Aged Receivables Report

Overview

The Aged Receivables report shows you every unpaid customer invoice organized by how long it has been outstanding. It is your primary tool for tracking money owed to you and prioritizing collection efforts.

Why this matters:

An invoice sitting unpaid for 90 days is not just annoying -- it is money you have already earned but cannot spend. The longer an invoice goes unpaid, the harder it becomes to collect. Studies show that invoices unpaid after 90 days have only a 50% chance of ever being collected. This report helps you catch overdue invoices early and take action before they become uncollectible.

What you can do with this report:

• See exactly how much money customers owe you
• Identify which invoices need immediate attention
• Spot customers with a pattern of late payment
• Prioritize collection calls and reminders
• Track the effectiveness of your collection efforts over time

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How to Access the Report

1. Log in to your autoGMS dashboard.
2. From the sidebar, click Financial Reporting.
3. Select this report directly from the section list.
4. Select Aged Receivables.

The report loads showing all outstanding invoices as of today.

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Understanding Aging Buckets

Invoices are grouped into "aging buckets" based on how many days have passed since they were due:

Bucket	What It Means
Current	Not yet due. Invoice date has passed but due date has not.
1-30 Days	Slightly overdue. Due date was 1 to 30 days ago.
31-60 Days	Moderately overdue. Due date was 31 to 60 days ago.
61-90 Days	Significantly overdue. Due date was 61 to 90 days ago.
90+ Days	Seriously overdue. Due date was more than 90 days ago.

The buckets help you prioritize:

• Current -- No action needed yet
• 1-30 Days -- Gentle reminder appropriate
• 31-60 Days -- Firm follow-up needed
• 61-90 Days -- Escalation required
• 90+ Days -- Consider final notices or collection action

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Reading the Report

Summary Section

At the top of the report, summary cards show:

Card	What It Shows
Total Outstanding	The total amount customers owe you
Current	Amount not yet overdue
Overdue	Total amount past due date
Seriously Overdue (90+)	Amount overdue by 90 days or more

A pie chart or bar graph visualizes the distribution across aging buckets.

Customer Detail Table

Below the summary, a table lists every customer with outstanding balances:

Column	What It Shows
Customer	Customer name and contact info
Total Owed	Total amount this customer owes
Current	Amount not yet due
1-30	Amount 1-30 days overdue
31-60	Amount 31-60 days overdue
61-90	Amount 61-90 days overdue
90+	Amount 90+ days overdue
Oldest Invoice	Age of their oldest unpaid invoice

Click on any customer row to see their individual unpaid invoices.

Invoice Detail View

When you expand a customer, you see each unpaid invoice:

Column	What It Shows
Invoice #	Invoice number (click to open the invoice)
Date	When the invoice was created
Due Date	When payment was due
Days Overdue	How many days past due (or "Not due" if current)
Amount	Original invoice amount
Balance	Amount still owed (after any partial payments)

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Taking Action on Overdue Invoices

Sending Payment Reminders

From the report, you can send payment reminders directly:

1. Find the overdue invoice in the table.
2. Click the Reminder button (envelope icon).
3. Choose the reminder type:
   • Friendly Reminder -- For 1-30 day overdue (gentle tone)
   • Firm Reminder -- For 31-60 day overdue (professional but direct)
   • Final Notice -- For 60+ day overdue (urgent tone)
4. Preview the email and click Send.

The customer receives an email with:

• Invoice details
• Amount owed
• Due date and days overdue
• A payment link (if online payments are enabled)

Marking as Disputed

If a customer disputes an invoice:

1. Click the ... menu on the invoice row.
2. Select Mark as Disputed.
3. Add notes explaining the dispute.

Disputed invoices are flagged and excluded from automated reminders. You can filter to see all disputed invoices and track their resolution.

Writing Off Bad Debt

If an invoice is truly uncollectible:

1. Click the ... menu on the invoice row.
2. Select Write Off.
3. Confirm the write-off.

This removes the invoice from receivables and creates an expense entry for bad debt. Use this only after you have exhausted collection efforts.

