Categories / Invoicing/
Automatic late-payer chasing
Accounting firm · overdue invoices down 60% in two weeks
- Task
- collect invoices left unpaid after failed direct debits or missed bank transfers without manual follow-up
- Result
- within two weeks overdue invoices down 60% and DSO improved 22%; 98% of invoices now paid within two weeks of the due date; the remaining 2% are flagged to the team for a human conversation
- Tools
- Trove (debtor management)
- Xero
- finance@ shared email inbox
- Setup
- trial the software on your own invoices first → connect Trove to Xero → send chase emails automatically from the shared finance@ address → let Trove contact each customer as invoices become overdue → route exceptions (about 2%) to a person
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A ready-to-send prompt built from this card. Your AI will ask a few questions about your business, then give you a beginner setup plan.
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Help me set this up for my business: "Automatic late-payer chasing".
Example business: Venn Accounts (accounting/finance practice serving high-growth clients, Xero-first). Task: collect invoices left unpaid after failed direct debits or missed bank transfers without manual follow-up.
Reported result: within two weeks overdue invoices down 60% and DSO improved 22%; 98% of invoices now paid within two weeks of the due date; the remaining 2% are flagged to the team for…
Tools: Trove (debtor management), Xero, finance@ shared email inbox
Setup outline:
1. trial the software on your own invoices first → connect Trove to Xero → send chase emails automatically from…
Starter prompt from the guide (use it as a base):
Write a 3-step payment reminder sequence for {{firm}} to send via Xero or Trove when a client invoice is overdue.
Step 1 (3 days before due date): friendly heads-up. Step 2 (7 days overdue): assumes oversight, offers the payment link. Step 3 (21 days overdue): firm but polite, asks them to call us if there's a problem.
Use placeholders [Client], [Invoice no.], [Amount], [Due date]. Under 90 words each, no threats.
First, ask me up to 5 questions about my business and tools. Then give me a beginner step-by-step setup plan, plus copy-paste prompts/templates I can use. Plain English, and tell me if any step needs a tech helper.
via autopilotbusiness.ai/use-case/venn-accounts-trove-xero-auto-chases-late-payers-overdue-invoices-down/Step-by-step setup guide + copy-paste prompt
Honest note: Trove automates reminder emails on a schedule, so it's rule-based. It isn't generative AI. For a free alternative using only Xero, see Step 5.
Prerequisites
- Xero, with invoices marked as sent. A shared mailbox such as finance@ on Gmail or Outlook.
- A Trove account (from the Xero App Store).
Step-by-step setup
Step 1. Connect. Sign up with Trove, link your Xero organisation, and grant permission for emails to go out from your Gmail or Outlook address, so reminders look like they come from you.
Step 2. Build the chasing sequence. In Trove's workflows set the schedule (for example, a polite note a few days before the due date and then reminders at set days overdue), the tone of each email and any customers to exclude.
Step 3. Start in review mode. Turn on manual review so you approve every drafted reminder for the first couple of weeks. Switch to automatic once you trust the wording.
Step 4. Let it flag the exceptions. The practice's results: 98% of invoices are paid within two weeks of due date without help, and Trove flags the other 2% so a person can call the customer.
Step 5. No-cost fallback in Xero. Go to Sales → Invoices → Invoice Reminders (or Organisation name → Settings → Invoice settings → Invoice Reminders), tick Email customers when an invoice is and edit the stock 7, 14 and 21 days overdue reminders (up to five in total, before or after the due date). Reminders only go out for invoices marked as sent to contacts with an email address, once a day.
Step 6. Reconcile your bank daily. Reminders only stop for paid invoices once they're reconciled in Xero.
Copy-paste prompt
Write a 3-step payment reminder sequence for {{firm}} to send via Xero or Trove when a client invoice is overdue.
Step 1 (3 days before due date): friendly heads-up. Step 2 (7 days overdue): assumes oversight, offers the payment link. Step 3 (21 days overdue): firm but polite, asks them to call us if there's a problem.
Use placeholders [Client], [Invoice no.], [Amount], [Due date]. Under 90 words each, no threats.Sources
- Xero Blog: Reducing overdue invoices by 60% with Trove and Xero. Credit: an accounting practice's chief executive.
- Trove: Xero integration listing (Xero App Store)
- Trove: how to automate your credit control process
- Xero invoice reminders walkthrough. Menu names may differ slightly.
Industries: AI automation for Accounting, Bookkeeping & Tax Firms
Results as reported by the source; not independently verified. Community-sourced from public sites and attributed to the source platform. Original author? Ask us to correct or remove it. Read the disclaimer.