Automated Payment Reminders by Email and Text

WHY REMINDERS SLIP

The reminder you meant to send is the one that didn't go out.

Nobody skips reminders on purpose. The crew needs materials, a customer wants a change order priced, and by Friday the follow-up slides to next week again. QuickBooks can send a basic email, but it doesn't text, doesn't pause when someone promises to pay, and doesn't show the reply to your whole team.

Reminders depend on memoryWhen follow-up lives in someone's head, it stops the day they get busy or go on vacation.
Email alone gets missedPlenty of homeowners and small business owners read a text long before they read an email.
Replies get lostA customer answers "I'll pay Friday" to one person's inbox and nobody else ever sees it.

Reminder workflow with email, notification and text steps

WHAT YOU GET

Automated invoice reminders by email and text, in one place.

AR Workflow sends automated payment reminders as steps inside a collections workflow. You decide the schedule, the wording and the channel for each step. The system handles the sending, the tracking and the stopping.

From your own address

Connect Gmail or Microsoft 365 and reminders send from your real business email, so replies come back to you.

TEXT

From a dedicated number

Each business gets its own texting number. Customers can text back, and the conversation lands in a shared inbox.

PAY

A payment link in every reminder

One link opens all of the customer's open invoices. Pay one, several or part of one by card or ACH.

TEMPLATES

Merge fields from QuickBooks

Customer name, invoice number, job address, amount due and even QuickBooks custom fields.

AUTO

Stops when paid

Payment ends the reminders. A promise to pay holds them until that date.

TEAM

Every message on the timeline

Each email, text and reply is logged on the customer's account, so anyone can pick up the thread.

TEXT MESSAGE REMINDERS

Text message payment reminders that customers actually read.

Homeowners read texts. Builders read texts between tasks. A short message with a tap-to-pay link is about as low-friction as collections gets. Numbers that can't receive texts are skipped, and a customer who replies STOP is opted out. Get consent to text in your service agreement and check with your attorney.

New text message with template picker and AI Draft

Write it or let AI draft it

Pick a saved template or use AI Draft. Send to one customer, a group, or schedule it for a specific morning.

Shared two-way SMS inbox with a customer conversation

A two-way inbox your team shares

Replies land in one SMS inbox, not on one employee's cell phone.

HOW IT WORKS

How automated payment reminders work in AR Workflow.

Sync from QuickBooks Online

Every open invoice and customer comes in automatically. New invoices show up as they're created.

Pick a reminder schedule

Start from a template or build your own. Reminders go out each morning on business days.

Choose the channel per step

Email for documents, text for the quick nudge. Add a ringless voicemail or a call task for a voice.

Let it run, watch the replies

Customers pay from the link or reply. AI drafts a response for your team to approve, edit or skip.

EMAIL REMINDERS

Invoice reminder emails, with the details that get them paid.

Email is still the right channel for invoices, statements and anything that needs a paper trail. When a customer writes back, AI drafts a suggested reply. Your team approves it, edits it or skips it. Nothing goes out without a person.

Your own Gmail or Microsoft 365Or the AR Workflow sender.
Threaded conversationsReplies stay attached to the message and the customer's account.
SchedulingWrite it now, send it tomorrow at 8 AM.
AttachmentsInvoices, photos, signed authorizations or lien waivers.
Open trackingOn emails sent through the AR Workflow sender.
No payment link for adjustersAI Draft leaves it out for adjusters, carriers and attorneys.

Shared email inbox with a customer reply about a pending invoice

TEXTS YOU CAN COPY

Payment reminder text message examples.

Keep texts under two short sentences plus the link. Use the customer's first name and the job, not just an invoice number. In AR Workflow the bracketed fields fill in from QuickBooks.

BEFORE DUE

Friendly heads-up

Hi [first name], it's [company]. Friendly heads-up that your invoice for [job] is due [due date]. You can pay here anytime: [link]

DUE TODAY

On the due date

Hi [first name], your invoice from [company] for [job] is due today. Pay by card or bank transfer here: [link]. Thanks!

JUST PAST DUE

Assumes it slipped

Hi [first name], [company] here. Looks like the invoice for [job] is still open. If you've already sent it, thank you. If not, here's the link: [link]

PARTIAL

Offer a partial payment

Hi [first name], just checking in on the [job] invoice. If paying it all at once is tough right now, you can pay part of it here: [link], or reply and we'll set up a plan.

FINAL

Final reminder

Hi [first name], this is [company] about the past-due invoice for [job]. Please pay at [link] or reply today so we can sort it out together.

Need email wording too? Our blog has past due invoice letter templates you can copy.