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Filtering and Searching

Filter by Aging Bucket

Click the aging bucket buttons at the top to show only invoices in that category:

• All -- Show everything
• Current -- Not yet due
• 1-30 -- Slightly overdue
• 31-60 -- Moderately overdue
• 61-90 -- Significantly overdue
• 90+ -- Seriously overdue

Filter by Customer Type

Use the customer type dropdown to show:

• All Customers -- Everyone
• Individual -- Personal customers
• Business -- Fleet and business accounts

Search

Type in the search bar to find invoices by:

• Customer name
• Invoice number
• Phone number

Sort Options

Click column headers to sort:

• By Total Owed -- See your largest debts first
• By Days Overdue -- See your oldest debts first
• By Customer Name -- Alphabetical listing

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Methodology

Click the Methodology button in the report header to see how aging buckets are calculated, what invoices are included, and how the as-of date affects the snapshot.

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Export Options

Click Export to download the report:

Format	Best For
PDF	Printing, sharing with management, filing
CSV	Opening in Excel for analysis, importing to other systems

Exports include all visible data based on your current filters.

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Collection Strategies by Age

Current (Not Yet Due)

No action required. These invoices are not overdue. However, if a large invoice is approaching its due date, a friendly pre-due reminder can sometimes accelerate payment.

1-30 Days Overdue

Action: Send a friendly reminder.

Many overdue invoices at this stage are simply forgotten. A polite email or text is often enough:

"Hi [Name], just a friendly reminder that invoice #1234 for £350 was due on [date]. Please let us know if you have any questions. You can pay online at [link]."

31-60 Days Overdue

Action: Send a firm reminder and consider a phone call.

At this stage, be more direct:

"Invoice #1234 for £350 is now 45 days overdue. Please arrange payment within 7 days to avoid further action."

If the customer does not respond to emails, call them. A direct conversation often uncovers issues (cash flow problems, disputes) that can be addressed.

61-90 Days Overdue

Action: Escalate. Send final notice and call.

This is serious. Your tone should reflect urgency:

"FINAL NOTICE: Invoice #1234 for £350 is 75 days overdue. Payment must be received within 7 days or we will be forced to take further action."

Document all communication. Consider whether you want to continue doing business with this customer.

90+ Days Overdue

Action: Final collection efforts or write-off decision.

Options at this stage:

• Make a final collection attempt
• Negotiate a payment plan
• Hand off to a collection agency
• Write off the debt as uncollectible
• Consider small claims court for larger amounts

The longer you wait, the less likely you are to collect. Make a decision and act.

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Tips and Best Practices

• Review weekly. Do not let invoices age silently. A 30-minute weekly review catches problems early.

• Act quickly on new overdue invoices. The first week an invoice is overdue is your best chance to collect.

• Use payment terms consistently. If your terms are Net 30, enforce them. Customers learn what you tolerate.

• Require deposits for large jobs. For expensive work, require 50% upfront. This reduces your exposure.

• Know your repeat offenders. Some customers always pay late. Consider requiring prepayment for them.

• Separate disputes from non-payment. A disputed invoice needs resolution. A customer simply not paying needs collection action. Handle them differently.

• Track your collection rate. Over time, monitor what percentage of overdue invoices you successfully collect. If it drops, review your processes.

• Consider payment plans. For customers facing genuine hardship, a payment plan is often better than nothing. Document the arrangement.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between amount and balance?

Amount is the original invoice total. Balance is what remains to be paid. If a customer made a partial payment, the balance is lower than the amount.

Can I see invoices that have been paid?

This report shows only unpaid invoices. To see paid invoices, go to the Invoice list and filter by status.

What happens when I write off an invoice?

The invoice is removed from receivables (no longer owed to you) and an expense is recorded for bad debt. The customer's history still shows the original invoice marked as written off.

Does sending a reminder automatically mark it as sent?

Yes. The system records when reminders are sent. You can see the reminder history in the invoice details.

How do I handle partial payments?

When a customer makes a partial payment, the invoice shows:

• Original amount
• Payments received
• Remaining balance

The aging is based on the remaining balance.

What if a customer disputes an invoice?

Mark it as disputed and add notes. Work to resolve the dispute. If resolution requires a credit or adjustment, process that separately. Do not write off disputed invoices without resolution.

How far back does the report go?

The report shows all unpaid invoices regardless of age. Very old unpaid invoices (180+ days) should probably be written off or sent to collections.

Can I see receivables for all my garages?

Each garage has its own report. If you manage multiple garages, run the report for each one. Organization-level consolidated reports may be available depending on your plan.

What is the best day to send reminders?

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings tend to have the highest open rates. Avoid Monday (people are catching up) and Friday (people are winding down).

Should I charge late fees?

If your terms include late fees and you have disclosed them to customers, you can charge them. However, adding fees to a struggling customer rarely helps collection. Focus on getting the principal paid.