What it does
Alerts finance team when Xero invoices are opened/viewed but remain unpaid after 3 days, enabling targeted follow-up while invoice is top-of-mind for customer.
Why I recommend it
Viewed but unpaid invoices signal customer received it but got distracted or needs reminding. Timely follow-up at 3 days (not too soon, not too late) significantly improves payment speed without annoying customers.
Expected benefits
- 20-30% faster average payment time
- Reduced days sales outstanding (DSO)
- Targeted follow-up efforts
- Better cash flow
How it works
Xero invoice sent and viewed by customer (tracked via email tracking or portal view) -> if not paid after 3 days -> alert finance team with customer name, invoice amount, view date, and suggested follow-up message -> optionally send automated friendly reminder to customer.
Quick start
Review current invoice aging report. Identify invoices viewed but not paid. Manually follow up and note success rate. Track optimal follow-up timing (3 days, 5 days, 7 days). Then automate alerts at proven timing.
Level-up version
Customer-specific timing based on past payment patterns. Escalating reminders (friendly at 3 days, firm at 7 days, urgent at 14 days). Auto-send first reminder, alert for second. Include copy-paste follow-up message in alert. Track which follow-up approach works best. Integrate with customer payment history.
Tools you can use
Accounting: Xero, QuickBooks, FreshBooks
Tracking: Email tracking, portal analytics
Alerts: Slack, email, SMS via Twilio
Automation: Zapier, Make, Xero workflows
Collections: Chaser, Tesorio for advanced collections
Also works with
Invoicing: Invoice Ninja, Zoho Invoice, Wave
Payment tracking: Stripe for payment status
CRM: GoHighLevel, Salesforce for customer context
Technical implementation solution
- No-code: Xero report of invoices sent >3 days ago -> manually check which were viewed -> manually alert finance team.
- API-based: Daily scheduled job -> Xero API fetch invoices sent 3+ days ago and unpaid -> check view status -> if viewed but unpaid -> Slack alert to finance with invoice details -> optionally send auto-reminder email to customer -> track follow-up outcomes.
Where it gets tricky
Reliably tracking invoice views (not all invoicing systems provide view data), determining optimal follow-up timing per customer, avoiding reminder fatigue, and balancing automation with personal touch for key accounts.
