How to get customers to pay your invoices faster: the complete accounts receivable follow-up schedule (2026)

What is accounts receivable management?

You delivered the work, sent the invoice, and then… silence. You're not alone: Dutch businesses paid over a quarter of their invoices late last year according to Altares Dun & Bradstreet — the first deterioration in payment behaviour since 2001. The good news: whether you're paid on day 5 or day 50 is largely in your own hands.

Accounts receivable management is the process of making sure customers pay on time — from accepting a customer, through invoicing, to the last reminder or collection. It's about prevention (making payment easy) and follow-up (reminding at the right moment, in the right tone).

Why late invoices cost so much

An unpaid invoice is effectively an interest-free loan to your customer. It costs working capital, growth and time. The key rules in the Netherlands:

• No payment term agreed? Between businesses 30 days applies automatically.
• Maximum term between businesses: 60 days, longer only if not unfair to either party.
• Large company paying an SME or freelancer: within 30 days.
• Public bodies: within 30 days of receiving the invoice.

If a business customer pays late you're entitled to statutory commercial interest: 10.40% since 1 July 2026. For consumers the statutory rate is 4% since 1 January 2026. EU-wide, Directive 2011/7/EU sets a similar 30/60-day framework.

Step 1: Start before the invoice, with clear agreements

Getting paid faster starts with the quote. Agree upfront:

• A short payment term — 14 days is defensible in many sectors.
• Who approves and pays the invoice; at larger customers that's often not your contact.
• Whether a PO number is required — without one, invoices are often rejected silently.
• Your terms and conditions, including interest and collection costs for late payment.

For new or large jobs, check creditworthiness upfront or ask for a deposit.

Step 2: Send an invoice that can be paid immediately

Most delays aren't unwillingness: the invoice is incomplete, reaches the wrong person or takes too much effort. Check before sending:

• Unique invoice number and date
• A concrete due date ("by 2 November 2026" instead of "within 30 days")
• Customer PO number or reference
• The right contact person's name
• Line items matching the quote
• A direct payment link (iDEAL, Wero or card)
• IBAN, company and VAT number
• A reference to your terms and conditions

Tip: the payment link is the biggest speed gain. On a phone, paying becomes a single tap.

Step 3: Use a fixed follow-up schedule

The biggest difference between fast and slow payers is consistency. Reminders sent "when you remember" don't work; a fixed rhythm does.

Day −3 matters most: a reminder before the due date feels like service, not chasing, and gets the invoice into the next payment run.

Step 4: Email templates that work

Before due date (day −3) — Subject: Invoice [number] is due on [date]. "Hi [name], a quick reminder: invoice [number] for €[amount] is due on [date]. You can pay directly here: [payment link]. Anything unclear? Let us know and we'll sort it right away."

First reminder (day +3) — Subject: Reminder invoice [number]. "Hi [name], we haven't yet received payment for invoice [number] (€[amount], due [date]). Perhaps it slipped through in a busy week. You can pay directly here: [payment link]. Already paid? Please ignore this email."

Second reminder (day +17) — Subject: Second reminder – invoice [number] is [x] days overdue. "Dear [name], invoice [number] for €[amount] is now [x] days overdue despite our earlier reminder. Please pay within 7 days via [payment link]. After this period we will charge statutory commercial interest and collection costs in line with our terms."

Why it works: every message contains the amount, the due date and a payment link.

Step 5: Call at the right moment

A call around day +10 tells you why the invoice is unpaid. Each answer needs a different approach:

• Invoice lost or misaddressed: resend to the right person, with payment link.
• Dispute about the content: resolve it and send a credit note or correction.
• Cash problems: agree a concrete payment plan (amounts + dates) and confirm it by email.

A payment plan is almost always better than a customer who stops paying altogether.

Step 6: Know what you may (and must) do legally

• Interest: for business customers in the Netherlands statutory commercial interest runs automatically from the day after the due date, if a fixed term was agreed.
• Collection costs: for Dutch consumers you must first send a 14-day letter; amounts follow a statutory scale. With business customers your terms can differ; if silent, the same scale applies.
• Tone: stay professional. An aggressive demand usually damages the relationship more than it yields.

Step 7: Measure results with the right KPIs

• DSO (Days Sales Outstanding): (outstanding receivables ÷ revenue for the period) × days in the period.
• Percentage of invoices paid on time.
• Ageing analysis: amounts outstanding 0–30, 31–60, 61–90 and 90+ days. The older a claim, the lower the chance of payment.

Review monthly. A customer drifting into older buckets? Time for a conversation, or prepayment.

Step 8: Automate the follow-up

A schedule only works if it runs every time — busy weeks and holidays are where manual follow-up breaks down.

With Credimigo you automate accounts receivable with AI: reminders go out at the right moment, in the right tone, with a direct payment link, and one overview shows what's open and where action is needed. You stay in control and keep the customer relationship — Credimigo is software, not a collection agency.

Conclusion: getting paid fast isn't luck, it's a process.

Frequently asked questions

Bronnen

• Ondernemersplein – Payment terms, collection costs and statutory interest (NL)
• Rijksoverheid – Statutory interest rates (NL)
• EUR-Lex – Directive 2011/7/EU on late payment

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• Payment reminder examples for business customers
• Payment term expired: what you can do
• Accounts receivable automation guide
• Debiteurenbeheer: sneller betaald worden (NL)