Yes, “Thanks and regards” reads as a polite semi-formal email closing for routine business messages.
Choosing the right sign-off sets the tone of your message and shapes how your reader feels as they leave the thread. “Thanks and regards” blends gratitude with a respectful finish. It sits between friendly and businesslike, which is why many professionals use it for everyday work notes, vendor updates, and cross-team requests. The goal here is simple: you want a closing that matches your relationship, purpose, and the stakes of the message.
Email Sign-Offs By Formality
This quick ladder shows where common closings land. Pick a tier that matches your audience and the purpose of your note.
| Closing | Tone/Register | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Yours faithfully / Yours sincerely | Formal | Letters, tenders, legal or policy matters |
| Kind regards | Formal-neutral | Introductions, external contacts, senior recipients |
| Regards | Neutral | Standard work emails, no special warmth needed |
| Best regards | Neutral-warm | Ongoing partnerships, polite follow-ups |
| Thanks and regards | Semi-formal | Routine business notes where you’re also thanking |
| Thanks / Thank you | Warm-casual to neutral | Requests, quick coordination, internal threads |
| Best / Cheers | Casual | Informal teams, peers you know well |
What “Thanks And Regards” Really Communicates
The phrase carries two signals. “Thanks” shows appreciation. “Regards” adds a courteous finish. Together, they say, “I’m grateful, and I’m keeping this professional.” That’s why it fits common day-to-day topics such as status updates, handoffs, or small favors. It keeps warmth without drifting into chatty or bare-bones territory.
On large projects or when writing to senior stakeholders, many writers prefer “Kind regards” or “Best regards” because those feel cleaner and more standard in business English. In academic or formal letters, closings like “Yours sincerely” still have a place.
Is “Thanks And Regards” A Formal Sign-Off? Practical Scale
On a 5-step scale from formal to casual, place it at Level 3: semi-formal. It’s more polished than a lone “Thanks,” yet less stiff than “Yours sincerely.” That makes it a safe middle path for everyday corporate notes, vendor check-ins, or customer success replies where you want to thank someone and keep a respectful tone.
When It Fits And When It Doesn’t
Good Fits
- Routine work requests: Asking for a quick review, a soft reminder, or a small approval.
- Cross-team coordination: You’re not close yet, but you’ll collaborate again.
- Customer updates: You’ve solved an issue or shared progress and want a courteous close.
Not The Best Choice
- Formal letters or bids: Use “Yours sincerely” / “Yours faithfully.”
- High-stakes messages: Use “Kind regards” or “Best regards” for a cleaner, standard finish.
- Casual Slack-like threads: “Thanks,” “Best,” or no sign-off may suit fast back-and-forth notes.
Clarity On The Words Themselves
“Regards” is a standard way to send well-wishes at the end of a message in business English, and dictionaries list it as a common email close. If you want a stronger courteous tone, “Kind regards” or “Best regards” softens the edge while staying professional. For students writing to staff or for staff writing to leadership, many universities and writing centers recommend closings such as “Best regards,” “Sincerely,” or “Thank you.”
Helpful references:
Tone, Relationship, And Stakes
Pick your sign-off the same way you pick a greeting: match the reader and the moment. With new external contacts, lean a step more formal at first. With peers you know well, ease up. If your message asks for effort or time, “Thank you” or “Many thanks” can read warmer than “Regards.” If your message closes a project summary to senior staff, “Kind regards” keeps things steady and neutral.
Style Details That Keep It Professional
Capitalization And Punctuation
- Capitalize the first word only: Thanks and regards, or Best regards,
- Add a comma after the closing, then a line break, then your name.
- Avoid exclamation points in the sign-off; they can feel pushy.
Where The Closing Sits
The closing comes right before your typed name and below your message body. If you use an automatic signature block, keep the manual line simple so the two don’t clash. A clean finish looks like this:
Thanks and regards, Samira Khan
Don’t Stack Closings
Use one closing only. “Thanks and regards, Best,” on the same message looks careless. Pick one and stick with it.
Alternatives That Often Work Better
When You’re Asking For Something
Gratitude fits asks. A plain “Thank you,” or “Thanks in advance,” can read cleaner. Use the second one only if the request is reasonable and the relationship is healthy.
When You’re Reporting Progress
“Best regards” or “Kind regards” keeps it neutral. It shows courtesy without extra warmth you may not intend.
When You’re Closing An Issue
“Thank you” pairs well with a solved ticket or a resolved bug. It shows appreciation and invites the next step if needed.
Second Table: Situational Templates You Can Paste
Use these lines when you want a quick, polished sign-off that matches the moment.
| Situation | Closing Line | Sign-Off |
|---|---|---|
| New external contact | Glad to connect and share the draft. | Kind regards, |
| Routine update to a client | Thanks for reviewing the summary above. | Best regards, |
| Peer-to-peer request | Thanks for the quick look by EOD. | Thanks, |
| Manager or senior leader | Please let me know if you’d like changes. | Kind regards, |
| Support ticket closure | Happy to help if anything else pops up. | Thank you, |
| Vendor handoff | Appreciate the update and next steps. | Regards, |
Regional And Industry Nuance
Teams that work across borders see a mix of habits. In many companies, “Best regards” has become the neutral default with clients and partners. In tech and startups, “Best” or “Thanks” appears more often inside the team. In academia and government, formal closings still show up in letters and official notices, while email tends to sit a step lower on the formality ladder.
Small Mistakes That Change The Tone
- False thanks: Avoid “Thanks” when no request or help exists. It can feel canned.
- All caps or title case: “THANKS AND REGARDS” or “Thanks And Regards” looks off. Use sentence case.
- Excess emojis: Save them for chats, not client mail.
- Over-thanking: One “Thanks” in the body and one in the closing is plenty.
- Mixing tones: Don’t pair a stiff body with a breezy sign-off, or the other way around.
Simple Framework To Pick The Right Close
- Audience: New contact or senior person? Step one level more formal.
- Purpose: Are you asking for time or help? “Thank you” lands well.
- Stakes: If the message carries weight, keep the close clean and neutral.
- Frequency: If you email daily, vary the closing so it doesn’t feel canned.
FAQ-Free Quick Answers Inside The Flow
Is It Grammatically Fine?
Yes. The phrase is grammatically fine and widely understood by English readers. The comma after the closing and a line break before your name keep it tidy.
Can It Sound Repetitive?
Yes, when used in every message. Rotate among “Thank you,” “Best regards,” and “Kind regards” so your notes feel fresh.
Should I Use It With Senior Leadership?
Pick “Kind regards” or “Best regards” for a neutral, polished finish unless your leader’s style is warmer.
Before You Hit Send: A Short Checklist
- Greeting matches the relationship.
- Closing matches the stakes and the ask.
- Only one sign-off line; comma included.
- Name appears on the next line; signature block isn’t fighting your close.
- No exclamation points in the sign-off; tone stays steady.
Bottom Line
“Thanks and regards” is a safe semi-formal closing for day-to-day business mail. Use it when you want both appreciation and a courteous finish, and switch to “Kind regards,” “Best regards,” or “Thank you” when the reader, request, or stakes call for a slightly different tone. Match your close to the moment, keep the format clean, and your message will land well.