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The 3 Schedule Stages: Before, After, Paid

The 3-Stage Structure​

Each schedule in Paymely is divided into 3 automatic stages, corresponding to the phases of collection:

[ BEFORE DUE DATE ]  →  [ AFTER DUE DATE ]  →  [ PAID ]

Each stage contains a list of reminders (individual messages) that you configure.

Stage 1 — Before Due​

Objective: Alert the customer before their invoice is overdue.

Reminder offsets: Negative relative to the due date.

  • Example: a reminder at -7 days = sent 7 days before due date
  • Example: -3 days = 3 days before, -1 day = the day before

Typical channel: Email (less intrusive before due date)

Recommended template: Before Due category (friendly, informative tone)

Repetition: Not available in this stage (pre-due reminders don't repeat)

Stage 2 — After Due​

Objective: Follow up with the customer for a late payment.

Reminder offsets: Positive relative to the due date.

  • Example: 3 days = sent 3 days after due date
  • Example: 7, 14, 21 days → progressive escalation

Typical channel: Email + SMS (combination possible)

Repetition: Reminders in this stage can repeat automatically:

  • Repeat interval: every X days
  • Repeat limit: maximum number of times (e.g., repeat 3 times)

Sender type:

  • Normal: sent in the company's name (standard)
  • Escalated: indicates escalation in tone or recipient
  • CC: copy to a manager or third party

Recommended templates: Early Overdue, Medium Overdue, Late Overdue, Final

Stage 3 — Paid​

Objective: Send a confirmation message when the customer settles their balance.

Trigger: Automatic when customer status changes to Paid (after a payment is recorded).

Important: This stage is not blocked by CASL compliance rules — thank-you messages are transactional, not commercial.

Typical channel: Email

Recommended template: Thank You category

If this stage is disabled or has no template configured, no thank-you message is sent — which is acceptable if you don't want to confirm by email.

Configure a Stage​

For each stage, you can define:

ParameterDescription
ChannelEmail, SMS, or both
Stage default templateUsed for all reminders without a specific template
Enable/DisableThe entire stage can be disabled
Sender typeNormal, Escalated, or CC

Add Reminders to a Stage​

In the schedule editor:

  1. Expand the desired stage
  2. Click Add reminder
  3. Configure:
    • Channel (email/SMS)
    • Day offset
    • Specific template (optional — overrides stage template)
    • Repetition (After Due only)
  4. Click Create

Example Complete Schedule​

BEFORE DUE
  └─ Day -7: Email "Friendly reminder"
  └─ Day -3: SMS "Final reminder before due date"

AFTER DUE
  └─ Day +3:  Email "Payment overdue"
  └─ Day +7:  SMS "Urgent follow-up"
  └─ Day +14: Email "Second reminder"
  └─ Day +21: Email "Serious notice"
  └─ Day +30: Email "Final notice"

PAID
  └─ Immediate: Email "Thank you for your payment"