> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.brilo.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set up payment reminders

> A complete Brilo setup for chasing unpaid invoices by call and text, with the instructions to copy and the rules to check first.

This is the setup for having your agent ring customers about unpaid invoices and text them a payment link. It
recovers money nobody on your team has time to chase. It is also the setup with the most rules attached, so read
the rules section before you build it rather than after.

## What this setup does for you

Your agent works through a list of customers with overdue invoices, calls each one, explains what is outstanding,
and texts a payment link so they can pay immediately. Customers who dispute the amount or want to arrange
something are passed to a person. Everything that happened is on the call record.

## What good looks like

* **Every overdue account contacted**, rather than the ten your team got to.
* **A payment link in the customer's hand** during or immediately after the call, since that is what turns a
  reminder into a payment.
* **Disputes reaching a person quickly**, because an agent arguing about an invoice damages the relationship.
* **A record of every contact**, which matters if the debt escalates later.

## Before you build: check the rules

Chasing money is regulated more tightly than any other job in these guides, and the rules differ by country and
sometimes by state. Settle these four before your first call:

1. **Whether you may call these customers at all**, and on which number.
2. **The hours you are allowed to call.**
3. **What your agent may say**, particularly to somebody who is not the account holder. Discussing a debt with
   the wrong person is the mistake to design out.
4. **Whether the call must be disclosed as recorded or automated.**

Start with [Calling rules you should know](/compliance/calling-rules-you-should-know), and take proper advice for
your jurisdiction. Nothing on this page is legal advice.

## What to put in your instructions

Paste this into your agent's **Prompt** tab and change everything in square brackets.

```
You are calling on behalf of [business name] about an outstanding invoice.

Opening: "Hello, is that [customer name]? I'm calling from [business name] about an invoice
on your account."

Confirm you are speaking to the right person before saying anything about the amount. If it
is not them, do not discuss the account. Say you will call back and end the call politely.

What to do once confirmed:
- State the invoice number and the amount outstanding.
- Ask whether they are able to pay today.
- If yes, offer to text a payment link and confirm their mobile number.
- If they need time, ask when they expect to pay and record the date.
- If they dispute the amount, do not argue. Say somebody will review it and call them back,
  and transfer or take a message.

How to behave:
- Be polite and matter of fact. Never pressure, threaten, or imply consequences.
- Keep the call short. This is a reminder, not a negotiation.
- If the customer is distressed or says they cannot pay, stop chasing, take a note, and
  offer a callback from a person.

Never:
- Never discuss the account with anybody who is not the account holder.
- Never take card details on the call.
- Never state or imply what will happen if they do not pay.
- Never call again about an invoice that has been paid.

Ending the call: confirm what happens next and thank them.
```

The identity check in the second paragraph is the most important instruction on this page. Everything else is
recoverable.

## What your agent needs to know

* **What the invoice was for**, in terms the customer will recognise.
* **Your payment methods** and how the link works.
* **Your policy on payment plans**, if you have one, and if not, that a person handles those.
* **Who to transfer disputes to.**
* **Nothing about other customers.** Upload only what this job needs.

## What to let your agent do

| Action                                                          | Why                                              |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| [Send a text or email](/actions/send-a-text-or-email)           | The payment link, which is the point of the call |
| [Pass the call to a person](/actions/pass-the-call-to-a-person) | Disputes and hardship, immediately               |
| [Update your CRM](/actions/update-your-crm)                     | So the promise to pay and the date are recorded  |
| [Schedule a callback](/actions/schedule-a-callback)             | When they ask you to ring at a better time       |

Set up the campaign itself with [Start a calling campaign](/campaigns/start-a-calling-campaign), and control the
timing with [Choose when calls go out](/campaigns/choose-when-calls-go-out).

## What to test before you go live

Run the whole thing against five of your own numbers before any customer hears it.

1. **A normal reminder.** Does the payment link arrive, and does it work?
2. **Answer as the wrong person.** Does it refuse to discuss the account?
3. **Dispute the amount.** Does it stop chasing and hand over?
4. **Say you cannot afford it.** Does it soften and offer a person, rather than pressing?
5. **Say you already paid.** Does it accept that gracefully?
6. **Listen to all five recordings.** Would you be comfortable if a customer shared one publicly?

That last question is the real test for this setup.

## Rules to know

* [Calling rules you should know](/compliance/calling-rules-you-should-know) for consent, hours, and do not call
  obligations.
* [Telling callers they are recorded](/compliance/telling-callers-they-are-recorded) for the announcement.
* Debt collection specifically is regulated separately in many places, and this page does not cover it. Take
  advice.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can Brilo call customers about unpaid invoices?">
    Yes, using an outbound campaign, which needs Starter or above. The rules about who you may call, when, and
    what you may say are stricter for money than for anything else, so settle those first. See
    [Calling rules you should know](/compliance/calling-rules-you-should-know).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can it take a card payment on the phone?">
    No. Your agent cannot take card details. Text a payment link instead, which is safer, faster for the customer,
    and gives you a record of when it was sent.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can it send a payment link by text?">
    Yes, during the call so the customer can confirm they received it. That is what makes this setup work: a
    reminder without a way to pay is a wasted call. See
    [Send a text or email](/actions/send-a-text-or-email).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What does it do when the customer disputes the amount?">
    It should stop chasing immediately and hand over to a person. Write that instruction explicitly, because an
    agent that argues about an invoice costs you more than the invoice is worth.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I am not speaking to the account holder?">
    Your agent must confirm identity before discussing anything and end the call politely if it is somebody else.
    This is the single most important instruction in this setup and the one to test hardest.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can it stop calling once someone has paid?">
    Only if your list reflects that. Rebuild or refresh the list before each run rather than reusing last week's,
    because calling somebody about an invoice they have already paid is the fastest way to lose them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can it call at a time the customer chooses?">
    Yes, by scheduling a callback during the call, and you can also restrict when calls go out. See
    [Choose when calls go out](/campaigns/choose-when-calls-go-out).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I upload the list of who to call?">
    Import it as contacts, then point a campaign at it. Include the invoice number and amount as contact fields
    so your agent can state them. See
    [Import your contact list](/contacts/import-your-contact-list).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need permission before calling customers about money?">
    Usually you have a lawful basis to contact your own customers about their account, but the specifics vary and
    debt collection is often regulated separately. Take advice for your jurisdiction rather than relying on this
    page.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

* [Calling rules you should know](/compliance/calling-rules-you-should-know), to read first
* [Start a calling campaign](/campaigns/start-a-calling-campaign) to build the run
* [Send a text or email](/actions/send-a-text-or-email) for the payment link
* [Import your contact list](/contacts/import-your-contact-list) with invoice details
* [Outbound follow up](/recipes/outbound-follow-up) for the general outbound pattern