WHEN TO SEND

When to send payment reminders: before and after the due date.

Most contractors only start reminding once an invoice is late. That's the hardest time to collect.

BEFORE

Courtesy reminders

One email when the invoice goes out and a short text a few days before the due date. It should feel like good service, not chasing.

AFTER

Overdue invoice reminders

Each step gets a little clearer: a friendly "still open?", a direct follow-up, then a final notice. Mix channels so a text follows an ignored email.

PERSON

When a person takes over

Disputes, payment plan requests, missed promises and large balances show up as tasks in the Priority Queue.

TONE BY STAGE

How firm should a payment reminder be?

The rule of thumb: every reminder should be something you'd be comfortable having the customer read out loud to a friend.

COURTESY

Warm, helpful

Include the job, amount due, due date and payment link. Leave out anything that sounds like a warning.

JUST PAST DUE

Friendly, assumes it slipped

Say "if you've already paid, thanks" and add the link. Keep late fees out of the first line.

FOLLOW-UP

Clear, direct

Give the date it was due and ask what's holding it up. No sarcasm, all caps or "per my last email".

FINAL NOTICE

Firm, polite

State the exact next step and a date to respond by. No threats, and nothing you won't actually do.

MISTAKES TO AVOID

6 payment reminder mistakes contractors make.

Sending to the wrong person

On commercial jobs, the PM who approved the work usually isn't the one who pays. Send reminders to accounts payable.

No payment link

If they have to call or find a checkbook, it waits. Make paying the next easy step.

Reminding people who already paid

Nothing burns goodwill faster. Reminders should stop the moment a payment lands.

Only using email

Busy homeowners and owners on job sites often see texts first.

Inconsistent timing

Reminders that go out "when someone has time" train customers to wait.

Ignoring replies

A reply means the customer is engaged. Answer it the same day. AI drafts the reply for your team to review.

Get a demo →

YOUR INVOICE, NOT A FEATURE TOUR

Bring us one overdue invoice. We'll build the reminders around it.

On the demo we build a reminder schedule around one of your real past-due invoices. You'll see:

1Each email and text your customer would get, in your wording
2How replies land in the shared inbox
3How the payment lands in QuickBooks and the reminders stop

Book a demo

YOUR OPEN INVOICE

Past due

[YOUR BALANCE]

Status requestEmail

Second touchText

Still openVoicemail

Payer can pay by card or ACH

Paid

Posted to QuickBooks

FAQ

Automated payment reminder FAQs

Still have a question?

Bring it, and one overdue invoice, to a demo.

Book a demo

What are automated payment reminders?

Automated payment reminders are emails and texts that go out on a set schedule to customers with unpaid invoices, without someone sending each one by hand. In AR Workflow they include a payment link and stop automatically once the invoice is paid.

How often should I send overdue invoice reminders?

A common rhythm is a courtesy note at the due date, a reminder every week or so after that, and a firmer message a few weeks past due, followed by a phone call. Adjust it for the customer. A repeat commercial client may need less, a new homeowner may need more.

Can I send payment reminders by text message?

Yes. AR Workflow sends text reminders from a dedicated business number with a tap-to-pay link, and replies come into a shared inbox. Get the customer's consent to text first.

Will automated reminders annoy my customers?

Not if they're polite, accurate and stop when the customer pays. Annoying reminders are the ones that keep coming after payment, or that go out with the wrong amount. Both are handled for you.

Do the reminders come from my email address?

They can. Connect Gmail or Microsoft 365 and reminders send from your address. Texts come from your dedicated AR Workflow number.

What if a customer replies with a question?

The reply lands in the shared inbox, an AI-drafted answer is ready for review, and the customer's timeline shows the whole conversation.

How do I write a friendly payment reminder?

Use the customer's name, name the job, say the amount is due or past due, include a payment link and thank them. Assume it slipped their mind. Save firmer language for later reminders.

Should I send payment reminders before the due date?

Yes. A courtesy reminder a few days before the due date catches customers who simply forgot, and it doesn't feel like chasing.

What's the best time of day to send a text payment reminder?

During business hours in the customer's time zone. Weekday mornings and early afternoons are a safe default. Avoid early mornings, late evenings and weekends.

Can automated reminders include a payment link?

Yes. Every customer-facing email and text in AR Workflow can include a link that opens all of that customer's open invoices for payment by card or ACH.

How much does it cost?

Automated payment reminders are part of every AR Workflow plan: $295, $395 or $495 per month. See pricing. There's no free trial. We set it up with you on a demo.

Which payment reminder tools should I compare?

If you're shopping around, our roundup of payment reminder software compares the options.