Invoicing or payment platform
Creates invoices and payment links, and reports when a payment arrives.
AI automation
Automated invoice chasing: getting paid without the awkward calls
With automated invoice chasing, each customer gets reminders at the right moments (before the due date, on the day and after it's late) by email or text, with a payment link. When the payment lands, the automation marks it as paid and stops the messages. Your team only steps in when someone needs to negotiate. Chasing happens consistently, and consistency is what brings overdue balances down.
How it's usually done by hand
In many small businesses, chasing depends on someone remembering to check the spreadsheet, see who's late and message people one by one. Because chasing feels awkward, it gets put off, and a week late becomes a month late.
On top of that, matching payments is manual: someone checks the bank, updates the spreadsheet and sometimes chases a customer who has already paid. That's embarrassing for everyone and creates more work.
Example: a tutoring center with 200 families where about 15% pay late. That's 30 follow-ups a month, each with a message, a check and an update. At around 10 minutes per case, that's 5 hours a month, not counting the money that simply never comes in because nobody chased it in time.
How the automation works, step by step
- 1
Your reminder schedule
You set the sequence: a reminder 3 days before, a note on the due date, a message 2 days after and a personal contact from your team after 7 days.
- 2
Reading due dates
The automation reads due dates from your invoicing software, payment platform or a spreadsheet.
- 3
Personal messages
Each customer gets the message for their stage, with their name, amount, due date and payment link, in your tone.
- 4
Automatic payment matching
When the payment platform or bank confirms payment, the reminders stop and the customer gets a thank-you.
- 5
Cases for your team
Anyone still overdue, or who replies asking for more time, goes to your team's list with the full message history.
What goes into the build
Customer and invoice records
Your accounting software or a spreadsheet with customers, amounts and due dates.
Email and SMS or WhatsApp
The channels for reminders, with approved message templates where required.
Automation tool
Runs the reminder schedule every day and marks payments.
To start today, without hiring anyone
- Write down your reminder schedule: how many days before and after the due date each message goes out.
- Write the text for each stage in your own tone (the prompt below helps).
- Switch on the automatic reminders in your invoicing software, if it has them.
- Block a fixed time each week to follow the schedule, instead of chasing when you remember.
- Record who paid after each stage: it shows which messages work.
A prompt to get ahead today
Prompt: a kind but firm reminder sequence
Use it to write every message in your chasing sequence at once.
You are a customer relationships and credit control specialist. Business: [what it does] | Tone: [friendly / formal] What's being charged: [monthly fees / services / instalments] Payment options: [card, bank transfer, direct debit] Write email or text messages, up to 4 lines each, for: 1) A reminder 3 days before the due date. 2) A note on the due date. 3) A first message 2 days overdue, kind. 4) A second message 7 days overdue, firm and respectful, offering to talk. 5) A thank-you after payment. Use [NAME], [AMOUNT], [DUE DATE] and [LINK]. No threats, and don't mention late fees I haven't given you.
What usually goes wrong
- Chasing customers who already paid because payment matching isn't automated. That damages trust more than any late payment.
- Using an aggressive tone. What makes the sequence work is how consistently the messages go out.
- Ignoring the rules on debt collection communication where you operate. Messages must be accurate and respectful.
Frequently asked questions
Are automated payment reminders allowed?
Yes, as long as they're respectful and accurate. Reminders about your own invoices to your own customers are standard practice. Keep messages clear, avoid threats, send them only to the right person and give an easy way to talk to someone. If you text customers, follow the consent and messaging rules that apply in your country. Data protection rules also apply to the data you use.
Does it mark invoices as paid automatically?
If your payment platform or bank reports the confirmation, yes. Most invoicing tools and payment providers send that confirmation automatically, and reminders stop at once. When payment arrives some other way, it can be matched from the bank feed. The goal is never to chase someone who has already paid.
What if a customer replies asking for more time or a discount?
The conversation goes to a person on your team. The automation handles the schedule and reminders, while negotiation stays human, because it needs judgement and knowledge of the customer's history. Your team gets the case with every earlier message attached.
Do we need to change our accounting or invoicing software?
Usually not. Tools like Xero, QuickBooks and Stripe already handle invoices and payments, and the automation builds on top of them or reads from a spreadsheet. When there's an integration, everything happens directly.
How long does it take to set up?
A simple reminder sequence usually runs within a few weeks, depending on your payment platform and message channels. The first month is for tuning timing and wording based on who pays after each stage.
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