Free templates
Supplier follow-up email templates
Five emails you can copy and paste when a supplier is late or quiet, from a friendly first nudge to an urgent final notice. Change the order details and your company name, and send.
1. The first nudge (order is a few days late)
Use when the promised date has just passed and you have not heard anything.
Subject
Follow-up: PO-1043 is now 3 days past the promised date
Message
Hello, I'm following up on PO-1043 for M6 stainless bolts, which was promised for October 20. That date has now passed by 3 days. Could you confirm the current status and let us know a realistic updated delivery date? If there's a delay on your end, please let us know the reason so we can plan accordingly. Thank you for your help. Best regards, Your Company
2. The check-in (order is due soon)
Use 2 to 3 days before the promised date, especially for orders you cannot afford to have late.
Subject
Checking in: PO-1049 due in 3 days
Message
Hello, Just a quick check-in ahead of the promised delivery date for PO-1049 (product labels), which is due November 1. Can you confirm this is still on track? If anything has changed, an early heads-up would be a big help on our end. Thanks, Your Company
3. The missing confirmation (no date on file)
Use when you placed an order and the supplier never confirmed a delivery date.
Subject
Please confirm delivery date for PO-1046
Message
Hello, We don't yet have a confirmed delivery date on file for PO-1046 (glazed ceramic mugs), ordered September 1. Could you confirm the expected delivery date at your earliest convenience? Having this locked in helps us plan our own deliveries accurately. Thank you, Your Company
4. The firm second follow-up
Use about a week after the first nudge, when it has been ignored or answered vaguely.
Subject
PO-1043 is now 10 days past the promised date: status update needed
Message
Hello, Following up again on PO-1043 for M6 stainless bolts, promised for October 20. It's now 10 days overdue and we haven't heard back since our last message. Please send a firm updated delivery date as soon as you can. If something on your end is holding this up, let us know so we can plan around it. Thanks, Your Company
5. The urgent final notice
Use only when two earlier messages went unanswered and the delay is hurting you.
Subject
URGENT: PO-1043 is 17 days overdue, please respond
Message
Hello, PO-1043 for M6 stainless bolts was promised for October 20 and is now 17 days overdue. This is a repeated follow-up and we still don't have a status update from you. We need a firm, updated delivery date today, or a clear explanation of the delay. If we don't hear back, we'll need to review this order and consider alternate sourcing. Please respond as soon as possible. Your Company
Five habits that make these work
- Always put the PO number and the item in the first line, so the person reading can find your order in seconds.
- Ask for a date, not a status. "Working on it" is not an answer you can plan around.
- Keep the tone polite until the second follow-up. Most late orders are an oversight, not a refusal.
- Write down the new date the moment you get it, against the order itself, not just in an email thread.
- Send your follow-ups on a schedule. Orders go quiet because chasing is easy to postpone, not because it is hard.
Tired of writing these by hand?
These five emails are exactly the ones SupplierPing writes for you. Upload your open purchase orders or link a Google Sheet, and it works out which orders are late, drafts the right message from this list for each one, and waits for you to approve it. When a supplier replies, it reads the answer and suggests the new date. There is a 14-day free trial, no card required.