Automated payment reminders email your contacts when a payment plan installment is due, so you do not have to chase invoices manually. Without reminders, contacts are not notified when a payment is coming up or overdue.
Add a reminder to a payment plan installment
Reminders are configured per installment, on either a payment plan template or on the payment plan applied to an individual invoice. The procedure is the same in both places. Editing a template does not update existing project invoices, and editing an invoice's plan does not update the template.
Add a reminder on a payment plan template
Templates let you set up reminders once and reuse them across future invoices.
Navigate to Invoicing ➔ Payment plans.
Select an existing payment plan template, or click the plus icon (+) at the top of the payment plan list to create a new one.
Click + Add reminder.
In the reminder popover, configure the send date and email template (see Configure the reminder below).
Click outside the popover to close it. Changes save automatically.
Payment plan templates save automatically. There is no Save or Apply button.
Repeat for every installment that needs a reminder. Each installment can have multiple reminders.
Add a reminder on an invoice's payment plan
You can also add reminders to a payment plan that lives on a specific invoice, including a plan you built directly on the invoice without using a template.
Navigate to the Invoicing page and open the invoice, or open the project, click the Invoicing tab, and open the invoice.
In the payment plan section, click Edit.
Click + Add reminder.
Configure the reminder the same way as on a template.
Editing the payment plan on a project invoice does not update the template, and template edits do not propagate to invoices that already use the template.
Configure the reminder
The reminder popover has two configuration choices: when the reminder sends, and which email template it uses.
Set the send date
Choose Relative, Fixed, or TBD in the popover. Each option behaves differently.
Relative
The reminder sends a number of days, weeks, or months before or after the installment's due date. Pick a number, choose a unit -- day(s), week(s), or month(s) -- and choose before due date or after due date. To send a reminder on the exact due date, set the value to 0 days before due date.
For example:
A first installment due December 1 with a reminder set to 0 days before due date sends on December 1.
A second installment due December 15 with a reminder set to 1 week before due date sends on December 8.
If an installment uses a relative trigger for its due date, the reminder send date is not displayed until the due date is resolved.
For example, if an installment uses after contract signed as its relative due date, but the project does not contain a signed contract, then no due date is set. Once a contract is signed within the project, the installment's due date and the reminder's send date resolve and the actual due date and reminder send date display on the invoice.
Fixed
The reminder sends on a specific date and time you pick.
Avoid using Fixed reminders on a payment plan template. A fixed date eventually falls in the past, which makes the reminder fail on every project that applies the template later.
TBD
Use TBD when the installment's due date is also TBD. The reminder waits until the due date is set and is then scheduled.
Choose the reminder email
The email selector lists your custom templates and your workspace's default templates. The default Payment Plan Reminder template is pre-selected for new reminders.
To edit the default reminder email, go to Messages ➔ Default templates ➔ Payment Plan Reminder.
To use a different email, create or edit a template at Messages ➔ Custom templates first, then select it from the dropdown.
The reminder popover does not include an option to write a new email inline. Create the template first, then select it.
Smart fields in payment reminder emails
Smart fields personalize each reminder with the contact's amount, due date, and a link to pay. The default Payment Plan Reminder template already includes them, so you only need to add or adjust smart fields if you create a custom reminder email.
The three smart fields used in payment reminders:
Amount Due — shows the amount the contact must pay.
Due Date — shows the installment's due date.
Invoice Link — adds a button linking to the invoice.
Smart fields under Payment plan can only be used in payment reminder emails. They will not render in other email templates.
For a full list of smart fields you can use across Dubsado, see the Smart field reference guide.
Manage and check on reminders
You can see each reminder's status on the installment row, edit reminders that have not yet sent, and delete reminders you no longer need.
Check whether a reminder was sent
Reminder status appears on each reminder inside the installment:
Sent reminders display Reminder sent with a checkmark icon. Sent reminders are read-only.
A reminder whose send time has already passed shows a Too late to send this reminder error banner. Open the reminder and pick a new send date in the future to recover it.
A reminder that would fire right away shows a This reminder will send immediately warning banner. Adjust the send date if you did not intend it to send it immediately.
You can also see the sent email in the project's Messages tab.
Edit or delete a reminder
Click a reminder on the installment row to reopen the popover and change its send date or email template. Sent reminders cannot be edited.
To delete a reminder, open the popover and click the trash can icon to delete it.
FAQ
If a contact pays off an installment, will remaining reminders still send on that installment?
No. Reminders for an installment stop once the installment is paid in full.
Can I set a reminder to keep sending until the invoice is paid?
No. Each reminder sends once. However, you can add as many individual reminders to a payment plan as you like.
Add multiple reminders to the same installment, or require autopay, to reduce the chance of a missed payment.
I will not be finishing this project. How do I stop future reminders?
Close the invoice. The remaining balance becomes uncollectible, and remaining reminders cancel.
Will reminders still send after I archive a project?
It depends on the project status. If the project has a lead status, archiving closes the invoice automatically and reminders stop. If the project has a job status, archiving leaves the invoice open and reminders continue. To stop them, close the invoice or delete the project.
Will editing a payment plan template update the reminders on existing invoices?
No. Template edits do not propagate to invoices that already use the template. Edit the payment plan on each invoice to change reminders there.
Will editing a payment plan on an invoice update the template?
No. The template and the invoice's payment plan are independent.
Can I add a reminder to a payment plan I built directly on an invoice?
Yes. Reminders work the same way on any payment plan installment, whether the plan came from a template or was built directly on the invoice.