Late fees on overdue invoices
Office web page → Settings → Payments → Late Fees. Owners and admins set it up. QuickBooks has to be connected.
Set it up
- Fee: a flat amount, a percent of the open balance, or whichever of the two is greater.
- Grace days: how long after the due date before a fee is suggested. The default is 15.
- Charge: once, or again every 30 days the invoice stays unpaid, up to the number of times you pick.
- Minimum balance: no fee on small balances.
- Email the updated invoice: QuickBooks emails the customer the invoice with the fee on it.
Tell customers first. When late fees are on, a one-line policy goes on your proposals' terms and on each new QuickBooks invoice's message, so customers agree to it before the work. Some states limit late fees (how much, and how often), so check your local rules before you turn this on.
Every morning
At 7:30 Preflight asks QuickBooks for invoices that still have a balance past the grace days. Each one shows on the Invoices page under Late Fees to Review, with the suggested fee. A count shows next to Invoices at the top.
- Add puts a "Late Fee" line on the QuickBooks invoice. Every line already on it stays. You can change the amount first.
- Waive skips the fee for this period. With "every 30 days", it can come back next period.
Paid invoices drop off the list by themselves. Check now runs the morning check right away.
By hand
Invoices → Open Invoices in QuickBooks → Add late fee puts a fee on any open invoice, whether or not it's late yet.
Fees you add stay on the invoice if a tech changes the price on site later. They're kept in the estimate's history, along with fees you waived.