How to Automate Accounts Receivable Follow-Ups

Chasing unpaid invoices is one of the most draining tasks in any finance department. The average B2B company has 24% of its invoices past due at any given time, and the manual follow-up process -- checking aging reports, drafting reminder emails, logging call notes -- consumes 15-20 hours per week for a single AR specialist. Worse, inconsistent follow-up directly impacts your cash flow: the probability of collecting a 90-day past-due invoice drops to just 69%.

Automated AR follow-ups ensure that every overdue invoice gets timely, consistent outreach without anyone on your team lifting a finger. This guide walks you through building a complete AR automation system using Make.com and your accounting platform.

Step 1: Connect to Your Aging Report Data

Your automation needs a real-time feed of outstanding invoices. Set up a scheduled Make.com scenario that runs daily (or more frequently) and pulls your AR aging data:

• QuickBooks Online: Use the "Search Invoices" module filtered by status = "Open" or "Overdue." This returns all unpaid invoices with their due dates, amounts, and customer details.
• Xero: Use the "List Invoices" module with a filter for invoices where AmountDue > 0. Include the DueDate field for aging calculations.
• Custom ERP: Use Make.com's HTTP module to query your ERP's API for open receivables. If no API exists, configure a daily CSV export to a shared drive and have Make.com watch that folder.

For each open invoice, calculate the aging bucket: Current (not yet due), 1-30 days past due, 31-60 days, 61-90 days, and 90+ days. This aging classification drives which follow-up sequence triggers.

Figure 1: Automated AR follow-up escalation timeline from due date through final notice

Step 2: Build the Follow-Up Email Sequence

Create a multi-touch email sequence that escalates in tone and urgency as invoices age. Each email should be a template in Make.com with dynamic variables:

• Day 0 (Due date): Friendly reminder email. Subject: "Invoice #[INV_NUM] is due today." Include a direct payment link, the invoice PDF as an attachment, and the amount due. Tone: helpful and professional.
• Day 3 (3 days past due): First follow-up. Subject: "Payment reminder: Invoice #[INV_NUM] is past due." Reattach the invoice. Offer to answer any questions or resolve disputes. Include your phone number.
• Day 14 (2 weeks past due): Second follow-up. Subject: "Urgent: Invoice #[INV_NUM] is 14 days overdue." CC the customer's account manager. Mention potential late fees if applicable. Request a specific payment date.
• Day 30 (30 days past due): Escalation notice. Subject: "Account hold notice for [COMPANY]." Notify that future orders will be placed on hold until the balance is settled. CC your AR manager and the customer's primary contact.
• Day 60 (60 days past due): Final notice before collections. Subject: "Final notice: Overdue balance of $[AMOUNT] for [COMPANY]." State that the account will be referred to collections if payment is not received within 10 business days.

Critical: At the start of every scheduled run, check whether the invoice has been paid since the last follow-up. If so, remove the customer from the sequence and send a payment confirmation. Nothing damages a relationship faster than dunning a customer who has already paid.

Step 3: Add Multi-Channel Touchpoints

Email alone does not get invoices paid. Layer in additional channels for higher-priority aging buckets:

• SMS reminders: For 15+ days overdue, send a brief SMS via Twilio: "Hi [NAME], invoice #[INV_NUM] for $[AMOUNT] is overdue. Pay securely here: [LINK]." SMS open rates exceed 95%, making this highly effective.
• Slack/Teams notifications: Notify your internal sales team when their accounts become past due. They often have the strongest customer relationship and can nudge payment during regular calls.
• Automated phone calls: For 45+ days overdue, use a service like Dialpad or Twilio to trigger an automated call with a pre-recorded message or connect to a live AR specialist.

Step 4: Implement Payment Convenience Features

Make it as easy as possible for customers to pay. Every follow-up email should include:

• One-click payment link: Use QuickBooks Payments, Stripe, or PayPal invoice links that pre-fill the amount and reference number. The customer clicks one button and pays.
• Multiple payment methods: Accept ACH, credit card, and wire transfer. Some customers delay payment because their preferred method is not offered.
• Partial payment option: For large invoices, allow customers to pay in installments. A partial payment today is better than no payment for 90 days.
• Self-service dispute resolution: Include a "Dispute this invoice" link that opens a form. This gives the customer a structured way to raise concerns rather than simply ignoring the bill.

Step 5: Build the Reporting Dashboard

Visibility is essential. Create an automated weekly report that your finance team receives every Monday morning:

• Total outstanding AR by aging bucket (current, 1-30, 31-60, 61-90, 90+).
• Top 10 overdue accounts by dollar amount with their follow-up status.
• DSO trend over the past 12 weeks (your primary success metric).
• Collection rate by aging bucket (what percentage of invoices in each bucket were paid during the week).
• Accounts requiring manual escalation or credit hold decisions.

Build this report in Google Sheets or Airtable, populated automatically by your Make.com scenario. The full order-to-cash automation pipeline pairs AR follow-ups with automated invoice creation for a closed-loop cash collection system.

Results You Can Expect

Companies that implement automated AR follow-ups consistently report:

• DSO reduction of 10-20 days within the first quarter.
• 30-40% more invoices collected before the 30-day mark.
• 15-20 hours per week saved in manual follow-up time per AR specialist.
• Improved customer relationships through consistent, professional communication instead of ad-hoc dunning.

Use our cost calculator to estimate the cash flow impact of faster collections for your business.