An autonomous agent that manages accounts receivable by proactively sending personalized payment reminders, following up on overdue invoices via email or text, and providing customers with self-service payment options.
Late payment is one of the most common cash flow problems for Australian small and medium businesses. Chasing overdue invoices is awkward, time-consuming and easy to put off, particularly when the person responsible also runs operations or sales. Generic reminder templates from accounting software get ignored, and customers who genuinely have a question about an invoice may never get it answered, so the debt drifts further past due.
An AI accounts receivable agent handles the routine follow-up. It watches outstanding invoices in Xero or QuickBooks, sends reminders written in a tone that suits each customer relationship, includes a direct payment link, and reads replies to spot disputes, promised payment dates or requests for copies. Anything unusual goes to a person. The aim is consistent, courteous follow-up that gets invoices paid without damaging relationships, not aggressive automated collection.
The agent syncs daily with Xero or QuickBooks to pull open invoices, due dates, customer contacts, payment history and any notes about disputes or payment plans.
Rules set by the finance owner decide when reminders go out, which customers are excluded, and when a message should shift from friendly to firmer wording.
An LLM drafts each reminder using the invoice details and relationship history, with a payment link from Stripe or your accounting platform's payment feature.
Customer replies are classified: paid already, will pay on a date, disputing, requesting a copy, or other. Promises are logged and disputes pause reminders.
Where invoices remain unpaid after the final automated step, the agent creates a task for a staff member to call or escalate rather than continuing automatically.
An AI agent identifies an invoice that is 15 days overdue. It sends a polite but firm reminder email personalized with the client's name and invoice details. If unpaid after 7 more days, it sends a follow-up text with a direct link to a payment portal, reducing the average days sales outstanding (DSO).
RPA (UiPath), NLP for personalization, Integration with Accounting Software (QuickBooks, Xero), Payment Gateways
The ACCC and ASIC debt collection guideline applies to creditors collecting their own debts, not only to collection agencies, so reminders must not harass, mislead or threaten action you do not intend to take, and contact frequency should be reasonable. Messages purely about paying an existing invoice are generally not commercial electronic messages under the Spam Act 2003, but adding promotions changes that, so keep reminders transactional. Customer details are personal information under the Privacy Act 1988 where it applies. Keep invoice and payment records in line with ATO record-keeping requirements, and note that small business payment times reporting rules may affect some larger customers.
This solution requires careful evaluation of cost-benefit ratio. Consider implementation only after thorough analysis and risk assessment.
Only if you let it. Customers with agreed payment plans, disputes or special arrangements can be tagged in the accounting system or the agent's settings so they are excluded or get tailored reminders. Keeping those tags up to date is the most important part of running the system well.
No. It handles early, courteous follow-up that many businesses do inconsistently. Seriously overdue debts, formal letters of demand and legal recovery still need a person and, where appropriate, a licensed collection agency or lawyer. The agent should hand those cases over rather than escalating tone by itself.
Around one to two months. Connecting Xero and the payment gateway is quick, but agreeing reminder rules, writing and testing message tone, setting up reply handling and running a supervised period where staff approve messages takes longer. Many businesses keep approval on for key accounts permanently.
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