Automated Invoice Reminders

Automated Invoice Reminders automatically send payment reminder emails to families, progress invoice statuses, and optionally cancel severely overdue invoices. This feature reduces manual billing work while maintaining consistent communication with families.

Permission Required

To create and edit invoices, you need the Add Invoice and Edit Invoice permissions. To control automation on individual invoices, you need the Manage Invoice Automation permission.

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What is Billing Automation?

Billing Automation is a system-wide feature that:

• ✅ Sends pre-due reminders before invoices are overdue
• ✅ Sends overdue notices with escalating urgency
• ✅ Automatically progresses invoice statuses (Unpaid → First → Second → Final → Collections)
• ✅ Optionally cancels severely overdue invoices
• ✅ Tracks all reminder activity in the activity log

Think of it as an automated accounts receivable assistant that ensures consistent, timely communication about outstanding balances.

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How It Affects Invoices

When You Create an Invoice

When creating a new invoice, you'll see two automation-related fields:

Payment Due Date (Required)

The date by which payment must be received. This field is required for all new invoices.

How it's calculated:

• Automatically set based on the system default (Settings → Automation Settings → Billing Settings)
• Default: 90 days after invoice creation
• You can manually change this date

Example:

• Invoice created: January 1, 2026
• Default due days: 90
• Due date automatically set to: April 1, 2026

Enable Automated Reminders (Conditional)

A checkbox that controls whether this specific invoice participates in automation.

Visibility:

• ✅ Visible if you have the "Manage Invoice Automation" permission
• ❌ Hidden if you don't have this permission (uses system default)

Default state:

• Controlled by system setting: "Enable Automation by Default on New Invoices"
• Usually checked (enabled) by default

What it controls:

• Whether reminder emails are sent for this invoice
• Whether this invoice's status automatically progresses
• Whether this invoice can be auto-cancelled (if enabled globally)

When to Disable Automation

Uncheck "Enable Automated Reminders" for invoices that:

• Have special payment arrangements
• Are part of a formal payment plan
• Shouldn't receive standard reminders (e.g., scholarship invoices)
• Are being handled manually

After Invoice is Created

Once automation is enabled for an invoice, it enters the automated reminder cycle:

Pre-Due Reminders

When: Before the due date (if enabled in system settings)

Default schedule:

• 14 days before due date
• 7 days before due date
• 1 day before due date

Email template: "Invoice Due Reminder"

What happens:

• Email sent to client/guardian
• reminder_count increments
• last_reminder_sent timestamp updated
• Activity logged
• Status does NOT change

Example:

• Invoice due April 1st
• March 18th: First reminder sent
• March 25th: Second reminder sent
• March 31st: Third reminder sent

Overdue Reminders & Status Changes

When: After the due date (if enabled in system settings)

Default schedule:

Days Overdue	Status Before	Reminder Sent	Status After
7	Unpaid	Invoice First Overdue Notice	First (1st Notice)
14	First	Invoice Second Overdue Notice	Second (2nd Notice)
30	Final	Invoice Final Overdue Notice	Final (Final Notice)
Auto	Final	None	Collections

What happens at each stage:

1. Overdue notice email sent to client/guardian
2. Invoice status automatically progresses
3. reminder_count increments
4. last_reminder_sent timestamp updated
5. Status change logged in activity log

Example timeline:

• April 1st: Invoice due
• April 8th (7 days overdue): First overdue notice → Status: "First"
• April 15th (14 days overdue): Second overdue notice → Status: "Second"
• May 1st (30 days overdue): Final overdue notice → Status: "Final"
• Automatic: Status progresses to "Collections"

Auto-Cancellation (Optional)

When: After final notice + threshold period (if enabled in system settings)

Default: Disabled (must be explicitly enabled)

Default threshold: 60 days after final notice

What happens:

• Invoice status changes to "Cancelled"
• Comment added: "Invoice automatically cancelled on [date] after [X] days overdue."
• Activity logged
• No email sent (invoice already in collections)
• Appears in Cancelled Invoices report as "Auto-Cancelled"

Example:

• May 1st: Final notice sent
• July 1st (60 days later): Invoice automatically cancelled

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Checking Invoice Automation Status

On the Invoice Profile

When viewing an invoice (Billing → View Invoices → Select Invoice), you can see:

Due Date:

• Displayed prominently on invoice details
• Used to calculate all reminder timings

Automation Status (if you have permission):

• "Enable Automated Reminders" checkbox shows whether automation is active
• Can be toggled on/off when editing invoice

