Create a Recovery Schedule
What is a schedule?
A schedule is a programmed sequence of automatic reminders sent to a customer. You define the sequence of steps once, and Paymely executes them automatically for each assigned customer.
Example of a typical schedule:
- Day 3: Friendly reminder email
- Day 7: Follow-up SMS
- Day 14: Email with 80% settlement offer
- Day 21: Final email before escalation
Schedule Types
When you create a schedule, you choose one of three types:
| Type | Use case |
|---|---|
| Standard Schedule | Three-stage reminders: before due date, after due date, and payment confirmation |
| Settlement Subsequence | Follow-up reminders after a settlement offer is applied to a customer |
| Recurring Schedule | For money lenders — automatically restarts the chasing cycle after each payment |
For full details on recurring schedules, see Recurring Schedules (Payday Lenders).
Create a Schedule
- In the sidebar, click Schedules
- Click Create Schedule
- Select the schedule type (Standard, Settlement, or Recurring)
- Give the schedule a name (e.g.
Standard 30-day reminders) - Add reminders by clicking Add a reminder
Configure a Reminder
Each reminder in the schedule includes:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Delay (days) | Number of days relative to the customer's due date |
| Channel | Email or SMS |
| Template | The template to use for this step |
| Send days | Select which days sending is allowed (e.g. Monday–Friday) |
| Send time | Preferred send time (company timezone) |
Tip: Avoid weekend sends — open rates are generally lower and the perceived impact is negative.
Settlement Sequences
A schedule can be marked as a settlement sequence — a special schedule type designed for customers who have exhausted all standard reminders (status Stopped).
When creating or editing a schedule, toggle the Settlement sequence switch to mark it as such. Settlement sequences:
- Are automatically assigned to customers entering the Stopped status
- Typically include a reduced settlement offer amount
- Do not show the discount section (discounts are for standard schedules only)
Example: The customer owes $1,000. The settlement sequence offers to settle for $750 (75%). Use the Settlement Amount placeholder in your template to display the offer.
Assign Customers to a Schedule
A schedule can be assigned to:
- A single customer: from the customer profile
- Multiple customers: from the Schedules page → select customers → Assign
Once assigned, reminders are sent according to the schedule's timeline relative to the customer's due date.
Schedule Active / Inactive
A schedule can be Active or Inactive:
| State | Description |
|---|---|
| Active | Reminders are sent according to timeline for all assigned customers |
| Inactive | All reminders are suspended — no sends for any assigned customer |
Note: These are schedule-level states. Individual customer statuses (On Track, Overdue, Paid, Stopped, Lost, etc.) are separate — see Customer Statuses.
Compliance Rules
Paymely automatically applies CASL rules:
- No SMS sent without explicit recorded consent
- Thank-you messages (paid status) are not blocked
- You can configure automatic stop rules in compliance settings
Invoice Attachments
You can attach invoices to the chase emails sent by a schedule:
- In the schedule editor, find the Attachment Settings section
- Turn on the Attach Invoices toggle
- All customers with uploaded invoices will receive them with their chase emails
- Use the per-customer switch to exclude specific customers
Invoices must be uploaded on each customer's profile first. If a customer has no invoices, the email is sent normally without attachments.
For full details, see Invoices & Automatic Attachments.
Schedule Library
Not sure where to start? Browse the Schedule Library for pre-built templates you can customize.
See Schedule Library for details.
Best Practices
- Start with a friendly tone and escalate progressively
- Space steps at least 5–7 days apart
- Always include a clear way to contact you or pay
- Test your schedule with a test customer before deploying at scale