Automated payment reminders for outstanding bills

Purpose

1.1. Automate payment reminders for outstanding bills to reduce manual intervention, increase payment collection rates, and improve patient cashflow management in Chinese medicine clinics.
1.2. Automator ensures no missed reminders, enables efficient reconciliation of accounts, and automates updating of payment statuses across systems.
1.3. Automating the process prevents revenue leaks, reduces admin costs, and enhances the patient experience by sending timely automated notifications using preferred channels (SMS, email, WhatsApp, calls, etc.).

Trigger Conditions

2.1. New invoice marked as unpaid after service provision in the EMR or billing software.
2.2. X days elapsed without full/partial payment after invoice issuance.
2.3. Scheduled intervals (e.g. daily automatic batch runs for unpaid items).
2.4. Automated API event when patient record status changes to “outstanding”.
2.5. Failed payment attempt notification from integrated payment gateway.

Platform Variants

3.1. Twilio SMS
• Feature: Programmable Messaging API
• Sample: Automate sending automated payment reminders via SMS using endpoint `/2010-04-01/Accounts/{AccountSid}/Messages.json`
3.2. SendGrid
• Feature: Transactional Templates API
• Sample: Automate email reminders using `POST /mail/send` with template for outstanding payments
3.3. Mailgun
• Feature: Messages API
• Sample: Automator triggers automated reminder emails via `/v3/{domain}/messages`
3.4. WhatsApp Business API
• Feature: Message Template Send
• Sample: Automate reminder messages using `POST /v1/messages` with payment-related template
3.5. Slack
• Feature: chat.postMessage
• Sample: Automate notification to internal staff about overdue accounts using `POST /api/chat.postMessage`
3.6. Google Calendar
• Feature: Events API
• Sample: Automate placing reminder events on internal admin calendar with `POST /calendars/{calendarId}/events`
3.7. Zapier
• Feature: Webhooks + Scheduler
• Sample: Automate multi-platform reminders by configuring “Schedule” and “Webhook POST” steps
3.8. Salesforce
• Feature: Workflow Rule + Email Alert
• Sample: Automate drip campaigns for overdue payments via Workflow Rule triggers
3.9. Stripe
• Feature: Payment Intents API + Webhook
• Sample: Automator gets `invoice.payment_failed` events for automated reminders
3.10. QuickBooks Online
• Feature: Invoice API + Webhooks
• Sample: Automates fetching overdue invoices and sending reminders through external channels
3.11. Xero
• Feature: Invoices API
• Sample: Trigger automator when invoice overdue status is set using `/api.xro/2.0/Invoices`
3.12. FreshBooks
• Feature: Automated Reminder
• Sample: Automates email reminders via FreshBooks scheduled notification setting
3.13. HubSpot
• Feature: Workflows + Email
• Sample: Automate emailing of payment reminders using Workflow automation
3.14. Outlook (Microsoft Graph)
• Feature: SendMail API
• Sample: Automating reminder messages to patients using `/me/sendMail`
3.15. Gmail API
• Feature: Users.messages.send
• Sample: Automate email reminders with `POST /gmail/v1/users/{userId}/messages/send`
3.16. Pipedrive
• Feature: Activities API
• Sample: Automate creation of payment follow-up activities for admin team
3.17. Monday.com
• Feature: Automations + Notifications
• Sample: Automate triggering of in-app and email notifications for overdue bills
3.18. Zoho Books
• Feature: Automated Payment Reminders
• Sample: Automator triggers reminders on due dates via in-built Zoho automation
3.19. ActiveCampaign
• Feature: Automated Campaigns
• Sample: Scheduled email or SMS for overdue payments via triggers
3.20. Calendly
• Feature: Workflow Reminders
• Sample: Automate sending of outstanding payment reminders before upcoming sessions
3.21. DocuSign
• Feature: Envelope Status Webhook
• Sample: Automate reminders if signed financial documents not completed within set timeframe
3.22. PayPal
• Feature: Invoicing API
• Sample: Automate follow-up on unpaid invoices using `/v2/invoicing/invoices`

Benefits

4.1. Automated reminders increase payment collection rates while requiring fewer manual admin hours.
4.2. Automation reduces human error, ensuring all outstanding bills are reminded without gaps.
4.3. Automating notifications improves cashflow and enhances patient trust via professional processes.
4.4. Automator can standardize communications for streamlined and audit-ready billing workflows.
4.5. Automating across diverse channels provides omni-channel reach, improving message delivery and engagement.