Chasing payments is one of those jobs that always gets pushed aside. You are late sending reminders simply because you never get round to it — and meanwhile your DSO creeps up. The good news: Odoo can take this almost entirely off your hands, so you spend your time on conversations with customers that actually matter.
Follow-up levels instellen
Go to Accounting → Configuration → Follow-up Levels and build a tiered schedule. A structure that works well for many Dutch SMEs:
- 7 days after the due date: a friendly reminder — "perhaps the invoice has escaped your attention".
- 21 days: a formal reminder with a clear payment deadline.
- 45 days: a final demand, possibly announcing that the matter will be passed to a collection agency.
You link an email template to each level. Odoo sends the reminders automatically or places them in an action queue so you can review them first. Useful: for each level you can also have an internal activity created, for example "call customer" for your account manager at level two.
Tone and templates
The tone of your templates determines how the reminder lands. Keep the first reminder light and personal: use the contact's name, mention the invoice number and the outstanding amount, and add a payment link if you have enabled online payments. Only from the second reminder onwards do you become more businesslike. An installation company we support saw the average payment period drop by more than a week just by including that payment link in the first reminder.
Look first, then automate
Only enable 'Auto-execute' after you have reviewed the draft reminders manually for two weeks. That way you discover the exceptions — notorious late payers, VIP customers, ongoing disputes — before they are reminded automatically. For those customers, set a different schedule or exclude them from follow-up.
Practical tip: schedule one fixed moment a week (Tuesday morning, say) to go through the follow-up list in Accounting → Customers → Follow-up Reports. Would you like help setting up your reminder process in Odoo? Contact DAADit Group.
Chasing overdue invoices is the kind of job that always slips down the list. You send reminders late simply because you never get around to it — and meanwhile your DSO keeps creeping up. The good news: Odoo can take this off your hands almost entirely, freeing you up for customer conversations that actually matter.
Setting up follow-up levels
Go to Accounting → Configuration → Follow-up Levels and build a tiered schedule. A setup that works well for many SMEs:
- 7 days past due: a friendly reminder — "perhaps the invoice escaped your attention".
- 21 days: a formal reminder with a clear payment deadline.
- 45 days: a final demand, possibly announcing debt collection.
For each level you link an email template. Odoo sends the reminders automatically or places them in an action queue so you can review them first. Useful detail: each level can also create an internal activity, such as "call the customer" for your account manager at level two.
Tone and templates
The tone of your templates decides how a reminder lands. Keep the first one light and personal: use the contact's name, mention the invoice number and outstanding amount, and add a payment link if you have online payments enabled. Only from the second reminder onwards should the tone become firmer. One installation company we work with cut its average payment time by more than a week just by adding a payment link to the first reminder.
Watch first, automate later
Only enable 'Auto-execute' after you have reviewed the draft reminders manually for two weeks. That is how you spot the exceptions — habitual late payers, VIP customers, open disputes — before they get chased automatically. For those customers, set a different schedule or exclude them from follow-ups altogether.
Practical tip: block one fixed slot per week (Tuesday morning works well) to run through the follow-up list in Accounting → Customers → Follow-up Reports. Need help setting up your dunning process in Odoo? Contact DAADit Group.