invoicing-ar

name	invoicing-ar
description	Generate clean, complete invoices and chase unpaid ones with a polite, escalating dunning ladder — turn delivered work into collected cash.
version	1.0.0
category	smb-ops
parent	ccc-smb-ops
tags	["ccc-smb-ops","invoicing","accounts-receivable","collections","dunning"]
disable-model-invocation	true

Invoicing & Accounts-Receivable Chasing

What This Does

Two jobs that decide whether delivered work becomes money in the bank:

1. Invoicing — produce a clear, complete invoice that's easy to approve and pay, so it doesn't get stuck on someone's desk.
2. AR chasing (dunning) — follow up on unpaid invoices with a dunning ladder: a fixed, escalating sequence of polite reminders. "Dunning" just means the structured process of asking for money you're owed. A ladder removes the awkward "should I email them again?" guesswork — the schedule decides for you.

Part A — Generate the Invoice

1. Confirm the essentials are present. A missing field is the #1 reason invoices stall:

   • Your business name, address, and contact
   • Customer name and billing contact (the person who actually approves payment)
   • Unique invoice number (sequential — e.g. 2026-0142)
   • Invoice date and due date (a due date, not just "net 30")
   • Line items: description, quantity, unit price, line total
   • Subtotal, tax, and total due — in one obvious bold number
   • Accepted payment methods and exact instructions (how do they pay you today?)
   • PO or reference number if the customer requires one

2. Set clear terms. State the due date as a real date. Note any late fee or early-pay discount up front — it's not enforceable later if it wasn't on the invoice.

3. Send it to the right person, the day the work is done. Speed of sending is the single biggest driver of speed of payment. Attach as PDF; put the total and due date in the email subject or first line.

Part B — The Dunning Ladder

Run this schedule on any invoice past its due date. Escalate tone by step, never skip a rung, and stop the moment payment clears.

Step	Timing	Channel	Tone	Message core
0	Due date − 3 days	Email	Friendly	"Heads-up, invoice #{n} for {$} is due {date}. Here's the pay link/instructions."
1	Due date + 1 day	Email	Warm reminder	"Invoice #{n} ({$}) was due yesterday — likely just slipped through. Copy attached."
2	Due date + 7 days	Email	Direct	"Following up on #{n}, now 7 days past due. Can you confirm a payment date?"
3	Due date + 14 days	Phone + email	Firm, personal	Call the billing contact; email a written recap of what was agreed.
4	Due date + 30 days	Email	Formal	State the amount, days overdue, any late fee, and a specific pay-by date.
5	Due date + 45 days	Email/letter	Final notice	Clear consequence: pause of service, or referral to collections after {date}.

Rules for the ladder:

• Always attach the invoice again — never make them go find it.
• One clear ask per message: pay by this date, or tell me when you'll pay.
• Keep every message professional. These are customers; the goal is payment and the relationship.
• Log every touch (date, channel, response) so nothing is chased twice or dropped.
• Escalate the human, not just the tone at step 3 — a phone call to the billing contact collects more than a fifth email.

Part C — The AR Aging Report

Sort everything owed into buckets so you chase the right invoices first:

# AR Aging — {Business Name}   (as of {YYYY-MM-DD})

| Bucket | Count | Amount | Action |
|--------|-------|--------|--------|
| Current (not yet due) | {n} | {$} | Monitor |
| 1–30 days late | {n} | {$} | Ladder steps 1–2 |
| 31–60 days late | {n} | {$} | Ladder steps 3–4 — call them |
| 61–90 days late | {n} | {$} | Final notice; consider hold on service |
| 90+ days late | {n} | {$} | Collections / write-off decision |
| **Total AR** | **{n}** | **{$}** | — |

## Priority chase list (this week)
1. #{invoice} — {customer} — {$} — {days late} — {next ladder step}
2. …

Output Format

Deliver one of: a ready-to-send invoice, a dunning message for the correct ladder step, or an AR aging report with a prioritized chase list. Always include the exact next action and date.

Tips

• The invoice that's easy to pay gets paid first. One bold total, a real due date, and clear pay instructions beat any late-fee threat.
• Send the day you deliver. Every day of delay in sending adds roughly a day to payment.
• The ladder is a system, not a mood. Follow the schedule and you'll never again wonder whether it's "too soon" to follow up.
• Biggest and oldest first: chase the invoices where the most cash is stuck the longest.
• Feed the AR aging totals straight into cash-flow-forecast — place each expected payment in the week the customer actually tends to pay.
• A repeat late-payer is a pipeline and terms problem, not just a chasing problem — consider deposits, milestones, or pay-before-delivery for them.
• This chases and organizes what you're owed; it does not move money or provide legal/collections advice. Involve a professional before formal collections.