Managing automatic payment reminders

Automatic payment reminders notify your customers about unpaid invoices without manual intervention. SynkriaOps supports 3 progressive reminder levels, from a courteous reminder to a formal notice.

Why use automatic reminders

• Reduce payment delays and improve your cash flow
• Avoid missing follow-ups across a large invoice portfolio
• Maintain professional, traceable communication with your customers
• Have a complete reminder history per invoice for any potential dispute

Tip

In the OHADA zone, average inter-company payment delays often exceed 60 days. A structured reminder policy can reduce this by 30 to 40% based on feedback from our SME customers.

Configuring reminder rules

1. Access reminder settings

   Main menu → Settings → Reminders.

2. Set the delays

   Configure the 3 reminder levels in days after the due date:

   Level	Default delay	Tone	Purpose
   1st reminder	7 days	Courteous	Simple reminder, assuming oversight
   2nd reminder	14 days	Firm	Explicit payment request with deadline
   3rd reminder	30 days	Formal notice	Formal character, mention of possible recourse

   These delays are customizable based on your commercial policy.

3. Customize email messages

   For each level, you can edit:

   • The email subject
   • The message body (with automatic variables: {client_name}, {invoice_number}, {amount_due}, {due_date})
   • The signature

   Example — 1st reminder (courteous):

   Subject: Reminder — Invoice FAC-2026-000042 — 536,625 XAF

   Dear Sir/Madam,

   Unless there has been an error on our part, we have not yet received payment for invoice FAC-2026-000042 for the amount of 536,625 XAF, which was due on 15/05/2026.

   We kindly ask you to proceed with payment at your earliest convenience.

4. Enable automatic reminders

   Toggle the Enable automatic reminders switch to ON. SynkriaOps will automatically trigger reminders according to the configured delays for all unpaid invoices.

Triggering a manual reminder

You can manually remind a customer about a specific invoice without waiting for the automatic delay:

1. Go to Sales → Invoices
2. Open the relevant invoice (SENT, AWAITING PAYMENT, or PARTIALLY PAID status)
3. Click the Remind customer button
4. Choose the reminder level to use
5. Review or edit the message before sending
6. Confirm sending

The manual reminder is recorded in the history with the same traceability as automatic reminders.

Viewing reminder history

For each invoice, the Reminders tab displays:

Column	Description
Date	Date and time of sending
Level	1st / 2nd / 3rd reminder
Type	Automatic / Manual
Send status	Sent / Email error
Recipient	Customer email address

This history is valuable in case of dispute or collection proceedings.

Suspending reminders for a customer

If a customer is subject to an ongoing dispute or amicable arrangement, you can temporarily suspend automatic reminders:

1. Open the customer contact record (Menu Contacts → search)
2. In the Commercial settings tab, disable Automatic reminders
3. Save — no automatic reminders will be sent to this customer while the suspension is active

Caution

The suspension only applies to automatic reminders. You can still trigger manual reminders on this customer’s invoices.

Best practices for CEMAC SMEs

Preserving customer relations

• Personalize messages with the customer contact’s first name - Avoid reminders on local public holidays (OHADA national holidays) - 1st reminder: always assume an oversight rather than a refusal to pay - Systematically offer an alternative payment method (MTN/Orange Mobile Money)

Collection efficiency

• Don’t exceed 3 reminders before moving to formal collection proceedings - Document all exchanges in invoice notes - For recurring non-paying customers: suspend service delivery before the 3rd reminder - Consult your accountant before any formal notice (OHADA legal implications)

Common errors

Error	Cause	Solution
”No reminder sent”	Automatic reminders disabled	Enable in Settings → Reminders
”Reminder email not received”	Invalid or spam-filtered customer email	Check email address in the contact record
”Reminder sent despite suspension”	Manual reminder triggered	Suspension only blocks automatic reminders

Further reading

• Creating a customer invoice — issue the invoice that will trigger reminders
• Matching accounts receivable/payable — record a payment and automatically stop reminders