Managing payment reminders and late payments is a crucial task for any business looking to maintain good cash flow and avoid unpaid invoices. Dolibarr ERP & CRM provides advanced features to automate and optimize this process, offering powerful tools to track invoices, remind clients, and improve debt collection.

In this article, we will explore in detail how to use Dolibarr to efficiently manage payment reminders and late payments, covering features, best practices, and automation options available within the ERP system.

1. Importance of Managing Payment Reminders and Late Payments

Late payments can seriously impact a company’s cash flow, especially for SMEs and small businesses. A rigorous monitoring of client receivables helps to:

✔ Maintain cash flow and avoid financial stress.
✔ Reduce the risk of unpaid invoices by keeping regular contact with clients.
✔ Automate tracking and save time on administrative tasks.
✔ Improve customer relationships by preventing misunderstandings about due dates.

With Dolibarr, businesses can efficiently handle reminders and significantly reduce client payment delays.

2. Setting Up Client Payment Reminders in Dolibarr

Dolibarr offers a dedicated module for client reminders, enabling users to track overdue invoices and automatically send reminders to clients. To use it effectively, follow these steps:

2.1 Activating the Reminder Module in Dolibarr

To enable the reminder system, activate the corresponding module in Dolibarr:

1️⃣ Go to "Home > Setup > Modules/Applications".
2️⃣ Enable the "Client Reminders" module.
3️⃣ Configure reminder settings according to your preferred time intervals.

2.2 Defining Reminder Levels

Dolibarr allows sending different types of reminders based on the overdue period:

✔ Friendly Reminder (First reminder): A simple notice a few days after the due date.
✔ Stronger Reminder (Second reminder): A more firm notice mentioning late fees.
✔ Final Notice (Third reminder): A last warning before legal action.

Each reminder level can be customized according to the company’s collection policy.

3. Tracking Invoices and Identifying Late Payments

Dolibarr provides precise invoice tracking and due date monitoring through multiple features:

3.1 Viewing Overdue Invoices

Under "Sales > Invoices", users can instantly see:
✔ Pending invoices awaiting payment.
✔ Past due dates that have been exceeded.
✔ Clients with multiple overdue invoices.

A color-coded system allows for quick identification of late payments and appropriate action.

3.2 Automating Invoice Follow-Ups

The client reminder module can automatically send an email or letter reminder to affected clients.

✔ Automatic notifications: Send an email at a predefined date.
✔ Custom reminder templates: Include specific mentions about late fees.
✔ Tracking sent reminders: Keep a history of reminders for each client.

4. Automating Reminders with Dolibarr

One of Dolibarr’s biggest advantages is the ability to automate reminders via scheduled tasks.

4.1 Enabling Automatic Reminders

Under "Setup > Emails and Notifications", users can configure:
✔ Automatic sending of reminder emails at regular intervals.
✔ SMS reminders if the SMS module is enabled.
✔ Automatic printing of reminder letters ready for mailing.

4.2 Integration with Payment Services

Dolibarr allows integration with payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, bank transfer) to encourage faster client payments.

A great feature is the ability to add an online payment button to invoices, enabling immediate payment upon receiving a reminder.

5. Managing Late Fees and Final Notices

For prolonged non-payments, Dolibarr allows businesses to manage late fees and collection processes.

5.1 Applying Late Payment Penalties

Within invoice settings, it is possible to:
✔ Add late interest fees based on legal rates.
✔ Generate an automatic penalty invoice.
✔ Include a mention of late fees in client reminders.

5.2 Escalating to Debt Collection Agencies

If payments remain unpaid despite reminders, businesses can export overdue invoices to a debt collection agency or a legal representative.

Dolibarr makes it easy to export data in Excel or PDF format for submission to the appropriate legal authorities.

6. Best Practices to Avoid Late Payments

To minimize unpaid invoices, here are some best practices to implement with Dolibarr:

✔ Request a deposit before starting a project.
✔ Use the electronic signature module to validate quotes quickly.
✔ Enable online payments to speed up transactions.
✔ Customize payment terms for each client.
✔ Maintain rigorous invoice tracking and due date monitoring.

7. Subscription-Based Access to Payment Reminder Features

To ensure continued access to the full range of payment reminder features, Dolibarr's mobile application will operate on a paid subscription model.

7.1 Subscription System Details

✔ The app will be available as a paid service.
✔ Users will receive one year of full access upon initial purchase.
✔ After one year, an annual subscription will be required to maintain access to all features.
✔ Subscription will be managed via in-app purchases on Google Play and Apple App Store.
✔ Users will receive reminders before the subscription expires to renew on time.

8. Conclusion

Managing payment reminders and late payments is a critical aspect of financial stability for any business. With Dolibarr, businesses can optimize invoice tracking, automate reminders, and reduce unpaid invoices thanks to an efficient and customizable system.

By leveraging all of Dolibarr’s features, businesses can ensure better cash flow management and avoid financial losses due to late payments.

???? Are you already using Dolibarr to manage your reminders? Share your experience in the comments!