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Escalation Pipeline

Every collection case follows a 4-stage pipeline. Each stage increases the urgency of communication and can add collection fees to the outstanding balance. You can escalate cases manually or let PayRequest handle it automatically.

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The 4 Stages

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Stage 1: Friendly Reminder

The first contact assumes the customer simply forgot or overlooked the invoice. Tone: Polite and helpful Message: “You have an outstanding invoice that requires your attention. Please arrange payment to avoid further action.”

• No collection fees added
• Email reminder sent
• Customer sees a gentle warning in the portal

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Stage 2: Formal Notice

A more formal communication setting a clear deadline for payment. Tone: Professional and firm Message: “This is a formal notice regarding your outstanding payment. Please settle this amount within 7 days.”

• No collection fees added (optional at your discretion)
• Postal letter recommended at this stage
• Customer portal shows formal notice banner

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Stage 3: Collection Fees

At this stage, collection fees can be added to cover your recovery costs. Tone: Firm and direct Message: “Collection fees have been added to your outstanding balance. Please pay the total amount immediately.”

• Collection fees added to the balance
• The customer sees the original amount + collection fee in the portal
• Payment pages show the total including fees
• Postal letter sent automatically (if Pingen is configured)

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Stage 4: Final Warning

The last stage before further consequences (legal action, external collection agency, etc.). Tone: Urgent Message: “This is your final warning. Immediate payment is required to avoid further consequences.”

• Maximum urgency in all communication
• Customer portal shows a red warning banner
• All payment links reflect the full amount including fees

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Visual Progress

Customers see a progress bar in the Customer Portal showing how far along the collection process they are: This helps customers understand the seriousness of the situation and motivates earlier payment.

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Adding Collection Fees

You can add a collection fee at any stage, though it’s most common at Stage 3.

1. Open the case detail page
2. Find the Amount Breakdown section
3. Enter the collection fee amount
4. Click Update Fee

The fee is immediately reflected:

• In the case total
• On the customer portal
• On the payment page
• In postal letters and email reminders

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Manual Escalation

To manually move a case to the next stage:

1. Open the case detail page
2. Click the Escalate button in the case header
3. The case moves to the next stage immediately
4. You can then send a reminder with the new stage’s messaging

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Automatic Escalation

PayRequest can automatically escalate cases based on how many days they’ve been overdue. This runs daily and processes all active cases. Default schedule: When a case is automatically escalated:

• The stage is updated
• A reminder email is sent to the customer
• A postal letter is sent (if Pingen is configured, at Stage 2+)
• The escalation is logged in the activity timeline

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Sending Reminders

At any stage, you can send a reminder to the customer:

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Email Reminders

Click Send Reminder on the case detail page to send an email. The email content automatically matches the current stage — no need to write the message yourself.

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Postal Letters

Click Send Postal Letter to mail a physical letter via Pingen. The letter includes your business details, the customer’s address, the amount breakdown, and a QR code for quick payment. See Postal Letters for details.

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Resolving Cases

A case can be resolved in several ways:

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Best Practices

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Related Documentation