Reminder Activity:

• Check activity log for "AUTOMATION:" entries
• Shows when each reminder was sent
• Shows status progression history

Example activity log entries:

AUTOMATION: Pre-due reminder sent for Invoice #123 (Client: John Doe)
AUTOMATION: First overdue notice sent for Invoice #456 (Client: Jane Smith)
AUTOMATION: Invoice #789 automatically cancelled (95 days overdue, Status: Final, Client: Bob Johnson)

Reminder Count & Last Sent

While not visible on the UI, each invoice tracks:

• reminder_count: Total number of reminders sent
• last_reminder_sent: Timestamp of most recent reminder

This information is used internally to prevent duplicate reminders and track reminder frequency.

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Manual vs Automated Status Changes

How They Work Together

Automation respects manual changes:

• If you manually change an invoice status, automation continues from that point
• If you mark an invoice as "Paid", automation stops entirely
• If you cancel an invoice manually, automation stops entirely

Example: Manual override

1. Invoice is 15 days overdue, status "Second"
2. You manually change status to "Unpaid" (reset)
3. Next automation run treats it as "Unpaid"
4. Automation sends first overdue notice and progresses to "First"

Example: Manual completion

1. Invoice is 10 days overdue, status "First"
2. Family calls and pays over phone
3. You manually mark invoice as "Paid"
4. Automation stops - no further reminders sent

Best Practices

When to manually change status:

• Family makes payment arrangement - Move to a custom status
• Invoice should be written off - Change to "Cancelled"
• Error in automation - Reset to appropriate status

When to let automation handle it:

• Standard unpaid invoices - Let them progress naturally
• Multiple similar invoices - Consistent automation is efficient
• After-hours - Automation continues when you're unavailable

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Partial Payments

How Automation Handles Partial Payments

Behavior depends on system setting: Disable Reminders on Partial Payment

Setting: Disabled (Default)

What happens:

• ✅ Family makes partial payment
• ✅ Reminders continue for remaining balance
• ✅ Status progresses normally
• ✅ Good for ensuring full payment

Example:

• Invoice: $100, Due April 1st
• April 5th: Family pays $50
• April 8th: First overdue notice sent (for remaining $50)
• April 15th: Second overdue notice sent
• Status progresses normally until fully paid

Setting: Enabled

What happens:

• ✅ Family makes partial payment
• ❌ Reminders stop immediately
• ❌ Status does not progress
• ✅ Good for payment plans

Example:

• Invoice: $100, Due April 1st
• April 5th: Family pays $50
• No further reminders sent
• Status remains "Unpaid"
• Follow up manually or create new invoice for remainder

Managing Payment Plans

For families on formal payment plans:

Option 1: Disable automation for that invoice

1. Edit the invoice
2. Uncheck "Enable Automated Reminders" (requires permission)
3. Invoice excluded from automation
4. Handle reminders manually

Option 2: Use partial payment setting

1. Enable "Disable Reminders on Partial Payment" globally
2. Any partial payment stops reminders
3. Good if most families make partial payments

Option 3: Create separate invoices

1. Create multiple smaller invoices (one per installment)
2. Each has its own due date
3. Automation works normally for each

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Common Scenarios

Scenario: Family Requests More Time

Situation: Family calls 5 days before due date requesting 30-day extension.

Options:

Option A: Extend due date

1. Edit invoice
2. Change due date to 30 days later
3. Pre-due reminders reschedule automatically
4. Overdue reminders delayed

Option B: Disable automation

1. Edit invoice
2. Uncheck "Enable Automated Reminders"
3. Invoice excluded from automation
4. Follow up manually when agreed

Option C: Manual follow-up only

1. Note the extension in invoice comments
2. Let automation continue (they'll get overdue notices)
3. Mark as paid when they pay within extension

Recommended: Option A (extend due date) - Cleanest and maintains automation

Scenario: Invoice Created in Error

Situation: Accidentally created invoice for wrong family/amount.

Solution:

1. Edit invoice → Uncheck "Enable Automated Reminders"
2. Mark invoice as "Cancelled"
3. Add comment explaining the error
4. Create correct invoice

Why disable automation first:

• Prevents reminder emails from going out before you cancel
• Cleaner activity log

Scenario: Collections Agency Taking Over

Situation: Invoice reaches collections, agency will now handle.

