Why you're chasing invoices in the first place
Chasing payments feels personal and awkward, so most freelancers and agencies delay it — which makes the problem worse. But the truth every service business learns eventually is simple: the majority of late invoices are forgotten, not refused. Your client's inbox is chaos; your invoice slid down it.
That reframes the whole job. You don't need a tougher collections process. You need a consistent one that doesn't depend on your willpower or your memory. That's exactly what automation provides — the reminder goes out on time, every time, without you having to feel like the bad guy.
When reminders should land (the general best practice)
Even though the tone should stay friendly, timing is what gets you paid. A reliable rhythm looks like:
- A few days before the due date — a gentle heads-up while the client still has time to act.
- On the due date — a clear, neutral "this is due today."
- A few days after, then weekly — firmer but still professional, until it's paid.
The goal is steady presence, not aggression. Polite, predictable nudges get invoices paid faster and protect the relationship better than one angry email three weeks late.
How to turn on automatic reminders in ClientDeck
- Open your invoice settings. Find the Invoice reminders control.
- Switch it on. Toggle invoice reminders to enabled. ClientDeck then automatically follows up with clients on outstanding invoices, using your account's time zone so messages land at sensible local hours.
- That's it. There's no sequence to build or maintain — turn it on once and reminders run in the background for your invoices.
Invoice reminders are part of ClientDeck's paid plans (Plus and Pro). The point is to remove the manual follow-up entirely: you stop watching due dates, and the system does the nudging.
Make the reminder actually collect
A reminder works best when paying is effortless. Connect a payment gateway so clients can settle the moment they read the email:
- Plus plan: PayPal (and a regional gateway).
- Pro plan: also Stripe for global cards and ACH.
You connect your own account and keep 100% of the payment — ClientDeck charges zero transaction fees. Reminders plus a one-tap pay option is the combination that actually shortens the gap between "invoice sent" and "money received." (See the best payment gateway for client invoicing to pick the right one.)
Pair reminders with recurring invoices
If you bill the same clients every month, combine reminders with recurring invoices: the invoice generates and sends itself on schedule, and reminders chase it if it goes unpaid. Together they remove almost all manual billing admin from retainer work.
Frequently asked questions
No — consistent, on-time reminders read as professional, not aggressive. Clients expect businesses to follow up on invoices; a steady, neutral nudge is far better received than a frustrated message weeks later.
Yes. Once you enable invoice reminders, ClientDeck follows up with clients on outstanding invoices automatically, in your account's time zone.
No. ClientDeck uses a simple on/off control — enable it and reminders run for your invoices without you building a multi-step sequence.
Invoice reminders are included on ClientDeck's paid plans (Plus and Pro). The free plan covers core invoicing; upgrade to automate follow-ups.
Stop chasing. Start collecting.
Start free with ClientDeck