To set up QuickBooks Online reminders for past-due invoices, go to Settings (gear) > Account and settings > Sales > Reminders > Edit. Turn on Automatic invoice reminders, enable Reminder 1, and choose the number of days before or after the due date. You can create a second and third reminder, for three total, and schedule any reminder up to 90 days before or after the due date, according to Intuit’s 2026 reminder instructions. Reminders follow the invoice’s open balance, so they are only as accurate as the payment information applied to that balance.
Set up automatic invoice reminders
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Select Settings, shown as the gear icon, and then select Account and settings.
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Open the Sales tab, find Reminders, and select Edit.
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Turn on Automatic invoice reminders.
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Turn on Reminder 1. Enter the number of days and choose whether the reminder goes before or after the invoice due date.
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Turn on Reminder 2 and Reminder 3 if you want additional messages. QuickBooks Online supports three scheduled reminders in total.
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Customize the email template for each reminder so its wording matches the timing you selected.
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Save your settings.
Scheduled reminders go only to invoices that have already been emailed and have not been paid. If you use QuickBooks Online Advanced, Intuit directs you to workflows for creating invoice reminders.
Keep the wording plain and specific. Include the invoice number, due date, open balance, and a clear way to reply. Routine reminders should come from your business in your own name and words.
Send one reminder by hand
You can also send a reminder for one invoice.
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Go to All apps > Sales & Get Paid > Invoices, then find the invoice.
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Open the Receive payment dropdown and select Send reminder.
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Review and customize the message, then select Send.
Check the invoice balance before sending. That short review matters when a customer says payment has already been made.
Why a customer who paid can still get a reminder
Intuit defines an overdue invoice as one with an open balance after its due date. An open invoice also has a balance, but is not yet overdue, according to Intuit’s 2026 invoice status guidance. The reminder schedule follows that recorded status.
A paid customer can therefore receive a reminder when the money has arrived but the invoice still carries an open balance.
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A payment was recorded but left unapplied, or it was applied to the wrong invoice. Intuit’s instructions recommend reviewing the customer’s transaction list for both cases.
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A credit or overpayment was applied to the customer’s oldest open invoice by default, instead of the invoice you expected.
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A QuickBooks Payments deposit is in the Bank Feed but has not been matched to the open invoice.
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A recent ACH or card payment is still posting. Intuit advises confirming its timing in the Merchant Service Center.
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A check arrived, but the note identifying the invoices it pays arrived separately or has not been entered. Checks remain common. Ninety-one percent of organizations in the AFP survey reported using them, according to Nacha’s 2025 report.
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A large payer sent one deposit for several invoices, while the invoice list arrived later by email or PDF. Every line on that remittance list must be applied before the affected invoices show the correct balances.
The fastest place to check is the A/R Aging Detail report. When we checked this on a QuickBooks Online test company in October 2026, a recorded but unapplied customer payment appeared on its own row. Its transaction type was Payment and its open balance was negative. The intended invoice still showed its full open amount.
Look for negative Payment rows before reminders run. Review the customer’s transactions beside those rows. Use Receive payment to apply the money to the intended invoice. If the payment was applied elsewhere, unapply it and reapply it to the correct target, as Intuit directs. When money could belong to either of two invoices, ask the customer instead of guessing.
Keep inbox information with the reminder schedule
The reminder schedule works from invoice dates, balances, and payment records. Other facts often sit in email, notes, PDFs, or a person’s memory until someone handles them.
A reply from a real person should pause follow-up for that customer. Keep it paused until you provide what the customer requested, such as an invoice copy, W-9, or purchase order number. An out-of-office response is not a reply from the customer.
When a customer says the invoice is paid, hold the next message while someone checks the payment. Handle a dispute the same way. Route it to the person who can correct the price, work, purchase order, or other issue.
Record promises to pay with the promised date. Hold follow-up through that date and about two business days for a mailed check to arrive. If payment is still missing, make a phone call.
A part payment should reduce the recorded balance. The next message should ask for the remaining amount, not the original total. A bounced email should also put the customer on hold until someone corrects the address.
Avoid wording that sounds like a legal threat in a routine reminder, including references to a collection agency, attorney, or legal action. Mention a finance charge or late fee only when your agreed terms allow it.
Use a weekly review before reminders run
A short weekly review keeps the schedule tied to current records.
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Run the A/R Aging Detail report and scan for negative Payment rows.
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Apply recorded payments to the correct invoices. Match any related QuickBooks Payments deposits.
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Enter checks and work through remittance emails or PDFs, one invoice at a time.
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Read customer replies. Record payment claims, disputes, document requests, and promises to pay.
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Update part payments and fix bounced email addresses.
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Confirm the remaining open balances, then let the scheduled reminders run.
With a modest number of customers, this routine is often enough. An owner, controller, or office manager can complete it in a short session without outside help.
When to hand off receivables follow-up
Handoff becomes useful when many payers combine several invoices into one payment, remittances arrive through different inboxes, or several employees answer customers. It also helps when busy months cause the weekly review to slip.
Nearly three in five businesses surveyed said some invoices were at least 30 days overdue, and businesses waiting on invoices were owed an average of $17,700, according to the Intuit QuickBooks 2026 Small Business Late Payments Report. The report used a December 2025 survey of 1,305 US business owners plus Intuit’s quarterly small business survey.
The Collections Desk for accounts receivable follow-up keeps that working list current inside QuickBooks. It drafts follow-ups in your company’s own wording and holds back customers who paid, replied, promised, or disputed. Your people retain decisions about fees, credit holds, and settlements. The service starts with a ten-business-day pilot on your own records, beginning read-only and then moving to drafts.
Frequently asked questions
Can QuickBooks Online send automatic payment reminders?
Yes. Go to Settings > Account and settings > Sales > Reminders > Edit. Turn on Automatic invoice reminders, then configure up to three reminders before or after the due date.
Why did a customer who already paid get a reminder?
The invoice probably still had an open balance when the reminder ran. Check A/R Aging Detail for a negative Payment row, then review unapplied payments, incorrect applications, credits, and unmatched QuickBooks Payments deposits.
Which QuickBooks Online plans have automatic reminders?
Intuit’s reminder instructions cover Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Solopreneur. QuickBooks Online Advanced uses workflows to create invoice reminders.
Should an invoice reminder mention late fees?
Mention a late fee only when your agreed terms allow it. Keep routine wording factual and avoid references to attorneys, legal action, or collection agencies.