Most businesses only start chasing invoices after they become overdue. By that point, the invoice has already slipped off the customer’s radar, someone needs to find the paperwork, an approval might need to be re-triggered - the friction is already there.
A pre-due-date reminder removes all of that. You’re not chasing a late payment; you’re helping someone avoid one.
70% of the businesses with the highest collection rates on Trove use pre-due-date reminders. That’s the single strongest pattern we see in the data across businesses that consistently get paid on time.
Why most businesses only chase after the fact
The default assumption is that chasing before the due date feels presumptuous - like you don’t trust your customer to pay. In practice, customers don’t see it that way at all. Most are grateful for the heads-up, especially on larger invoices where internal approval processes take time.
The other reason is habit. Most invoicing tools default to triggering reminders after a due date is missed. Pre-reminders require a deliberate choice to turn them on. Most businesses never do.
That’s the opportunity. If your competitors aren’t doing this and you are, you’re consistently at the front of the queue when your customer’s finance team reviews what needs paying this week.
When you should send a pre-reminder
Not every invoice needs one. Here are the four situations where a pre-due-date reminder is reliably worth sending.
Annual subscriptions and renewals Invoices for annual services are easy to forget. Your customer signed up 12 months ago, the renewal lands in their inbox, and it doesn’t have the urgency of something they’ve just asked for. A heads-up a week before the due date means they have time to sort budget approval before the deadline, not after.
High-value invoices Larger invoices often require sign-off from someone more senior than the person you normally deal with. That approval process takes time - sometimes several days. If your customer only sees the reminder after the due date has passed, they’re already starting the approval process late. Sending a pre-reminder gives them the runway to get it done properly.
When there’s a long gap between invoice date and due date If you’re operating on 30-day or 60-day payment terms, there’s a real chance the invoice has been filed away and forgotten by the time it falls due. A reminder a week before the due date brings it back to the top of the pile while it’s still easy to action.
When the customer pays by bank transfer Card payments are one click. Bank transfers require the customer to log in, find your details, and manually initiate a payment. It’s a higher-friction process, and it’s easy to intend to do it and then not get around to it. A pre-reminder gives them a specific prompt to take that action before the deadline, not after.
When not to send a pre-reminder
Very small invoices For low-value invoices, a pre-reminder can feel disproportionate - and the admin overhead isn’t worth it. Set a threshold that makes sense for your business (many Trove users set this at invoices above £500 or £1,000).
Customers who consistently pay on time or early If a customer reliably pays before the due date every month, a pre-reminder adds no value and could feel unnecessary. Most collections tools let you exclude specific customers or workflows from pre-reminders for this reason.
Very short payment terms On 7-day invoices, a pre-reminder sent 3 days before the due date goes out on day 4 - almost immediately after the invoice itself. That can feel like pressure rather than a helpful nudge. Pre-reminders work best when there’s enough of a gap to give the customer genuine lead time.
What a pre-due-date reminder looks like
The tone is lighter than a standard chaser. This isn’t a late payment - it’s a courtesy heads-up. Two templates:
For most invoices:
Subject: Invoice #1042 due on 18 April - just a heads-up
Hi Sarah,
Just wanted to flag that invoice #1042 for £1,250 is due on 18 April. Wanted to make sure you had it on your radar ahead of time.
Payment details are on the attached invoice or via the link below if it’s easier:
Let me know if you have any questions.
Kind regards, James
For annual renewals:
Subject: Your annual subscription renewal - due 18 April
Hi Sarah,
Your annual subscription is due for renewal on 18 April - invoice #1042 for £1,250 is attached.
If you need anything from our side to help with your internal approval process, just reply to this email and I’ll get it over to you.
Thanks, James
The data
70% of the businesses with the highest collection rates on Trove use pre-due-date reminders. We’re cautious about overstating the causal relationship here - businesses that use pre-reminders also tend to run tighter collections processes overall. But the correlation is strong and consistent across different business types and invoice volumes.
The businesses that see the biggest impact are those with longer payment terms (30+ days) and a mix of invoice sizes. Pre-reminders seem to matter less for businesses where all invoices are small and recurring.
How a pre-reminder fits into your full chase sequence
A pre-reminder sits at the start of the sequence - before your first standard chaser. The full arc looks like this:
- Pre-reminder (3-7 days before due date) - light, helpful tone
- Template 1: Friendly first reminder (1-3 days overdue)
- Template 2: Gentle follow-up (7-10 days overdue)
- Template 3: Firmer nudge (14-21 days overdue)
- Template 4: Final notice (30+ days overdue)
We’ve written full templates for steps 2-5 here.
In Trove, pre-reminders are set using a negative day offset. Setting a reminder to “-5 days” sends it five days before the invoice due date. It sits in the same sequence as your other reminders and goes out automatically - no manual action needed.
