Automated Overdue Payment Reminders

This article provides guidance on automating overdue payment reminder emails. While automating this process can enhance efficiency, it is essential to maintain accurate and up-to-date records to avoid potential issues with customer communication.

HirePOS features a dedicated Payments Outstanding screen that allows users to send reminder emails to customers with overdue payments. This functionality can be accessed via Payments > Payments Outstanding > Send Overdue Reminders (tab).

Before proceeding with the automation of overdue reminder emails, it is crucial to consider the implications of this approach. Automating these emails can lead to complications if your data is not consistently updated. For instance, if a customer pays their invoice on time but you fail to record this payment before the automated email is sent, it may result in unnecessary confusion and could potentially damage your relationship with the customer.

If you decide to automate overdue reminder emails instead of manually reviewing and sending them in bulk via the dedicated Payments Outstanding screen, you have two primary options:

• Export the records to your accounting system (such as MYOB or Xero) and utilise the automation tools available within that system to manage the reminders.

• Utilise the CRM > Auto-Followups feature in HirePOS to send an email for "Outstanding Invoices" a specified number of days after the "Date Due."

By carefully considering these options and maintaining accurate records, you can effectively manage overdue invoice reminders while minimising the risk of miscommunication with your customers.

Follow these steps to automate overdue payment reminders in HirePOS.

1. Go to Setup > Preferences > Email Templates & Settings.

2. Click the Other Email Templates button located at the bottom of this screen.

3. Set up a new email template by clicking the + New Email Template button located at the top-left.

4. Enter a Template Name, for example "Overdue Payments".

5. Enter an Email Subject, and use the Placeholders dropdown located to the right to automate data entry where possible.

6. Enter an Email Message, and again, use the Placeholders dropdown located to the right to automate data entry where possible.

7. Click the CRM Followup Emails sub-heading located towards the bottom to expand this section.

8. From the Record Type dropdown, choose the "Outstanding" option located at the bottom of the list.

9. In the Date Filter dropdown, choose Date Due.

10. Enter the number of Days After to send the email.

11. Click the Save Changes button located at the bottom-right.

12. From the menu bar located at the top, navigate to CRM > Auto-Followups.

13. Switch from toggle setting from Manual to Automatic, and the emails will now be automated daily.

The criteria used for "Outstanding" includes Invoices that are not currently "On Hire".
Typically "On Hire" Invoices are subject to change in value, and so the Invoice must be either "Not Yet Hired" (which is typically the case for up front cash payments) or the Invoice must be "Returned" or "Rolled".
Additionally, the Invoice must have an "Invoice Due Date" value in the "Other" tab. See the help guide for more information on populating the Invoice Due Date.