Reminder: payment reminders for businesses that invoice on credit

The latest stories

4 pieces

DSO explained: how to work out Days Sales Outstanding

Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) tells you how long, on average, it takes to collect payment after you invoice. How to calculate it, how to read it, and how to bring it down.

12 October 2026 · 6 min read finance

What e-invoicing changes for getting paid

E-invoicing makes sure an invoice arrives and is valid. It does not make the customer pay. What changes, what does not, and where mandates stand.

12 October 2026 · 5 min read best-practices

How to remind a customer about an overdue invoice

When to send a payment reminder, what to include, and wording for a first, second and final reminder about an overdue invoice.

12 October 2026 · 7 min read payment-collection

Payment reminders in Zoho Books: what it does on its own and what Reminder adds

What Zoho Books payment reminders do on their own, where they fit well, and what Reminder adds on top for overdue invoices.

12 October 2026 · 6 min read

Editor's letter

Issue 3

Most advice about getting paid faster boils down to "send more emails." We think that's wrong. The problem isn't volume — it's timing, tone, and knowing when to stop.

Field Notes is where we share what we're learning: from the data, from our customers, and from our own mistakes. No sponsored posts. No SEO filler. Just the things we wish someone had told us.

— Andrew

Andrew Ibbotson

Editor, Field Notes

Stay current

Start here

Start here: why invoices go unpaid5 min read · payment-collection

Then: what to send, and when7 min read · best-practices

Finally: measure the impact6 min read · finance

Glossary

Days Sales OutstandingDSO: The average number of days between invoicing and receiving payment. Lower is better.
Accounts ReceivableAR: Money owed to your business by customers for goods or services delivered but not yet paid for.
Ageing Report: A table that groups outstanding invoices by how long they've been overdue — typically 0–30, 31–60, 61–90, and 90+ days.
Payment Terms: The agreed deadline for payment after an invoice is issued, e.g. Net 30 means payment is due within 30 days.
Follow-up Sequence: A series of reminder emails sent at set intervals after an invoice becomes overdue.
Write-off: An accounting action that removes an uncollectable invoice from your books, recognising the loss.

Leadpayment-collection12 October 20265 min read

Why customers pay late, and what you can do about it

Late payment is rarely about a customer having no money. The usual reasons are more ordinary, and most of them can be fixed by how you invoice and remind.

By Andrew Ibbotson

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The archive

5 pieces total

Nº 00112 Oct 26DSO explained: how to work out Days Sales Outstandingfinance6 min read Nº 00212 Oct 26What e-invoicing changes for getting paidfinance5 min read Nº 00212 Oct 26How to remind a customer about an overdue invoicebest-practices7 min read Nº 00112 Oct 26Why customers pay late, and what you can do about itpayment-collection5 min read Nº 00212 Oct 26Payment reminders in Zoho Books: what it does on its own and what Reminder addspayment-collection6 min read

A note from the desk

We don't write listicles, run sponsored posts or publish roundups of other people's work with our logo on top. Every piece on this page comes from reminding real customers about real invoices, and from what their replies taught us.

Field Notes · Reminder