Automated Invoice Sending in Odoo#
Manually emailing invoices and following up on overdue payments is time-consuming and error-prone. Odoo automates both - sending invoices when they're posted and following up on overdue balances on a configured schedule.
Auto-Send Invoice on Posting#
Accounting → Configuration → Settings → Customer Invoices:
- Send Invoices Automatically: enable
- Invoice Email Template: select the template (or use the default)
- PDF Attachment: Yes (attach the invoice PDF to the email)
When an invoice is posted:
- Odoo sends the invoice email to the customer's invoice email address
- The invoice status changes to "Sent"
- The chatter records: "Invoice emailed to customer@company.com at 09:15"
No manual action required from the AP team.
Invoice Email Template#
Customize the template:
Accounting → Configuration → Email Templates → Customer Invoice:
- Subject: "Invoice #{invoice.name} from {company.name}"
- Body: greeting, invoice summary (amount, due date, payment reference), payment link
- Payment Button: embed a direct payment link (if online payment is enabled)
Automated Payment Follow-Up Levels#
Accounting → Configuration → Follow-Up Levels:
| Level | Days Overdue | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 5 days | Auto-send reminder email |
| Level 2 | 20 days | Auto-send email + mark for call |
| Level 3 | 40 days | Auto-send email + assign to collections rep |
Running Follow-Ups#
Accounting → Customers → Follow-Up:
- Odoo lists all customers with overdue balances
- Click Process All Follow-Ups: triggers emails for Level 1 and 2 automatically
- Creates call activities for Level 3 accounts
This can be automated further:
Settings → Technical → Scheduled Actions → Send Follow-Up Emails → daily at 8 AM.
Customer Payment Portal#
The follow-up email includes a link to the payment portal:
- Customer clicks the link → sees all open invoices
- Pays via credit card or bank transfer directly
- Payment recorded in Odoo immediately
Reporting on Follow-Up Effectiveness#
Accounting → Reporting → Aged Receivables:
- Balance by aging bucket before and after follow-up automation
- Average days to pay: reduction after automation vs. before
- Customers who paid after the first reminder (vs. those who needed escalation)