Get Paid in 48 Hours: The 0-1-3-7 Collections Cadence Guide

Use this for residential, due‑on‑receipt work (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, garage door, lawn, cleaning). Goal: most invoices paid inside 48 hours; 70%+ of dollars collected by Day 7.

What changes:

• You invoice from the driveway — not tomorrow.
• You text one link — not a PDF and a prayer.
• You follow a simple 0‑1‑3‑7 cadence — not random calls in week three.
• You track two numbers weekly so you can fix the right leak.

Plumbing = the settings that make paying instant and predictable. Do these first.

• Turn on online payments in your CRM. Offer card + ACH. ACH typically costs ~1% or is capped by some processors; cards are usually ~2.9% + $0.30. Exact rates vary — check your processor.
• Enable SMS invoicing. Collect consent at booking: “Can we text you updates about your service (arrival window, invoice, reminders)? Reply STOP to opt out.” Log consent on the customer record.
• Use one link per invoice. No “call to pay,” no asking for card numbers by text. The invoice page should show a big Pay Now button.
• Set terms to Due on Receipt for residential. Due date = the day you finish the job.
• Show fee options up front (where legal). Example note on invoices: “No fee for ACH/bank transfer. Card payments may include a processing surcharge. Prefer ACH to save fees.”
• Add a brief warranty/past‑due note: “Warranty service available for accounts in good standing.”

Give techs a 10‑second habit they can do before putting the truck in drive.

Driveway Closeout Micro‑SOP

1. In the job app, tap Complete/Finish.
2. Generate invoice from the approved estimate/price book — no retyping.
3. Tap Send > Text Message. Confirm the number on file.
4. Paste the Day‑0 text (below). Verify the link opens. Send.
5. Add a photo of the finished work and a short line in notes (optional but helpful on disputes).

If signal is bad: mark “Needs Office Send” and text/email from the office within 15 minutes. No jobs end the day without an invoice out.

Coach notes for ride‑alongs:

• Timing beats perfection. If the price was agreed and the work is done, send it.
• The invoice link answers most questions (line items, photos, terms). Let the tool do the heavy lifting.
• Post a weekly scoreboard: “% invoiced same‑day by tech.” Celebrate the leaders; coach the laggards.

Four touches. One link. Friendly until Day 7.

Day 0 — Send before leaving the driveway
SMS:
"Hi [CUSTOMERFIRST] — thanks for choosing [COMPANYNAME] today. Your invoice for [JOBNAME] is ready. View & pay here: [INVOICELINK] Reply STOP to opt out."

Email (fallback or in addition):
Subject: Your [COMPANYNAME] invoice for [JOBNAME]
Body:
"Hi [CUSTOMER_FIRST],
Thanks again for having us out. Your invoice [INVOICENUMBER] for [JOBNAME] is ready here: [INVOICE_LINK]
• Pay by card or ACH (no fee for ACH)
• Terms: Due on receipt
Questions? Reply to this email or call [OFFICE_PHONE]."

Day 1 — Friendly nudge (same link)
SMS:
"Good morning [CUSTOMERFIRST]! Just making sure yesterday’s invoice came through. Here’s the link again: [INVOICELINK] Thanks! [COMPANYNAME]. [OPTOUT]"

Email:
Subject: Quick nudge on your invoice [INVOICE_NUMBER]
Body: "Sharing the link again in case you need it: [INVOICE_LINK]. Pay by ACH to avoid card fees."

Day 3 — One live call (remove friction)
Call Talk Track:
"Hi [CUSTOMERFIRST], this is [NAME] from [COMPANYNAME] about Tuesday’s invoice. Any questions I can clear up or anything getting in the way of payment? I can text the link right now."

If voicemail:
"Hi [CUSTOMERFIRST], [NAME] at [COMPANYNAME]. Quick follow‑up on your invoice from [DATE]. If you need the link again or prefer ACH, text me back and I’ll send it. [PHONE]."

