Payment Follow-ups in Odoo 18

Accounting teams manually tracking overdue invoices in spreadsheets create collection chaos: reminders sent inconsistently (some customers get three emails, others none), escalation happens reactively when CFO notices aged receivables hit dangerous levels, sales reps don't know their customers are 60 days past due until collections calls them, and businesses lose thousands in interest on delayed payments because follow-up process depends on someone remembering to check the aging report every week.

Odoo 18's Payment Follow-ups automate receivables management with tiered reminder schedules that trigger based on days overdue. Configure gentle email reminders at 7 days, escalate to SMS +attach invoices at 15 days, send formal demand letters at 30 days, and auto-create collection call tasks at 60 days—all without manual intervention. Track follow-up history per customer, integrate WhatsApp for instant communication, and update status automatically when payments received.

Understanding Follow-up Levels

Follow-up levels define escalating actions triggered by invoice age, from friendly reminders to formal collection procedures.

Typical Escalation Ladder

Step 1: Access Follow-up Configuration

Navigation

1. Go to Accounting → Configuration → Follow-up Levels
2. View existing follow-up levels list
3. Click New to create custom level

Step 2: Configure Follow-up Level

Level Configuration Fields

Example Configuration: Level 2 (15 Days)

Step 3: Schedule Activities

Activity Tab Configuration

For higher-level escalations, auto-create tasks for collections team instead of (or in addition to) sending messages.

1. Enable Schedule Activity: Check box in Activity tab
2. Activity Type: Select type
   • Call: Phone collections call
   • Meeting: In-person discussion
   • To-Do: General task
   • Email: Follow-up email (different from automatic)
3. Responsible: Assign to
   • Account Manager: Whoever manages this customer
   • Follow-up Responsible: Designated collections person
   • Salesperson: Customer's primary contact
4. Summary: Brief note (e.g., "Collections call - 60 days overdue")

Step 4: Managing Follow-ups

Follow-up Reports Dashboard

1. Go to Accounting → Customers → Follow-up Reports
2. View customers needing action (invoices overdue matching follow-up levels)
3. See current follow-up level per customer
4. Click customer to view details

Customer Follow-up Status

Step 5: Sending Follow-ups

Manual vs Automatic Sending

Sending Manual Follow-up

1. Open customer record from Follow-up Reports
2. Review overdue invoices and current level
3. Click Send button next to follow-up stage
4. Preview email/SMS content (pre-filled with template)
5. Modify message if needed
6. Confirm send

Step 6: Recording Payments

Payment Reconciliation

When customer pays after receiving follow-up, record payment to update status automatically.

1. Open overdue customer invoice
2. Click Register Payment
3. Enter payment details (amount, date, journal)
4. Click Validate
5. Odoo auto-reconciles payment with invoice
6. Follow-up status updates to "No Action Needed"

Best Practices

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Odoo 18's Payment Follow-ups transform chaotic collections from reactive phone calls to proactive systematic communication. By defining escalating reminder schedules tied to invoice age, you ensure every overdue account receives appropriate attention—gentle email for 7-day slips, escalating to SMS+invoice attachment at 15 days, formal demand letters at 30 days, and collections activities at 60 days—all without manual tracking or calendar reminders.

Automated follow-ups accelerate cash flow by catching payment delays early when customers can easily remedy oversight, while manual review options for final notices preserve critical business relationships. Whether managing 50 customers or 5,000, systematic follow-ups reduce Days Sales Outstanding, minimize bad debt writeoffs, and free accounts receivable teams from spreadsheet tracking to focus on dispute resolution and customer service rather than chasing routine payments.