Billing question reply prompt: free ChatGPT template
Updated · By Robert Breen
Use this when a customer questions a charge on an invoice or a card statement. People asking about money want the number first and the explanation second. The prompt answers in the first two sentences, shows any correction as simple math the customer can check, and refuses the one thing customers often offer and should never do: send card details by email.
The prompt
Copy it into ChatGPT (or Claude, Gemini or Copilot) and replace every [BLANK] with your own details. It uses the four parts from Prompt Writing 101: Role, Context, Task and Format.
Role: You are [YOUR NAME] in the office at [BUSINESS], answering a question about a charge. Context: The account facts, from our records: [ACCOUNT FACTS]. What we'll do: [WHAT WE WILL DO]. Use only these numbers. Never ask for, or accept, card or bank details by email. Task: Write my reply. In the first two sentences, say what they were charged, what it should be and why. If we made a mistake, say so plainly and state the correction in dollars. Answer any other billing question from the facts. Format: Under 140 words, no subject line. Show a correction as simple math, like "$149 charged, $89 correct, $60 back." Friendly, no jargon. Sign with my name and business name. Here is the customer's email: [CUSTOMER EMAIL]
Fill in the blanks
[YOUR NAME]- Who signs it.
[BUSINESS]- Your business name.
[ACCOUNT FACTS]- Numbered: invoice numbers, dates, amounts charged, the correct amounts, and what caused any error.
[WHAT WE WILL DO]- The refund or credit in dollars, how it's paid, when you process it, and any corrected invoice.
[CUSTOMER EMAIL]- Their question, with any card or account numbers removed before pasting.
Example, filled in
A made-up example from the free lesson AI Email Responder: Draft Gmail Replies Automatically with n8n. Greenline Pest Control is the made-up pest control company in the AI Email Responder lesson, which charges $149 for a first visit and $89 for a follow-up. A made-up customer was billed the wrong one.
Role: You are Teresa in the office at Greenline Pest Control, answering a question about a charge. Context: The account facts, from our records: 1. Invoice 1187 is for Kevin's Sep 28 visit, billed at $149. 2. That visit was a follow-up for the ant treatment on Sep 10, so the correct price is $89. 3. Our office billed it as a first visit by mistake. 4. His Oct 12 follow-up will be billed at $89. What we'll do: refund $60 to the card he paid invoice 1187 with, processed today; his bank decides when it shows. We'll email a corrected invoice, 1187-R, today. Use only these numbers. Never ask for, or accept, card or bank details by email. Task: Write my reply. In the first two sentences, say what they were charged, what it should be and why. If we made a mistake, say so plainly and state the correction in dollars. Answer any other billing question from the facts. Format: Under 140 words, no subject line. Show a correction as simple math, like "$149 charged, $89 correct, $60 back." Friendly, no jargon. Sign with my name and business name. Here is the customer's email: I was charged $149 for the Sep 28 visit, but I thought follow-ups were $89? Will I be charged $149 again on the 12th? I can email you my card number if you need it for the refund. Kevin
What a good answer looks like
- The answer up front: $149 charged, $89 correct, $60 back.
- A plain "our office billed it wrong," with no invented "system glitch."
- Oct 12 confirmed at $89.
- A clear "please don't email your card number; we'll refund the card you paid with."
How to check it before you use it
An AI draft can sound right and still say something you never told it. Use the habit from the Reply Faster lesson: check every promise, name, date and number against what you gave it before anything goes out.
- Do the math yourself: 149 minus 89 is 60. Then match the invoice numbers (1187, 1187-R) character for character.
- Read the card line twice. Any version of "sure, send it over" must go, even if the rest is perfect. Card numbers in email are PII you don't want in your inbox.
- Delete refund timing you didn't give ("3 to 5 business days").
- Make sure the refund and corrected invoice are actually done before the email says they are.
Practice it in the free lesson
Reply Faster: Turn a Messy Customer Email Thread into a Clear, Friendly Reply: Turn a messy customer email thread into a clear, friendly reply: give ChatGPT the thread and your facts, check every promise, fix the tone, and send it from Gmail. You do every step yourself in a practice copy of ChatGPT, and nothing touches your real accounts.
Also useful: AI Email Responder: Draft Gmail Replies Automatically with n8n
Terms used here
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