How to Set Up Automated Payment Reminders in QuickBooks Desktop and Improve Your Cash Flow
- johnry8
- Jan 12
- 3 min read
QuickBooks Desktop allows you to automate payment reminders so your customers receive timely prompts without you needing to manually follow up every week.
Why Payment Reminders Matter for Business Owners
Automated reminders free up hours of admin work and create a smoother payment experience for both you and your customers.
Other benefits include:
More consistent cash flow
Fewer overdue invoices
Faster payments without awkward follow ups
Better financial visibility
More time to focus on running your business
How to Turn On Automated Payment Reminders in QuickBooks Desktop
Follow these steps to activate payment reminders for invoices and statements.
Go to the Edit menu and open Preferences
Select the Payments tab
Under Company Preferences, choose Yes when asked if you want to send payment reminders
Set the time and frequency that QuickBooks will notify you to review reminders
Select OK and Finish.
How to Automate Statements with Payment Reminders
Statement reminders help customers see all open invoices at once. You can create different schedules and mailing lists for each customer group.
To set up a new statement schedule
Go to the Customers menu and select Payment Reminders
Choose Schedule Payment Reminders
Select New schedule and choose Statement
Name the schedule
From the Select customer group list, choose Add new
Give the group a Name and Description
Set the criteria for the customers you want to include. This can be location, balance amount, customer type and more
Review the suggested customers then select Finish
Select Add reminder
Choose your statement date, statement period, and invoice details
Select your statement template and email design
Select OK to save
How to Schedule Payment Reminders for Invoices
You can automate reminders for overdue invoices or upcoming due dates. This is ideal for improving payment discipline among clients.
To create an invoice reminder schedule
Go to Customers and open Payment Reminders
Select Schedule Payment Reminders
Choose New schedule and give it a name
From Select customer group, choose Add New
Add a name for the mailing list and select Next
Choose which customers belong to the list and select Save
Select Add reminder
Choose when the reminder should be sent. For example, one day before the due date or thirty days after it
Edit the message to match your brand voice. You can add fields from the Insert Field menu
Select OK to save
How to Review and Send Payment Reminders
QuickBooks gives you complete control before anything is delivered.
Each time reminders are ready, you will see a prompt. You can choose to:
Close it and send nothing
Send now
Review and send
To review reminders later
Go to Customers
Select Payment Reminders
Choose Review and Send Payment Reminders
Select the reminders you want to send
How to Track Sent Payment Reminders
Tracking is simple and accessible at any time.
Two ways to view reminders that have been sent
Go to the Customer Center, select the customer, then open the Sent Email tab
Open the invoice and select See History
Setting up automated payment reminders in QuickBooks Desktop is one of the easiest ways to improve your cash flow and reduce overdue invoices. It removes manual followups, builds consistent payment habits with your customers, and keeps your business running smoothly.
If you need help setting up your reminders or want to improve your bookkeeping systems, we are here to support your business every step of the way.