Turn the transcript of a client's quarterly review into the decisions, an action items table with owners and due dates, and a follow-up email to the client.

[Watch it with chapters and the full transcript](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-client-meeting-recap-accounting-firm#watch)

From the free lesson [Turn a Client Meeting into Action Items and a Follow-Up Email (Accounting Firms)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-client-meeting-recap-accounting-firm)

## Related terms

Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson.

[Remittance advice](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/remittance-advice) · [Accounts payable](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/accounts-payable) · [Invoice](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/invoice) · [Accounts receivable](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/accounts-receivable) · [Cash flow forecast](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/cash-flow-forecast) · [Client portal](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/client-portal) · [Deferred revenue](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/deferred-revenue) · [Email thread](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/email-thread)

[The full AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary)

## Related prompts

- [Auditor document request reply prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/auditor-document-request-reply-prompt): Reply to an auditor's list of document requests: what is attached, what is coming and when, and what you can't provide, without…
- [Check reply promises prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/check-reply-promises-prompt): A ChatGPT prompt that checks a draft before you send it: a table of every promise, the fact behind each, and safer wording for…
- [Email newsletter prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/email-newsletter-prompt): A ChatGPT prompt for a short customer newsletter built from your numbered updates: one section each, one main call to action, no…
- [Email shortener prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/email-shortener-prompt): Cut a long email down to what the reader needs without changing a fact, date, price or promise, plus a list of what was removed…

[All free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts)

## Visual guides

The same ideas as quick visual guides: swipe through the slides, or read each one as text.

- [Answer "where's my refund?" emails with ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/refund-date-reply): Every tax season the same email lands: "When do we get our refund?" In this lesson the client's return isn't even filed yet.
- [What Is Grounding in AI? A Visual Guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/term-grounding-explained): A visual guide to grounding: tie an AI reply to numbered facts so every claim can be checked, shown in a real tax firm reply lesson.

[All visual guides](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual)

## Keep reading

- [AI Automation for Accountants: 12 Questions Answered](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/ai-automation-for-accountants-faq): How accountants use AI for client replies that don't overpromise, invoice logging with approval and overdue reminders. Answers from free lessons.
- [How to Use ChatGPT for Accounting (Step by Step, 2026)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/how-to-use-chatgpt-for-accounting): How to use ChatGPT for accounting: 5 tested jobs (bank recs, overdue invoices, P&L reviews, recaps, client emails), what never to paste, how to check it.
- [How to Email Clients for Missing Tax Documents](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/email-clients-for-missing-tax-documents): How to email clients for missing tax documents: name the exact form, say where to find it, list what you have, and keep bank numbers out of email.

[All blog posts](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog) · [All free tutorials](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content)