Solution:

1. Disable auto-cancellation globally (if enabled)
2. Leave invoice in "Collections" status
3. Manual follow-up with agency
4. Mark as "Paid" when agency collects

Alternative:

• Edit invoice → Uncheck "Enable Automated Reminders"
• Prevents future reminders while in Collections

Scenario: Scholarship Invoice

Situation: Creating invoice for scholarship student who won't pay.

Solution:

1. Create invoice as normal
2. IMPORTANT: Uncheck "Enable Automated Reminders" before saving
3. Invoice won't send any reminders
4. Mark as "Cancelled" or "Paid" when scholarship processes

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Permission System

Manage Invoice Automation Permission

Who has it: Typically senior billing staff, finance managers, system administrators

What it controls:

• ✅ Visibility of "Enable Automated Reminders" checkbox
• ✅ Ability to enable/disable automation per invoice
• ✅ Ability to override system default

Who doesn't have it: Front desk staff, basic invoice creators

What they can do:

• ✅ Create and edit invoices
• ✅ Invoices use system default automation setting
• ❌ Cannot see or change automation checkbox
• ❌ Cannot override automation

Why this permission exists:

• Prevents accidental disabling of automation
• Ensures consistent reminder schedule
• Allows senior staff to handle special cases

Example:

User	Permission	Creating Invoice	Result
Finance Manager	✅ Has permission	Checks "Enable Automated Reminders"	Automation enabled
Finance Manager	✅ Has permission	Unchecks "Enable Automated Reminders"	Automation disabled
Front Desk	❌ No permission	Doesn't see checkbox	System default used (usually enabled)

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Monitoring Automation

Activity Log

Location: Administrators → Activity Log

Filter for: Messages starting with "AUTOMATION:"

What you'll see:

• Pre-due reminders sent
• Overdue notices sent
• Status progressions
• Auto-cancellations
• Errors (if any)

Example entries:

AUTOMATION: Pre-due reminder sent for Invoice #123 (Client: John Doe)
AUTOMATION: First overdue notice sent for Invoice #456 (Client: Jane Smith)
AUTOMATION: Invoice #789 automatically cancelled (95 days overdue)
AUTOMATION ERROR: Failed to send reminder for Invoice #999 - Template not found

Cancelled Invoices Report

Location: Reports → View Reports → Cancelled Invoices

What it shows:

• All cancelled invoices (manual and auto-cancelled)
• Distinguishes between cancellation types
• Days overdue at cancellation (for auto-cancelled)
• Export to CSV/Excel for analysis

Use cases:

• Monthly review of auto-cancellations
• Audit trail for write-offs
• Identify patterns in unpaid invoices

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Troubleshooting

Issue: Reminders Not Sending

Check:

1. Invoice has a due date set
2. "Enable Automated Reminders" is checked (if you have permission to see it)
3. Invoice status is unpaid (Unpaid, First, Second, Final, Collections)
4. System settings have master toggles enabled
5. Email templates exist

Solution: Edit invoice, verify due date, check activity log for errors

Issue: Too Many Reminders

Check:

1. Review activity log for reminder frequency
2. Check if multiple invoices for same client
3. Verify reminder intervals in system settings

Solution: Disable automation on specific invoices, or adjust system intervals

Issue: Status Not Changing

Check:

1. Verify "Enable Overdue Reminders" is enabled in system settings
2. Check invoice meets day threshold (exactly, not >=)
3. Review activity log for automation errors

Solution: Wait for next automation run, or manually adjust status if needed

Issue: Family Says They're Not Receiving Emails

Check:

1. Verify client email address is correct
2. Check spam/junk folder
3. Verify email templates are configured
4. Check activity log to confirm emails were sent

Solution: Update client email address, ask family to whitelist your domain

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Best Practices

When Creating Invoices

1. Always set a due date - Required for automation
2. Use system default - Let automation work unless there's a reason not to
3. Document special cases - Add comments if disabling automation
4. Verify client contact info - Ensure emails will be received

Managing Existing Invoices

1. Let automation work - Don't manually change statuses unless necessary
2. Respond to family requests - Extend due dates or disable automation as needed
3. Monitor activity log - Check for automation errors regularly
4. Review cancelled invoices - Monthly audit of auto-cancellations

Communication with Families

1. Set expectations - Inform families about reminder schedule
2. Provide payment options - Make online payment easy
3. Be flexible - Disable automation for hardship cases
4. Document agreements - Note payment plans in invoice comments

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Need help? Contact Manage1to1 support or review the Billing Automation guide for detailed configuration information.