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Abbiamo mandato un sollecito perché dubitiamo che il cliente paghi.

Abbiamo mandato un sollecito perché dubitiamo che il cliente paghi.
We sent a reminder because we doubt that the client will pay.
From Lesson 406:Dropping prepositions before 'che' (Mi fido che...)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Abbiamo mandato un sollecito perché dubitiamo che il cliente paghi.

I know the verb "dubitare" usually requires the preposition "di". Why is it missing here?
You are right that dubitare normally takes di, as in dubitare di qualcosa (to doubt something). However, Italian grammar does not allow you to place a preposition directly before the declarative conjunction che. When the verb introduces a clause with che, the preposition is obligatorily deleted. That is why it is just dubitiamo che and never dubitiamo di che.
Why is "paghi" in the subjunctive mood?
The verb dubitare expresses doubt and uncertainty. When a main verb expresses doubt, emotion, or personal opinion, it triggers the subjunctive mood in the dependent clause introduced by che. Thus, the indicative paga becomes the present subjunctive paghi.
The English translation says "will pay", which is future tense. Why does Italian use the present subjunctive "paghi" instead of a future form?
Italian does not actually have a future tense in the subjunctive mood. When you need to express a future action inside a subjunctive clause, you simply use the present subjunctive. The phrase dubitiamo che il cliente paghi covers both present doubt (we doubt he is paying) and future doubt (we doubt he will pay).
Why is the word "sollecito" used for "reminder" instead of a word like "ricordo"?
The word ricordo translates to a memory or a souvenir. When you are talking about a reminder to urge someone to do something, such as paying an overdue bill or completing a task, you use un sollecito. It comes from the verb sollecitare, which means to urge, press, or expedite.
Just as a quick refresher, why does "paghi" have an "h" in it?
This is a spelling rule for verbs ending in -gare, like pagare. To maintain the hard "g" sound (like in "go") before an "i" or "e" ending in conjugations, you must insert an h. Without the h, the word would be pronounced with a soft "g" (like in "gem").

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