Many law firms send their bills straight from QuickBooks Online. That works well until overdue QuickBooks Online invoices start to stack up, because QuickBooks will remind clients by email but nobody picks up the phone. This guide covers the built-in tools, a schedule that adds a personal touch, and what a read-only follow-up service can and cannot see.
How do you collect overdue invoices in QuickBooks Online?
Turn on automatic invoice reminders under Settings, Account and settings, Sales, Reminders. Schedule up to three reminders before or after the due date. Run the A/R aging report weekly. For invoices still open after the reminders, a person should call the client and offer an approved payment plan.
How to find overdue QuickBooks Online invoices
Overdue invoices are listed on the Invoices page under Sales, where you can filter by status. For a firm-wide view, run the A/R Aging Summary report from Reports. It groups each client’s balance into current, 1 to 30, 31 to 60, 61 to 90 and over 90 days. The detail version lists each invoice. Run it every Monday and work the 1 to 30 day column first, since those balances are the easiest to collect.
How to set up QuickBooks Online past due invoice reminders
QuickBooks Online can email up to three automatic reminders per invoice, timed in days before or after the due date. The steps below follow Intuit’s help article, updated October 2026.
- Go to Settings and select Account and settings.
- Select the Sales tab. In the Reminders section, select Edit.
- Turn on Automatic invoice reminders.
- Turn on Reminder 1 and set the number of days before or after the due date. QuickBooks allows up to 90 days either way.
- Add a second and third reminder if you want them.
- Edit the subject and message for each reminder. Intuit recommends keeping the word “reminder” in the subject. Then save.
Two limits worth knowing
- Automatic reminders go only to invoices that were already emailed from QuickBooks. Invoices sent another way get no reminder.
- Reminders are email only and use the same wording for every client. To send one by hand, open the invoice list, choose the invoice, and select Send reminder from the Receive payment menu.
QuickBooks Online Advanced also offers workflows that can send custom reminders based on conditions you set.
A follow-up schedule for law firms on QuickBooks
A workable schedule uses QuickBooks for the first two emails and a person from day 10 on. The ABA’s GPSolo division suggests a similar rhythm: a reminder once a payment is a week late and a call at two weeks (ABA, 2022).
| Timing | Sent by | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days before due | QuickBooks Reminder 1 | Courtesy heads-up (optional) |
| 1 day after due | QuickBooks Reminder 2 | Friendly reminder with payment link |
| 7 days after due | QuickBooks Reminder 3 | Second nudge, invites questions |
| Days 10 to 14 | A person | Call to ask what is in the way |
| Days 14 to 90 | A person | Email, phone and text; approved plans only |
| Day 90 | Billing attorney | Decide the next step |
Template: QuickBooks overdue invoice email
A good overdue invoice email names the amount and the due date, links to payment, and gives the client an easy way to ask a question. Paste this into the QuickBooks reminder message and use its invoice variables in place of the brackets.
Template: QuickBooks reminder message
Subject: Reminder: invoice [Invoice number] from [Firm name] Hi [Client name], A friendly reminder that invoice [Invoice number] for [amount] was due on [due date]. You can view and pay it using the link in this email. Partial payments are fine. If something on the invoice doesn’t look right, or spreading the balance over a few months would help, just reply. We’re glad to work it out. Thank you, Billing, [Firm name]
How ARCounsel connects to QuickBooks Online
ARCounsel connects to QuickBooks Online read-only, through Intuit’s own secure sign-in. It can see what is owed and what has been paid, and it cannot change the firm’s books or touch its money.
- Authorized by the firm. An administrator of the firm’s QuickBooks company approves the connection on Intuit’s sign-in screen. ARCounsel requests accounting access only.
- Read-only. ARCounsel reads customers, invoices and payments. It never creates, edits or deletes anything in QuickBooks.
- No access to money. ARCounsel does not process payments. Clients pay the firm directly through the invoice’s own payment link or the firm’s usual link.
- Secure. Data moves over encrypted HTTPS, and Intuit’s access tokens are encrypted at rest. The firm can disconnect at any time from inside QuickBooks or by contacting ARCounsel.
What gets followed up, and how payments show as collected
ARCounsel follows up on open QuickBooks invoices that are past due, except for clients or matters the firm has locked. Once the firm records a payment in QuickBooks and the balance reaches zero, follow-up stops and the payment shows as collected in the firm’s portal.
Balances sync on a regular schedule and are checked again right before any reminder goes out. A client who paid this morning won’t get an email this afternoon. A partial payment lowers the balance, and the next reminder uses the new amount. If a client says they already paid, follow-up is held for a few days until the payment appears in QuickBooks.
Steps a firm can take itself
Most QuickBooks collection problems come from a few fixable habits. This checklist covers them.
- Email every invoice from QuickBooks, so automatic reminders can follow.
- Turn on an online payment option so invoices carry a pay link.
- Keep each customer’s billing email current. A bounced email stops everything.
- Set payment terms on each customer to match the fee agreement.
- Record payments the day they arrive, including checks.
- Run the A/R Aging Summary every Monday.
- Call anyone 10 or more days past due.
ARCounsel is a done-for-you accounts receivable follow-up service for law firms that connects read-only to QuickBooks Online, LeanLaw and Clio. Firms that bill in LeanLaw, which syncs invoices to QuickBooks Online, should read our guide to following up on overdue LeanLaw invoices. Firms on Clio can see Clio overdue invoices: a follow-up setup guide. For call wording, see how to collect unpaid legal fees.
Frequently asked questions
Can QuickBooks Online send automatic reminders for overdue invoices?
Yes. QuickBooks Online can send up to three automatic email reminders per invoice, up to 90 days before or after the due date. They go only to invoices that were already emailed from QuickBooks.
What’s the best way for a law firm on QuickBooks to collect overdue invoices?
Use QuickBooks reminders for the first week past due, then have a person call by day 14 and offer a payment plan on terms the firm approved. Run the A/R aging report weekly so nothing slips past 30 days unnoticed.
Is it safe to connect a follow-up service to QuickBooks Online?
Check that the connection is read-only, uses Intuit’s own sign-in, and can be disconnected at any time. ARCounsel’s connection works that way: accounting access only, no edits to the books, and no access to the firm’s money.
A note on ethics rules. Rules on fee collection vary by state, including when a firm may charge interest on a late bill or refer an account to a collection agency. Check your state’s rules of professional conduct and ethics opinions, or ask your ethics counsel, before setting a collection policy. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Hand off the follow-up
ARCounsel’s AR specialists follow up on past-due invoices in your firm’s name, on templates you approve. Flat monthly fee, and clients pay you directly.
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