The businesses with the fewest overdue invoices are rarely the strictest. They're the most consistent. A clear policy, stated up front, plus a polite automated reminder sequence, recovers most late payments without a single awkward phone call.
Set the policy once, state it everywhere
Decide your late fee — many Kenyan businesses use 5% on the outstanding amount after the due date — and configure it in OrdaBill. The fee then appears on the invoice and applies automatically when a payment is late. No negotiating case by case, because the rule was on the paper from day one.
The reminder sequence that works
OrdaBill sends reminders on the schedule you configure. A sequence that works well for most businesses:
- Three days before — "Here's your invoice, due in three days" with the payment link.
- One day before — a short nudge, same link.
- On the due date — a friendly "today is the due date" note.
- After the due date — the late-fee notice, still with the link.
Every reminder includes the payment link, because the goal is payment, not punishment.
Why this beats manual chasing
- It's consistent — every customer gets the same treatment.
- It's cheap — the sequence runs itself while you work.
- It keeps relationships intact — reminders come from the system, so you stay the helpful human when they call.
What to do for genuinely struggling customers
For customers who communicate early, a payment goal or a prepaid plan usually works better than a fee. The reminder sequence handles the silent majority; the portal options handle the exceptions.
Set up your reminder schedule today with the setup guide.