The Automated Invoice Reminders feature in BQE CORE is designed to minimize the manual effort required to follow up with clients about unpaid invoices. This feature works by automatically sending email notifications to clients, reminding them of outstanding payments. You can customize when these reminders are sent, choosing to dispatch them before the invoice due date, exactly on the due date, or after the due date has passed. This flexibility ensures that clients receive timely notifications, which in turn helps you accelerate payment collection. By automating this process, your accounts receivable workflow becomes more efficient, reducing delays and improving cash flow. Click to watch this video on automating invoice reminders.
To accommodate situations such as payment disputes or other special circumstances, CORE allows you to flag specific invoices to exempt them from receiving automated reminders. When an invoice is marked as exempt, it will not be included in the daily check that triggers reminder emails, even if the Automated Invoice Reminders feature is active and all other trigger conditions are met. This gives you control over which invoices are subject to automated follow-up, preventing unnecessary or inappropriate reminders from being sent. Conversely, if you remove the exemption flag, the invoice will be placed back into the reminder queue. In this case, any relevant reminders will be sent based on the current date relative to the invoice’s due date. Additionally, you have the option to exclude entire clients from receiving invoice reminders by adjusting the settings in the Clients detail view, providing further flexibility in managing your communications.
Note: This feature is turned off by default. To start using automated invoice reminders, you will need to enable and manage them through CORE by navigating to Settings > Billing & Invoices > Accounts Receivable.
How Automated Invoice Reminders Work
Automated invoice reminders are sent based on the configuration defined in Settings > Billing & Invoices > Accounts Receivable. When enabled, CORE evaluates invoices daily to determine whether they meet the criteria for sending a reminder. Each automated reminder is sent once per invoice, on the exact day defined by the reminder schedule. For example, if a reminder is configured to send 15 days after the invoice due date, CORE sends the reminder only on the 15th day after the due date. Automated reminders are not re-sent for invoices that remain unpaid beyond that point.
Invoices that are not yet past the configured reminder threshold, or that have already passed the reminder date, do not trigger an automated reminder. This behavior is expected and helps prevent repeated reminders for long-overdue invoices.
Who Receives Automated Reminder Emails
Automated reminder emails are sent based on the project and client configuration. If a billing contact is assigned to the project, the reminder is sent to that billing contact. If no billing contact is set, the reminder is sent to the client’s primary email address.
In addition to the primary recipient, automated invoice reminders also include CC and BCC recipients configured at the company level. These company email settings are applied when a reminder is triggered, ensuring internal visibility into reminder communications.
Company Email Settings for Automated Reminders
Automated invoice reminders respect the company-level email settings configured specifically for automated reminders. These settings determine which CC and BCC recipients are included on reminder emails when they are sent. Company email settings apply only when an automated reminder is triggered. If no reminder is sent, no reminder email including CC or BCC recipients is generated.
Exempting Invoices from Automated Reminders
To accommodate payment disputes or other special circumstances, CORE allows you to exempt individual invoices from automated reminders. An Exempt from Automated Reminders checkbox is available on the Invoice Details screen. By default, this option is unchecked, meaning automated reminders are enabled for the invoice.
When an invoice is marked as exempt, it is excluded from the daily reminder evaluation, even if automated reminders are enabled, and all other trigger conditions are met. This prevents automated reminders from being sent for that invoice. If the exemption is removed later, the invoice re-enters the reminder evaluation process. Any applicable reminders may then be sent based on the current date and the invoice due date.
Client-Level Exclusion from Invoice Reminders
In addition to invoice-level exemptions, CORE also allows you to exclude entire clients from receiving automated invoice reminders. This can be managed from the Client Details view and applies to all invoices associated with that client. This option provides additional flexibility when managing communications with specific clients.
Viewing Reminder Activity
When an automated reminder is sent, CORE records a collection note on the invoice. This provides transparency into reminder activity.
Benefits
Implementing automated invoice reminders offers several key benefits for your business:
- It helps reduce the manual effort required to follow up with clients about outstanding payments, saving valuable time and resources.
- It improves cash flow by encouraging clients to make timely payments, which contributes to healthier financial management.
- It ensures that your communications with clients remain consistent and professional, strengthening your business relationships.
Check out this help article for details.