Unpaid invoices cost companies not only liquidity but, in a dispute, also nerves – especially when nobody can say for certain which reminder was sent to whom and when. A structured, documented dunning process therefore matters from both a practical and a legal point of view. 1Tool maps a multi-level dunning process that runs from the first friendly reminder all the way to the handover to a debt collection agency – including a WhatsApp payment reminder for customers who rarely respond to emails.
Up to five dunning levels, fully documented
In 1Tool you can set up to five configurable dunning levels. For every invoice and every level, the system records the date of the reminder and the employee who triggered it – so in a dispute or for internal questions, the entire dunning history can be traced at any time. For exceptions there is a dunning block that can be set on individual invoices as well as on entire contacts: a specific customer – for example one with an individual payment arrangement – can thus be excluded from automatic dunning altogether. Dunning fees are recorded both per individual reminder and cumulatively across all levels, so you can always see the total costs an unpaid invoice has already incurred.
From reminder letter to debt collection handover
Dunning notices can be downloaded as PDFs in 1Tool – including in bulk, when several selected invoices are to be sent at once by dunning PDF email. If a reminder goes unanswered, 1Tool offers a separate open items export that can optionally include a comment and information for a handover to debt collection. This means the dunning process covers not only the classic reminder but also the actual transition into collection proceedings when a claim has to be pursued out of court.
WhatsApp payment reminders: more than just email
With private customers or small businesses in particular, dunning emails often sit unread in the inbox, while a WhatsApp message is noticed much faster. That is why 1Tool lets you configure a WhatsApp Business template specifically for payment reminders. The template works with placeholders – for the invoice number or the outstanding amount, for example – and shows a live preview of the completed message before it is sent. This way you can match the tone of the reminder to your own customer communication without rewording the text every time.
Frequently asked questions
Why are several dunning levels better than a single reminder?
A staged approach – from a friendly reminder to the final notice before a handover to debt collection – documents the payment delay in a traceable way and lays the groundwork for further legal steps should they become necessary.
Can I exclude individual customers from dunning?
Yes, the dunning block lets you exclude a single invoice or an entire contact completely from the dunning process.
Does the WhatsApp reminder replace the classic reminder by email or post?
The WhatsApp payment reminder is an additional, configurable template within the dunning process and complements the classic reminder letters, especially for customer groups who respond faster on this channel.
Would you like a multi-level, documented dunning process with WhatsApp reminders?