A clear next action for every overdue invoice

Start with the ledger, then add the follow-through

A useful overdue report starts with the accounting system’s current figures. Keep one stable client name and invoice reference, the original invoice total, its currency and due date. Then add the operational details the ledger does not explain: the latest promise to pay, the person following up, the next action and its date.

That second layer matters when a bookkeeping practice works across several client businesses. “Reminder sent” is a past event. “Ask for the missing purchase-order reference on Thursday” is a next action. Keep the two separate so another team member can pick up the work.

Use four states when deciding what comes first

1. A promise has passed. Check for a payment before contacting the customer again. If it has not arrived, refer to the actual agreed date.
2. An invoice is disputed. Record the specific issue and who can resolve it. Sending the same reminder again may not move it forward.
3. An invoice is overdue with no next action. Set a concrete action and date under the client’s agreed collection process.
4. An invoice is not yet due. Keep it visible without treating it as late.

This is a work-ordering method, not a prediction of payment or a debt-recovery score. Your client’s policy and individual circumstances still determine the next step.

A worked handover

The remaining balance is £750, but the action is to resolve the reference. A promise to pay only belongs in the record if the customer actually made it. Do not replace an uncertain note with an invented payment date.

Prepare the CSV without double-counting money

Download the example, keep its headers, and replace the fictional rows. CSV money values use pounds or another named currency: enter 1250.00 for £1,250, not 125000. Use dates such as 2026-09-11.

Import the original invoice total if you also record the earlier payments in the workspace. Importing an already reduced outstanding balance and then adding those same payments would subtract them twice. Keep currencies separate and review duplicate or conflicting invoice references before saving.

The free report processes the file in your browser. Saving it into your workspace sends the records to Remeto. Remove unnecessary contact details when testing.

Review the queue, not just the total

Before each chasing session, refresh payment information. Work through promises and actions due, record what actually happened, and give every still-open item a next step. At handover, check for disputed items with no owner and actions whose dates have passed.

Measure whether the process improves completeness: how many overdue invoices have an owner and a current next action? Time spent updating the queue also matters. A smaller number of open balances does not by itself prove that this tool caused a payment.

Xero and other accounting products already provide invoice reminders. If those features and your existing notes cover the whole workflow, use them. Remeto is useful when keeping the follow-through across client ledgers is the recurring work. Recording a follow-up in Remeto does not send an email to the debtor.