Your guide to business credit control
INVOICES / FOLLOW-UPS / REPORTING
Understand the steps between issuing an invoice and receiving payment. Build a consistent process for reminders, customer queries and payment commitments.
Explore aged debt reporting
From invoice to payment
Start with accurate information
Confirm the invoice has reached the correct customer contact and includes the agreed payment terms and any purchase order reference. Record the due date and supporting documents.
Follow a clear schedule
Send reminders at agreed stages and follow up overdue invoices by the appropriate channel. Ask for a specific payment date and document the response.
Track commitments
Monitor promised payments and update the ledger when receipts are confirmed. If a commitment is missed, follow up and record the next action.
Resolve payment blockers
Separate invoice disputes from routine late payment. Refer pricing, delivery, purchase order and credit note queries to the responsible person before resuming the agreed follow-up.
Choosing outsourced credit control
Full or partial support
Outsource the agreed ledger or select particular accounts, overdue balances or workloads. Your finance team can retain selected customers while we manage the accounts assigned to us.
Define the working arrangement
Agree who contacts customers, which records are shared, the chasing frequency and the tone used. Specify how invoice queries are passed back and who can approve payment arrangements.
Keep decision-making clear
Your business retains authority over credit terms, limits, account holds and write-offs. Accounts needing formal escalation should be reviewed separately.
Agree a customised quote
Scope and fees depend on invoice volumes, ledger condition, contact frequency and reporting requirements. Review the proposed service before committing.
Understand your aged debtor report
An aged debtor report groups outstanding customer balances by how long they have been due. Use the report to prioritise follow-up, identify disputed items and review payment promises.
Review trends over time
Compare overdue balances and collection activity across reporting periods. Days sales outstanding offers another view of collection speed when your sales and receivables data supports a consistent calculation.
Prepare for onboarding
Provide the relevant ledger, invoices, payment terms, customer contacts and previous notes. Agree access and confidentiality arrangements, then confirm the contact schedule and reporting format.
What your updates should show
- Outstanding and overdue balances by customer and age.
- Payments confirmed and promises still to be fulfilled.
- Disputed invoices and queries awaiting your input.
- Recent contact, customer responses and next actions.
- Accounts requiring an escalation decision.