Dunning runs, payment plans & debt collection
Dun all overdue invoices in one dunning run, manage payment plans and dunning blocks, and hand open receivables over to a collection agency
Under Dunning you handle open receivables in bulk instead of invoice by invoice: a dunning run proposes the next dunning level for every overdue invoice, payment plans and dunning blocks deliberately keep individual invoices out of dunning, and stubborn cases are handed over to a collection agency. The page has four tabs: Dunning runs, Payment plans, Dunning blocks and Collection.
You set dunning levels, deadlines, fees, default interest and the dunning layout in the dunning settings, see Dunning.
The Dunning runs tab only appears with the permission Dunning → Dunning runs → Manage. You see the other three tabs with Invoices → View. Ending payment plans and lifting dunning blocks requires Receivables → Payment plans → Manage, working on collection cases Receivables → Debt collection → Manage.
Run a dunning run
A dunning run is only a proposal at first. Dunning letters are created only once you execute it.
Create the proposal
In the Dunning runs tab, click New dunning run. Choose the As of (default: today) and the Delivery: Send by email or Create PDF only. Create proposal opens the run's detail page.
Review the proposal
At the top, the detail page shows the cut-off date and the counts To dun, Skipped and Executed. Below, every overdue invoice is listed with customer, due date, Level (current → new), open amount, fee and interest. Use the checkbox at the start of a row to deselect invoices that should not be dunned this time, or to include them again.
Execute or discard
Execute creates all selected dunning letters after a confirmation and, depending on the delivery method, sends them by email or only creates the PDFs. While the run is working, the page refreshes itself; afterwards each row shows Dunned or an error. Discard run discards the proposal without creating any dunning letters.
A run has the status Proposal, Running, Executed or Discarded. The Started by column distinguishes manually started runs from runs created automatically by the system. Failed dunning letters are flagged in red in the list next to the number of executed ones.
Why an invoice is skipped
Invoices the run cannot or must not dun are listed with a reason and cannot be ticked. The most common reasons:
| Reason | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Waiting period not reached | The days after the due date or after the previous dunning letter have not passed yet. |
| Highest level reached | The 3rd dunning letter has already been sent. |
| Below minimum amount | The open amount is below the configured minimum. |
| Dunning block, Payment plan, With collection agency | Dunning is blocked for the invoice or the customer. |
| Draft dunning exists | A dunning draft already exists for the invoice. |
| No email address | Delivery by email was chosen, but the customer has no address on file. |
| JTL invoice (dunned by JTL) | The invoice comes from JTL-Wawi, which does its own dunning (can be changed in the dunning settings). |
In the open items list, the row menu of an open invoice takes you straight here with Start dunning run; you can create a payment plan there as well.
Payment plans
If a customer cannot pay all at once, you agree on a payment plan. You create it in the invoice via the action menu with Create payment plan (only for open, unpaid invoices). In the form you enter First installment due, Number of installments, Grace period (days) and Missed installments allowed; SimpliServ calculates the monthly installment and the remainder falls on the last installment. As long as the plan runs, dunning for the invoice is blocked.
The Payment plans tab shows all plans with number, customer, status, start, total and amount already paid. A plan is Active, Completed, Defaulted or Cancelled. From the row menu you download the agreement as a PDF (Download PDF) or end an active plan with Cancel plan; this also lifts its dunning blocks.
Dunning blocks
A dunning block prevents dunning letters from being created for an invoice or an entire customer, neither manually nor in a dunning run. You set it in the invoice's dunning area or in the customer record with Block dunning, with a reason (e.g. Dispute or Insolvency), optionally an end date and a note. Without an end date the block applies indefinitely. Payment plans and collection cases set their blocks automatically.
The Dunning blocks tab lists all blocks with Blocked for (linked to the invoice or customer), reason, status and Blocked until. You lift an active block from the row menu with Lift.
Debt collection
Create a case
Open the open invoice and choose Hand over to collection in the action menu. Optionally enter the Collection agency and a note and click Create case. The case starts as Prepared, and dunning for the invoice is blocked.
Hand over to the collection agency
In the Collection tab, choose Hand over in the row menu and add the collection agency, Agency reference and Hand-over date. SimpliServ creates a CSV and PDF export for the agency and sets the case to Handed over. You can fetch the export at any time with Download export.
Update the status
With Change status you set the case to In progress, Settled, Closed or Recalled. A recall lifts the dunning blocks again.
If a customer has open collection cases, SimpliServ shows a warning in their customer record as well as in their invoices and orders. Then check whether you keep delivering on account.
Related guides
- Dunning: dunning levels, fees, interest and individual dunning letters
- Open items: all open receivables and payables at a glance
- Invoices
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