Sending Xero invoice reminders

How to set up reminders for upcoming and overdue Xero invoices

You can get your overdue Xero invoices paid by importing them into Converso and sending reminders by text (you will also soon be able to send reminders via WhatsApp and email too).

Your contacts can then benefit from the convenience of paying easily on their mobile in a few clicks, helping you collect payment efficiently and quickly.

When you connect to your Xero account, you have the option of importing historic invoices by defined year. This will import a list of all unpaid invoices for that period that are not yet due, and those that are overdue.

You can also of course import to Converso new invoices that you have created in Xero. You might want to send these initially via Xero email, and then if they are not paid, auto send a text follow up from Converso as escalation.

You can also create workflows that automate the payment collection process, saving you time. A workflow comprises of a series of chronological reminders that can be sent by text (a reminder also includes a personalised link to pay).

For instance, for an invoice that is not yet due, a reminder can be set for the due date (already defined in Xero), and then as an escalation, another reminder can be set for a defined number of days after the due date.

A workflow can also include sending a personalised thank you text message to the contact on successful payment, automating the entire accounts receivable process.

Different workflows can be created to apply to different payer profiles, eg those that always pay on time, and those that are consistent late payers.

1. Sending reminders for unpaid Xero invoices that are not yet due

When an invoice (old or present) is imported from Xero and is not yet due, you can set up reminders in Converso that are triggered a certain number of days before the due date, as well as on the due date, and after the due date.

You can automate reminders for unpaid invoices by sending any combination of text reminders, and a workflow can be created for this scenario which can be applied against selected invoices.

Alternatively, reminders can be chosen separately as an "ad hoc", customized workflow.

If the invoice has been previously sent in Xero, and has then been imported to Converso as "Unpaid", when that invoice is paid, the status of the invoice in Converso changes to "Paid" in real time. This paid status is also updated into Xero.

This stops any future reminders from being sent for imported invoices that were previously marked as unpaid.

2. Sending reminders for unpaid Xero invoices that are overdue when imported

For Xero invoices that are overdue when imported, you can set up reminders that can be sent by text at a certain number of days after the due date.

For example, if the invoice is overdue by 3 days when it is imported, you can set a reminder to be sent immediately by setting an "after due date" reminder for upto 3 days after the due date.

It's also possible to include in the "after due date" reminder message the number of days that the invoice is overdue.

Alternatively you can set a reminder to be sent at a date further into the future. If the customer is 3 days overdue when the invoice is imported, you can set a reminder to be sent at 7 days over due, which will automatically send a reminder in 4 days time.