Automate Your Invoicing and Payment Reminders
You finished the job three weeks ago and you still haven't been paid because you forgot to send the invoice. Again. Here's how to set up automatic invoicing that sends bills the moment a job is done and chases payment for you.
Tools You'll Need
| Tool | What It Does | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | Free invoicing and accounting platform | Free | Get it → |
| Zapier | Automates invoice creation when you complete a job | Free up to 100 tasks/mo | Get it → |
The Walkthrough
Step 1: Set Up Wave
What to do: Create a free account at Wave. Add your business info, logo, and payment details. Set up your invoice template.
Why you’re doing it: Wave is completely free for invoicing and accounting. No monthly fee, no per-invoice charge. It handles estimates, invoices, receipts, and basic bookkeeping.
What to expect: Full setup takes about 30 minutes. Your first invoice template will be ready to customize.
Step 2: Create Your Invoice Templates
What to do: Build templates for your most common services. Include your standard line items, rates, payment terms, and late fee policy.
Use this prompt to write your invoice line items and terms: Ask Claude: “Write standard invoice line item descriptions for a [your business type]. For each of my [3-5 main services], write a 1-2 sentence professional description suitable for a client invoice. Also write a payment terms paragraph covering: due date (net 15 or net 30), late fee policy, accepted payment methods, and a short note about overdue accounts. Under 75 words for the terms section.”
Why you’re doing it: Templates eliminate the 15 minutes you spend creating each invoice from scratch. Click, customize slightly, send.
Step 3: Enable Automatic Payment Reminders
What to do: In Wave’s settings, turn on automatic payment reminders. Set them to send at: 3 days before due date, on the due date, and 7 days after.
Why you’re doing it: The reminder does the awkward chasing for you. Most clients pay immediately when they get a friendly automated nudge.
Step 4: Connect Online Payments
What to do: Enable Wave Payments so clients can pay directly from the invoice with a credit card or bank transfer.
Why you’re doing it: Every step between invoice and payment is a chance for the client to procrastinate. A “Pay Now” button on the invoice eliminates friction.
What to expect: Wave charges 2.9% + $0.60 per credit card transaction. Bank transfers are 1%. Still cheaper than chasing checks.
Step 5: Automate Invoice Creation with Zapier
What to do: Create a Zapier workflow: when you mark a job complete in your calendar, CRM, or project tool, Zapier creates a draft invoice in Wave. You review and send.
Why you’re doing it: Full automation means you never forget to invoice again.
What to Do If It Doesn’t Work
- Problem: “Clients aren’t paying online.” — Some clients prefer checks. That’s fine. The reminders still work for manual payments.
- Problem: “Wave doesn’t integrate with my project management tool.” — Use Zapier as the bridge. It connects to 5,000+ apps.
- Need more help? Wave Support or email us at hello@thenewsbakery.com.