diff --git a/app/notify_client/api_client.py b/app/notify_client/api_client.py
index 9179c9942..397d371a5 100644
--- a/app/notify_client/api_client.py
+++ b/app/notify_client/api_client.py
@@ -159,11 +159,14 @@ class ServiceAPIClient(NotificationsAPIClient):
 
     def delete_service_template(self, service_id, template_id):
         """
-        Delete a service template.
+        Set a service template's archived flag to True
         """
         endpoint = "/service/{0}/template/{1}".format(service_id, template_id)
-        data = _attach_current_user({})
-        return self.delete(endpoint)
+        data = {
+            'archived': True
+        }
+        _attach_current_user(data)
+        return self.post(endpoint, data=data)
 
     def find_all_service_email_from(self, user_id=None):
         resp = self.get_services(user_id)
diff --git a/tests/app/notify_client/__init__.py b/tests/app/notify_client/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/app/notify_client/test_api_client.py b/tests/app/notify_client/test_api_client.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e34b5d65b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/app/notify_client/test_api_client.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+from app.notify_client.api_client import ServiceAPIClient
+from tests.conftest import fake_uuid
+
+
+def test_client_posts_archived_true_when_deleting_template(mocker):
+    service_id = fake_uuid
+    template_id = fake_uuid
+
+    expected_data = {
+        'archived': True,
+        'created_by': fake_uuid
+    }
+    expected_url = '/service/{}/template/{}'.format(service_id, template_id)
+
+    client = ServiceAPIClient()
+    mock_post = mocker.patch('app.notify_client.api_client.ServiceAPIClient.post')
+    mock_attach_user = mocker.patch('app.notify_client.api_client._attach_current_user',
+                                    side_effect=lambda x: x.update({'created_by': fake_uuid}))
+
+    client.delete_service_template(service_id, template_id)
+    mock_post.assert_called_once_with(expected_url, data=expected_data)