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“Three thousand four hundred dollars. Forty one days late. Nobody wanted to ask.”

Invoice past due → an automatic, polite reminder

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Now reminders go out on time, and stay polite.

Once a day it finds open invoices past their date and sends a reminder. The client no longer has to remember to chase.

MakeGoogle SheetsGmail3 operations / run✓ Imported successfully into our Make account

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▶ Watch the 30-second video

Video cover: INVOICE CHASER

Short answer

Once a day it finds open invoices past their date and sends a reminder. The client no longer has to remember to chase.

Tools
Make, Google Sheets, Gmail
Cost to run
3 Make credits (operations) per run

The problem

Chasing payment is the job everyone postpones. An open invoice is noticed at month end, the reminder goes out irritated, and a relationship is dented over a small amount.

What happens when it runs

  1. Every morning: search the invoices sheet — status "open" and due date before today
  2. For each: a polite reminder email with number, amount and date
  3. Update a "reminder sent" column so it never goes out twice

The tools inside

Disclosure: links marked "paid link" pay us a commission from the vendor if you sign up. Your price is unchanged, and every file here works without them. How we choose tools →

Before you start

Three things to have ready before importing, or Make will ask and you will have to leave halfway:

  • The invoices spreadsheet id
  • Columns A–H: invoice, client, amount, due (YYYY-MM-DD), status, reminder_sent, email, notes
  • The reminder wording

Sheet templates

The file maps columns by position. Start from exactly these headers, in this order — a column in the wrong place writes a phone number into the email column.

  • Invoices sheet · invoice | client | amount | due | status | reminder_sent | email | notes (Sent with the blueprint by email)

How to import (2 minutes)

  1. In Make: Scenarios → Create a new scenario
  2. At the bottom, the three dots (⋯) → Import Blueprint → choose the file you downloaded
  3. Click every module with an exclamation mark: choose your connection (Google, Telegram) — Make creates one in a click if you have none
  4. Replace every value in double curly braces ({{…}}) with your own from the list above
  5. Run once with a test row in the sheet. Only when it passes — Schedule and ON

New to Make? Start here →

No Make account yet?The file imports only into Make. Signing up through the link gives you one month of Core free, and us a commission. The file works without the link.
Sign up for Make →paid link · we earn a commissionPaid link. If you sign up through it we earn a commission from Make; your price is the same, and the link gives you one month of Core free.

Step-by-step tutorial

Watch the tutorial on YouTube →

The 30-second version

Watch on YouTube → · Subscribe to BuilderStack · Telegram channel

Read more

What does not work in it

  • The wording must be polite and exact. An automatic reminder with the wrong amount costs more than the delay.
  • Three reminders on one invoice — stop and handle it by hand. Automation does not collect debt.

Questions

What does not work in "Invoice past due → an automatic, polite reminder"?

The wording must be polite and exact. An automatic reminder with the wrong amount costs more than the delay. Three reminders on one invoice — stop and handle it by hand. Automation does not collect debt.

What do I have to fill in after importing the blueprint?

The invoices spreadsheet id; Columns A–H: invoice, client, amount, due (YYYY-MM-DD), status, reminder_sent, email, notes; The reminder wording.

Which tools does it use, and what does a run cost?

Make, Google Sheets, Gmail. Each run uses 3 Make credits (operations).

Is the blueprint free?

Yes. The ready-to-import file is sent free to the email address you enter; the newsletter is a separate box you can leave unticked. The full build is on this page without any email. The file contains no connections and none of our ids, and works whether or not you use the paid Make link on the page.

Build your automation plan →Four questions, three automations ranked for your business.

Paid link. If you sign up through it we earn a commission from Make; your price is the same, and the link gives you one month of Core free.

Next step

All automations →
PAID ✓ LOOP

Payment received → invoice marked "paid" → a thank-you to the client

A paid invoice keeps getting reminders. The payment webhook marks the invoice "paid" with the date in the sheet, and the client gets a short confirmation.

MakeGoogle SheetsGmail4 ops/run✓ imported in Make
SECOND NOTICE

Invoice 30 days late → a firmer second notice, and a nudge to call

Once a day it finds invoices 30 days past due that already had a reminder, sends a firmer second notice, and tells you it is time to call.

MakeGoogle SheetsGmailTelegram4 ops/run✓ imported in Make
EMAIL → TASK

Labelled email → task in the log → reminder

Tag an email with one label and it becomes a task with a due date and an alert. One screen for everything that is waiting.

MakeGmailGoogle SheetsTelegram3 ops/run✓ imported in Make

What will it cost? Make cost calculator →Build your automation plan →