Problem · Customers pay too late
The work is done. The money isn't there yet.
Late payments are usually not a one-off, but a missing process. Sort your open invoices by age, and you'll see where the risk is and whom to call first.
Receivables age
Four pots. A clear picture.
Add up your open invoices by how overdue they are. You can overwrite the sample numbers.
Overdue
16.500 €
40,7 % of 40.500 € open receivables
- Not due yet24.000 €
- 1 to 30 days9.000 €
- 31 to 60 days4.500 €
- Over 60 days3.000 €
Start with the oldest 3.000 € Overdue invoices: the older a receivable, the harder it is to collect.
Overdue rate = overdue receivables ÷ all open receivables
Assumptions and limits
- The analysis shows totals. Which customer is behind them, you see in your invoice list.
- A large amount past 60 days is a risk, but not a loss yet. Check each case individually.
- Your tax or legal advisor handles questions about late-payment interest, payment orders, and debt collection.
Your entries stay in this browser. Nothing is saved or sent.
How you'll notice
The revenue is booked. The account doesn't notice any of it.
- You don't know offhand which invoices are overdue right now.
- Reminders come when someone has time, not on fixed days.
- One big customer always pays late, and your liquidity depends on them.
Understand the causes
Why money comes too late.
- 01
Invoices go out late
- How you'll notice
- Weeks pass between service and invoice.
- Why it happens
- Invoices are written in batches, when there is time.
- What helps
- Issue the invoice on the day of acceptance, as a fixed part of project close.
- Limit
- For ongoing services, a fixed monthly invoice day helps.
- 02
Nobody reminds
- How you'll notice
- Overdue invoices go weeks without a follow-up.
- Why it happens
- There is no fixed day and no responsible person for payment reminders.
- What helps
- Set a weekly appointment for overdue invoices, with one person who calls or writes.
- Limit
- A call often works better than the third email, but it takes time.
- 03
The calculation is unclear
- How you'll notice
- Customers ask questions instead of paying.
- Why it happens
- Order number, service period, or contact person is missing, and the invoice stays stuck in approval.
- What helps
- Before the project, clarify what details the customer needs on the invoice.
- Limit
- Large customers have their own approval processes that you can only speed up so much.
- 04
Payment terms are too long
- How you'll notice
- Even punctual customers only pay after weeks.
- Why it happens
- Long payment terms were accepted without calculating the effect on liquidity.
- What helps
- For new jobs, agree on shorter terms or down payments.
- Limit
- Not every customer accepts shorter terms.
Ways to solve it
A fixed process beats any tool.
| Way | Enough if | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly list of overdue invoices | You have few invoices a month, and one person handles them. | Depends on the appointment actually taking place. |
| Dunning feature in the invoicing software | Your invoices are created there and email reminders are enough. | Doesn't see what else you discussed with the customer. |
| Down payments and shorter payment terms | Individual large projects strain liquidity. | Has to be negotiated before the job starts. |
| Peak One | You want to see open receivables, outstanding invoices, and the conversation with the customer together. | Invoicing and dunning stay with your accounting or invoicing tool. |
Peak One in action
From the open invoice to the payment received.
- TriggerWhat money is still outstanding?
- 01 · ReceivableSignalOpen Receivables shows which money is still outstanding.
- 02 · InvoiceUnderstandingOutgoing Invoices shows which invoices need to be issued, sent, or chased.
- 03 · ForecastDecisionCash Forecast shows whether the money lasts for the next few weeks even without the payment.
- 04 · ContactActionIn Peak CRM, the call to the customer becomes the next step, in the history with everything that was discussed.
The apps for it
Available in Peak One.
For the conversation
The customer with its history.
Three steps
This week get the first money.
- 01 / 03
Sort by age
Sort all open invoices into the four buckets above.
- 02 / 03
Oldest first
For every invoice over 30 days, call or write personally today, instead of just sending a reminder.
- 03 / 03
Introduce a fixed day
Check overdue invoices on the same day every week, with a responsible person.
Frequently asked questions
Briefly answered.
When should I send the first payment reminder?
Shortly after the due date, friendly and with the invoice attached. The longer you wait, the more likely your customer pushes the invoice to the back of the pile.
When does a receivable become at risk?
The older, the riskier. Amounts more than 60 days overdue deserve personal attention. Whether and when legal steps make sense is something you clarify with your advisor.
Does Peak One send payment reminders?
This page does not promise dunning. Peak One shows open receivables and which invoices need a reminder; sending runs through your invoicing tool.
Keep exploring
What's included.
- FunctionCash flow & runwayA clear cash picture from rough numbers, with runway and cost blocks.View
- FunctionCRM & contactsPeople, companies and context, connected with tasks and numbers.View
- Software categoryCash flow softwareSee what comes in, what goes out and how long it lasts.View
- Use caseClose out projects cleanlyClear up open points, document results, secure a customer testimonial, and plan the next step.View
- ProblemNo overview of liquidityYou're not sure how long the money in your account will last.View
- ProblemUnprofitable client projectsThe project is finished, but after all the hours, hardly anything is left.View
✦ A Peak principle
Good systems are quiet. They carry without pushing.
A clear framework
More problems
Typical bottlenecks in growing companies, each with a tool you can try right away, the causes, and the path Peak One provides for it.
Solve it once. The rest follows.
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