Getting clients to pay on time is one of the biggest challenges for accounting firms. Uku's automated debt reminder system solves this by sending up to three escalating reminder emails to clients with overdue invoices—completely hands-free once configured.
This feature helps you maintain consistent collections, reduces time spent on manual follow-ups, and improves cash flow predictability. All reminders respect your branding and can be customized per client when needed.
What You Need to Know First
Debt reminders automatically email clients when invoices become overdue. You control when each reminder sends by setting the number of days after the due date. The system can send up to 3 reminders in sequence, and you can customize the email content for each reminder level.
Key capabilities:
Up to 3 sequential reminders per overdue invoice
Customizable timing (days past due date)
Full control over email content and tone
Client-level opt-out for special situations
Works with all invoice types and currencies
Step 1: Activate Debt Reminders in Billing Settings
First, enable the debt reminder system for your company:
Navigate to Settings & Apps
Open the Billing app
Go to the Settings tab
Scroll to the Send Debt Reminders section
Activate Send Debt Reminders button
Once enabled, you'll see options to configure three reminder levels.
Step 2: Configure Reminder Timing
Set how many days after the due date each reminder should send:
Reminder 1 (First Notice)
Reminder 2 (Follow-Up Notice)
Reminder 3 (Final Notice)
Important: If you set a reminder to 0 days or leave it blank, that reminder won't send. This lets you use 1, 2, or all 3 reminders based on your collections process.
Step 3: Customize Reminder Email Content
Create professional, branded reminder emails for each reminder level:
Navigate to Billing → Invoice Templates
Find the Email Debt Reminder templates
Create or edit templates for each reminder level
or
Just click Edit Templates next to the Send Debt reminders
Available Template Types:
Debt Reminder 1 - First overdue notice
Debt Reminder 2 - Second overdue notice
Debt Reminder 3 - Final overdue notice
Step 4: Use Dynamic Placeholders
Personalize your reminders with these placeholders that automatically populate with invoice data:
Available Placeholders:
{{client_name}}- Client company name{{seller_name}}- Your company name{{invoice_number}}- Specific invoice number{{invoice_date}}- Date invoice was created{{due_date}}- Original payment due date{{overdue_days}}- How many days payment is late
Pro tips:
Use
{{overdue_days}}to create urgency as reminders escalateReference
{{invoice_number}}so clients can easily locate the invoiceInclude
{{due_date}}to remind clients of the original commitmentAdd
{{client_name}}for personalization at scale
Step 5: Disable Reminders for Specific Clients
Some clients need special handling. Disable automatic reminders for individual clients:
Open the client profile
Go to the Billing tab
Scroll to Billing Settings
Check Disable debt reminders
Click Save
FAQ
Q: Can I send debt reminders immediately when an invoice becomes overdue?
A: Yes, set Reminder 1 to 0 days to send on the due date
Q: What happens if a client pays after the first reminder but before the second?
A: Once Uku detects payment (either through manual status update or integration sync), all scheduled reminders stop automatically.
Q: Can I manually trigger a reminder outside the automatic schedule?
A: Currently, reminders send only based on the automatic day count settings. For manual follow-up, use the standard email function under client communication.
Q: Do reminders send on weekends and holidays?
A: Yes, reminders send every day based on the day count.
Q: Can different clients have different reminder timing?
A: No, reminder timing applies company-wide. However, you can disable reminders entirely for specific clients who need different handling.
Q: What if I have multiple currencies?
A: Debt reminders work with all currencies. The reminder references the invoice in the client's billing currency automatically.
Q: Can I see which clients receive reminders each day?
A: Check the invoice list and filter by overdue status. Review client communication history to see which reminders were recently sent.
Q: Can clients unsubscribe from debt reminders?
A: No, debt reminders are transactional payment notices, not marketing emails. However, you can disable reminders per client if requested.
Q: What happens if I change the reminder timing after setup?
A: New settings apply immediately to all future reminders. Previously sent reminders aren't affected.
Q: Do reminders work with parent company billing?
A: Yes, when invoicing under parent companies, reminders send to the parent company's contact based on your resource settings.