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

# Invoice Chasing

> Outstanding invoices chased automatically across SMS, email, and call. One-click pay links. Stops on payment, escalates on failure.

<Info>
  **Why this matters.** Invoice chasing is the most expensive low-value
  work your reception team does — calling, leaving voicemails, sending
  follow-up emails, all to recover money already owed. Robyn does it
  for SMS-cost-per-touch, with one-click payment links built in, and
  zero awkwardness for your team.
</Info>

## How it works

Robyn watches your PMS for invoices that go past their due date. When an invoice ages past your configured threshold (default: 7 days), Robyn starts a chase sequence:

* **Touch 1 (SMS)** — friendly reminder with one-click pay link
* **Touch 2 (email)** — formal follow-up with invoice attached
* **Touch 3 (call)** — voice call from Robyn or escalation to your team

Sequence stops the moment payment lands (Routiq watches your payment provider for the receipt). Patient marked as opted-out → sequence stops immediately.

## How Robyn handles invoice chases

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Polite, not nagging" icon="hand">
    Tone calibrated to recover the payment without damaging the relationship. "Just a heads up" not "PAY NOW".
  </Card>

  <Card title="One-click pay" icon="credit-card">
    Patient gets a unique link in the SMS / email. Card details entered once, payment lands, invoice marked paid in your PMS.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Stops on payment" icon="circle-check">
    Routiq detects the payment hitting your provider (Stripe, Square, Tyro, or PMS-native) and ends the sequence within minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Escalates on dispute" icon="triangle-exclamation">
    Patient replies with a complaint or dispute → Robyn doesn't argue. Escalates straight to your billing contact.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What your patient sees

> **Robyn (SMS, 7 days post-invoice):**
>
> *Hi Sarah, just a friendly nudge — invoice #1234 from your visit on 28 April (\$120) is still showing as unpaid. You can settle in 30 seconds here: routiq.ai/pay/abc123*
>
> *If you've already paid or there's an issue, just reply and I'll sort it.*

## Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Connect a payment provider">
    Required for the one-click pay link to work. **Settings** → **Payments** → connect Stripe, Square, Tyro, or your PMS-native payment system.

    *Note: this depends on [Appointment Payments](/features/appointment-payments) being enabled, which is shipping May 2026. Until then, invoice chases include a "call us to pay" line instead of a one-click link.*
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a chase instance">
    **Outbound** → **Create Automatic Instance** → **Invoice Chasing**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the trigger">
    * **Aging threshold** — start chasing N days after invoice due date (default: 7)
    * **Min invoice value** — don't chase invoices under $X (default: $20 — sub-\$20 chases cost more in messaging than they recover)
    * **Exclude appointment types** — e.g. "skip Medicare-bulk-billed invoices, those reconcile separately"
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the cadence">
    Default sequence:

    * **Day +7** SMS — friendly nudge with pay link
    * **Day +14** Email — formal reminder with PDF invoice attached
    * **Day +21** Call — Robyn calls; if no answer, escalate to billing contact

    Each touch can be enabled/disabled, retimed, or rephrased per template.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the escalation rule">
    What happens if the patient doesn't pay after the full sequence:

    * **Email billing contact for manual collection**
    * **Mark in PMS as 'overdue — manual collection'**
    * **Optional:** trigger a final formal letter for amounts over \$N
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activate">
    Toggle to **Active**. Existing past-due invoices enter the sequence at the appropriate stage; new ones start at touch 1 once they age past threshold.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What if the patient says they've already paid?">
    Robyn checks payment-provider history. If a payment is found and matches, the invoice is marked paid in your PMS. If not, Robyn asks for a reference / receipt and escalates to your team.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will Robyn chase invoices for patients no longer at the clinic?">
    Yes — chasing is invoice-driven, not relationship-driven. If you don't want to chase past-patient invoices, exclude them via patient filter (e.g. "Patient status = active only").
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What about insurance rebate situations?">
    If the invoice is awaiting an insurance rebate (Medicare, private health, ACC), Routiq detects the rebate-pending status from your PMS and skips the chase. Once the rebate is processed and a balance remains, the chase starts on the residual.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I exclude specific patients from chases?">
    Yes — flag the patient as "do not chase" in the dashboard, or use a custom segment to exclude them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the typical recovery rate?">
    Varies by clinic, but our reference data shows 60-80% of overdue invoices recovered within 21 days when the SMS-then-email cadence is enabled — vs \~30% via manual chasing alone.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Appointment payments" icon="credit-card" href="/features/appointment-payments">
    Take payment at booking — eliminates a third of invoice chases by collecting upfront.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Analytics" icon="chart-line" href="/features/analytics">
    See total recovered via chase vs. cost per touch.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>