# Chase overdue invoices with drafted reminders, before they get stale
By The Workshaped Lab · Tier: Workflow integration · Industry: Agencies & Professional Services, Bookkeeping & Finance, Construction & Trades · Function: Finance & Billing · Mode: Human approval · Autonomy: Suggest · Prompt tested: 2026-10-14 (gpt-5-mini, synthetic sample, checked by hand)
Provenance: Idea, prompt tested on synthetic data. Tools: Accounting export (CSV), Any chatbot, n8n (optional)

Most overdue invoices get paid after one clear, polite reminder. The problem is that nobody sends it on time. This lists every overdue invoice by age and drafts the right reminder for each stage.

## The problem
Small firms wait 30–60+ days for money because chasing is awkward and easy to postpone. By the time someone looks, invoices are 90 days old, the contact has changed, and some are past dispute or claim windows.

## Why it works
Who is overdue and by how much is arithmetic from your accounting export, done in a sheet or code. The model writes the reminder in the right tone for the stage (friendly at 7 days, firm at 30, final at 60), using only the facts from the export. A person sends it.

## Who it's for
Agencies, consultants, contractors and anyone who invoices clients on terms.

## Step by step
1. Export open invoices: client, contact, invoice number, issue date, due date, amount, amount paid.
2. Calculate days overdue and group: 1–14, 15–30, 31–60, 60+.
3. Draft one reminder per invoice matching its stage; include invoice number, amount, due date and how to pay.
4. Flag disputes, partial payments and clients with several overdue invoices for a call instead.
5. A person reviews and sends; log the date sent.
6. Re-run weekly.

## Pitfalls to avoid
- Partially paid invoices: chase the balance, not the full amount.
- One reminder per client, not per invoice, when a client has several.
- Check payments received in the last few days before sending, so you don't chase someone who just paid.
- Don't threaten late fees your contract doesn't include.

## Free kickstart prompt (paste into Claude, ChatGPT or Grok)
```
Act as a polite but firm accounts-receivable assistant. Today is [DATE].
Here are my open invoices (client, contact name, invoice number, issue date, due date, amount, amount paid):
[PASTE]
1. Make a table: client, invoice, balance due, days overdue, stage (1–14, 15–30, 31–60, 60+). Group clients with several invoices together.
2. Draft one email per client (not per invoice) matching their oldest stage: friendly reminder, firm reminder, or final notice before I call. Include invoice numbers, balances, due dates and [PAYMENT LINK OR DETAILS].
3. List any client I should phone instead (60+ days, partial payments, or a note that suggests a dispute), and don't draft an email for them; give me 3 talking points for the call instead.
Put the phone list first, then the emails.
Use only the facts above. Don't mention late fees or legal action. Show your days-overdue arithmetic so I can check it.
```

Web: https://workshaped.ai/use-cases/aging-invoices/