An informational letter is a business letter that tells the reader about a fact, event or decision: new bank details, a price change, new opening hours, a warehouse move. Unlike a request letter it asks for nothing, and unlike a letter of guarantee it promises nothing. It needs the sender's details, a date and reference number, the recipient, a subject line, a body that says what changes and from when, a signature and a contact person.
The usual mistake isn't the layout but the body: the letter announces a change but doesn't say from which date it applies or what the reader should do. Then the replies are questions, and payments keep going to the old account. Below: how an informational letter differs from other business letters, what it must include, how to build the body in three parts, a template and a checklist before sending — including how not to become the template for a payment fraud.
When people look for how to write an informational letter
Usually something has changed in the company and many people need to be told formally at once: customers and partners about a new bank account, suppliers about a new delivery address, buyers about new terms. People search for "information letter template", "how to write an informational letter" and "change of bank details letter".
A template is easy to find; deciding what goes into it is harder. So start with a question, not with letterhead: what should the reader do differently after your letter, and from which day.
How an informational letter differs from other business letters
By content, business letters are informational, cover letters and letters of guarantee; by purpose, they either start a correspondence or reply to one. An informational letter almost always starts it: you write first.
| Letter | What it is for | Example subject line |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | Tells the reader about a fact, event or decision | Change of bank details |
| Cover letter | Explains what is enclosed and why | Account reconciliation statements enclosed |
| Letter of guarantee | Contains a written commitment: to pay, deliver, perform | Payment for the delivery of 12 May |
| Reply | Answers a letter you received, quoting its reference and date | Your request for copies of invoices |
If one letter informs, asks and promises at once, split it. The reader handles each issue separately, and a letter about three things ends up with three different people.
What an informational letter must include
Every business letter needs sender details, a date, a reference number, the recipient, a subject line, the body, a signature and a contact person. In the EU, letters of limited companies must also state the business register and registration number, the legal form and the registered office (Directive (EU) 2017/1132, Article 26); national law may add more.
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| Letterhead | Company name, address, phone, email; in the EU for limited companies — register, registration number, legal form, registered office |
| Date and reference | The date of signing and your outgoing reference number, so the reader can quote it |
| Recipient | Company, department, a named person or a private individual |
| Subject line | Short: what the letter is about, e.g. "Change of bank details" |
| Body | Reason, what changes and from when, what the reader should do — below |
| Signature | Name, job title and signature; for an email with legal weight — an electronic signature your partner accepts |
| Contact person | Name, phone and email of the person who prepared the letter and can answer questions |
A reference to the incoming letter's number and date belongs only in a reply, so an informational letter you start yourself doesn't have one.
How to write the body of an informational letter
Build the body in three parts: reason — the change and its date — what the reader should do. Each part takes one or two sentences; if the body doesn't fit on one page, it most likely covers several issues.
- Reason. Why you are writing: "We have moved our business account to a new bank", "Under our supply agreement No. … of …". Skip "We would like to inform you that…" — it says nothing.
- The change and its date. What changes and from which day. Write the date in full and the new details completely, so they can be copied.
- What the reader should do. Update the details in their system, pay to the new account, deliver to the new address. If nothing needs doing, say so: "No change to our agreement is needed."
Unexplained abbreviations, stock phrases and requests to "take this into account" without saying what exactly make the reader write back — and then the letter hasn't done its job.
Change of bank details letter: template
The text below goes on your letterhead. Square brackets show what to fill in; the letterhead details aren't repeated in the example.
[Date] Ref. [outgoing number]
[Name of the recipient's contact]
[Recipient company]
[Address]Change of bank details
We have moved our business account to a new bank. From [date], please make payments under agreement No. [number] of [date] to the following account:
Account holder: [full company name]
IBAN: [account number]
BIC/SWIFT: [code]
Bank: [bank name]Our previous account [old IBAN] remains open until [date]. No change to our agreement is needed. To confirm these details, call us on the number listed on our website or in our agreement — not a number given in an email.
[Name], [job title]
[Signature]Contact: [name], [phone], [email]
Look at the third paragraph: it answers the two questions that would otherwise come by phone — what happens to the old account and whether the agreement needs amending — and tells the reader how to check the letter is genuine.
Why a bank details letter needs a way to verify it
A letter announcing new payment details is exactly what payment fraudsters fake: a message that looks like it comes from a supplier asks to pay to a different account. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reports 305,033 business email compromise incidents with $55.5 billion in exposed losses worldwide from October 2013 to December 2023, and recommends verifying requests to change account information through a secondary channel. So when you send such a letter, tell readers how to confirm it; when you receive one, call the contact you already have before you change anything.
Other reasons to send an informational letter
- A supplier price change. "Price change from [date]" — with the new price list attached and the date until which old prices apply. How to run supplier relationships in general — in how to manage suppliers.
- A new warehouse address or receiving hours. Address, hours, contact on site, from which date.
- A change of company name or director. What changed, from which date, which documents confirm it.
- A notice to customers. New opening hours, changed delivery or return terms. This usually goes by email rather than on letterhead — the body rules are the same: reason, change, what to do. More on customer communication — in ecommerce customer service rules.
Checklist before sending
- The letter covers one issue and the subject line names it.
- It states the date the change takes effect, not just the date of the letter.
- The reader knows what to do — or is told plainly that nothing is needed.
- New details (IBAN, address, phone) are copied from the source, not retyped.
- For payment details, the letter tells the reader how to verify it through a channel they already know.
- There is a reference number, a date, a signature and a contact person with a phone number.
When an informational letter has to reach hundreds of customers
When a change affects all your buyers — new hours, delivery or return terms — a letter on letterhead to each one isn't needed: it is an email notice to your customer list. The body is built the same way, but the hard part moves elsewhere: who gets it, who has agreed to receive emails, and who has already read it.
In Elbuz such a letter goes out to your customer base without a third-party service: you pick recipients with filters in Contacts by purchases, city or group, the email goes only to people who have given consent, and a report shows who it was sent to and who viewed it. Who it won't suit: if you are writing to a dozen partners, sending the letter to each from your mailbox is simpler.
FAQ
What is an information letter?
A business letter that tells the reader about a fact, event or decision, such as new bank details or a price change. It asks for nothing and promises nothing.
How do you write an information letter?
On your letterhead, add the date, a reference number, the recipient and a subject line. Write the body in three parts — reason, the change and its effective date, what the reader should do — then sign it and add a contact person.
Can you give an example of an information letter?
Yes — a change of bank details letter: the reason, the new account and the date it applies from, what happens to the old account and how to verify the letter. See the template.
What must a business letter include in the EU?
Besides the usual sender and recipient details, letters of limited companies must state the business register and registration number, the legal form and the registered office, under Article 26 of Directive (EU) 2017/1132. National law may require more.
How is an informational letter different from a reply letter?
You send an informational letter on your own initiative. A reply answers a letter you received and quotes its reference number and date.
How do I check a change of bank details letter is genuine?
Call the supplier on a number you already have — from your agreement or their website — not one given in the letter or email. The FBI's IC3 recommends verifying account change requests through a secondary channel.
Sources
- Directive (EU) 2017/1132 relating to certain aspects of company law, Article 26 "Particulars in letters and order forms" — eur-lex.europa.eu.
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, Public Service Announcement I-091124-PSA, 11.09.2024 — incidents and losses October 2013 – December 2023, verifying account change requests: ic3.gov.
Checked 31.10.2026.
Maxim
Cool article, Vladislav! I'm always interested in how to make writing not only informative, but also entertaining. What factors do you think grab the reader's attention at first?