Accounting firm · Finance
Overdue fee collection
Chase overdue fees the same way for every client, without damaging the relationship or losing track of who promised what. The client replies to the reminder through one shared link, and a partner decides on payment plans and paused work.
- Duration: 1 to 6 weeks
- How often: For every overdue client invoice
- Steps: 8 steps
- AI agents: 1 AI agent
- Approvals: 1 approval
Free plan, no credit card needed.
What changes with this template
Without it
Reminders go out to clients who are waiting on an answer from the firm.
Everyone chases overdue fees in their own words.
Payment plans are agreed on the phone and forgotten.
Nobody knows which invoices are still open after the first reminder.
With it
The client manager checks for open questions before any reminder is sent.
An AI agent drafts every reminder, and the billing coordinator checks it.
The client proposes a plan on the shared link, and the partner's decision is recorded.
Each overdue invoice is a run with a follow-up date until the money arrives.
The template, step by step
Each step says who does it: someone on your team, an AI agent, or the client through a shared link. An approval keeps every later step locked until it is given.
- Done by your team
- Done by an AI agent
- Done by the client, through a shared link
Starts when
A client invoice is overdue. The billing coordinator starts a run with the client, the invoice and the amount.
- 1
Open the overdue invoice
When the invoice is overdueBilling coordinator · Team
Check the invoice and any payments received in the accounting system, and record what is still open.
Checklist
- Invoice and payments checked
- Client manager told
Fields to fill in
- Client name (required)
- Invoice number (required)
- Amount overdue (required)
- Due date (required)
- 2
Check for a reason before chasing
Hidden from the shared linkDays 1 to 2Client manager · Team
Check whether the client has an open question about the work or the bill, or is waiting on the firm, and note it before any reminder goes out.
Checklist
- No open question about the work
- Invoice matches the engagement letter
- No work waiting on the firm
Fields to fill in
- Known issues
- 3
Draft the reminder
Day 2Reminder writer · AI agent
The reminder writer drafts a polite reminder from the invoice details and the client manager's notes: the invoice number, the amount, the due date and how the client can reply.
Fields to fill in
- Draft reminder (required)
Checked by: The billing coordinator checks and sends the reminder in step 4.
- 4
Approve and send the reminder
Day 2Billing coordinator · Team
Check the draft against the invoice and the notes, adjust the tone to the relationship, and send it with the shared run link.
Checklist
- Amount and invoice number right
- Tone fits the relationship
- Reminder sent with the shared link
Fields to fill in
- Date reminder sent (required)
- 5
Reply to the reminder
Week 1Client contact · Shared link
Through the shared link, the client says when they will pay, asks for a payment plan or explains what is wrong with the invoice.
Fields to fill in
- Reply (required)
- Promised payment date
- Proposed payment plan
- Question about the invoice
- 6
Decide the next step
Hidden from the shared linkWeeks 1 to 2Partner · Team
Read the client's reply and the client manager's notes, and decide: accept the date, agree a plan, issue a credit note, pause work or refer the debt for collection.
Checklist
- Client's reply read
- Effect on current work considered
Fields to fill in
- Decision (required)
- Reason (required)
Approval: No payment plan, credit note or pause in work is agreed until the partner decides.
- 7
Confirm the decision to the client
Week 2Billing coordinator · Team
Confirm the decision to the client in writing, record any payment plan or credit note in the accounting system, and set the follow-up date.
Checklist
- Decision confirmed to the client
- Plan or credit note recorded
Fields to fill in
- Follow-up date (required)
- 8
Confirm payment and close
By the follow-up dateBilling coordinator · Team
Match the payment to the invoice and close the run. If the money has not arrived, mark the run blocked and tell the partner.
Checklist
- Payment matched to the invoice
- Paused work restarted, if any
Fields to fill in
- Date paid
- Amount received
Done when
The invoice is paid, or a payment plan, credit note or next step is agreed and recorded.
Make it yours. Rename steps, change owners and add checklist items, fields or approvals. The template is a starting point for the way your team works.
The AI agents in this template
An agent only works on its own steps, and a person on your team checks what it did. Anything an agent writes to a connected app waits for approval unless you allow it.
Reminder writer
Drafts a polite payment reminder from the invoice details and the client manager's notes.
What it does
- Reads the invoice details and the client manager's notes on the run
- Follows the firm's tone in its step instructions
- Writes the draft reminder into its step
Checked by: The billing coordinator checks and sends the reminder in step 4.
Questions this template answers
Check for a reason before you chase, and keep the first reminder polite and specific. In step 2 the client manager looks for open questions or work waiting on the firm, and in steps 3 and 4 the reminder is drafted and checked before it goes out.
Let the client propose a plan in writing, and have a partner decide on it. In step 5 the client proposes a plan through the shared link, and step 6 is an approval gate where the partner accepts or changes it.
Make pausing work a partner's decision with a recorded reason, not a reaction. Step 6 records the decision and the reason, and in step 8 paused work restarts once the payment is matched.
Let AI draft the reminder from the invoice details and the notes, and have a person send it. In step 3 the reminder writer drafts the text, and in step 4 the billing coordinator checks the amount and the tone before sending it.
Run each overdue invoice as its own run, with the amount and due date recorded from the start. Step 1 records the invoice, step 7 sets the follow-up date, and step 8 marks the run blocked if the money does not arrive.
Look for open questions and disputes before the first reminder. In step 2 the client manager notes any open question about the work or the bill, and in step 5 the client can raise one through the shared link instead of ignoring the reminder.
Run this workflow in OKiDO
Set up the steps, owners and approvals once, then start a run for every new case.