Day 7 — Final reminder + boundary
SMS:
"Final reminder: your [COMPANYNAME] invoice from [DATE] is now 7 days past due. Please settle today to keep your warranty/service active. Pay here: [INVOICELINK] [OPT_OUT]"

Email:
Subject: Final reminder — invoice from [DATE]
Body: "Please complete payment today to avoid service interruption on your warranty. Pay here: [INVOICE_LINK]. If you mailed a check, reply with the mail date so we can note the account."

Policy after Day 7 (residential, due‑on‑receipt):

• Hold further non‑emergency/warranty visits until paid.
• If a part return window is at risk, call once more to align payment timing.
• For legitimate hardships, offer ACH today or split‑pay (document dates). Keep exceptions rare.

Make the rules clear so the cadence doesn’t wobble.

Residential vs. commercial:

• Residential (default): Due on Receipt + 0‑1‑3‑7 cadence + Day‑7 boundary.
• Commercial/PMs with written terms: Tag as NET‑30/45 and exclude from the residential cadence. Use statement cycles instead.

SMS compliance basics (U.S.):

• Get explicit consent at booking. Log it.
• Identify your business in every text and include opt‑out language (e.g., “Reply STOP to opt out”).
• Don’t buy lists. Don’t text after opt‑out.

Fees & ACH positioning:

• Prominently show ACH alongside card on the invoice page.
• Consider a transparent card surcharge or cash/ACH discount where legal. Check your state rules and processor agreement first.

Instant payouts (optional):

• Some CRMs offer instant payout for ~1% extra. Use during seasonal cash crunches if your Day‑0/1 collection rate is strong. Turn it off when cash stabilizes.

Warranty/Service policy language (paste into Terms):
“Warranty and non‑emergency service are available for accounts in good standing. Accounts past due may be scheduled after payment is received.”

Own two numbers. Fix everything else around them.

KPI 1 — % of jobs invoiced same‑day

• Definition: Jobs completed where the invoice was sent by 11:59 pm local that day.
• Target: 85%+ by Week 2; 95%+ by Week 4.
• Action if low: It’s a timing problem. Re‑train driveway closeout; audit which techs lag; simplify price book items causing slowdowns.

KPI 2 — % of invoice dollars collected by Day 7

• Definition: Residential invoice dollars paid within 7 calendar days of issue.
• Target: 70%+ (residential mix). Adjust for seasonality and ticket size.
• Action if low but KPI 1 is high: It’s a collections problem. Tighten scripts/tones, verify links, promote ACH, and ensure the Day‑3 call actually happens.

How to pull the numbers (quick paths; names may vary by version):

• Jobber: Reports/Insights > Invoices > filter by Sent Date (last 7 days) and Payment Status. Export or save view. Also check “Average time to get paid.”
• Housecall Pro: Reports > Invoices > filter by Created/Sent Date; add Status = Paid/Unpaid; calculate within 7 days. Save as a custom report.
• ServiceFusion: Reports > Invoices > use Reminder/Invoice Date filters; sort by Status and Payment Date.
• QuickBooks Online (fallback): Sales > Invoices > filter by Date and Status; export to CSV; add a Days‑to‑Pay column (Payment Date minus Invoice Date).

Friday 15‑minute review (owner + office):

1. KPI 1 (same‑day invoiced): % and top 3 blockers.
2. KPI 2 (paid by Day 7): % and patterns (techs, services, neighborhoods).
3. One adjustment for next week (script tweak, ACH push, tech coaching).

Use these paths to get version‑proof setup. Exact labels may differ; the goal is the toggle + templates + schedule.

Jobber (starter path)

• Payments: Settings > Payments & Deposits > Enable Online Payments (Card + ACH). Turn on Instant Payouts only if needed.
• SMS: Settings > Client Communications > Enable Text Messages.
• Invoices: Create > Invoice > Send as Text Message (test). Add “Invoice Reminders” schedule at 1, 3, 7 days.
• Templates: Settings > Communications > Text Templates > add Day‑0 and Day‑1; add Day‑7 email template.

Housecall Pro (starter path)

• Payments: Settings > Payments > Enable credit card + ACH (Bank Transfer).
• SMS: Settings > Messaging > Turn on text notifications.
• Invoices: Job > Finish > Send Invoice > Text (test the pay‑by‑text link). Set Automated Reminders for 1, 3, 7 days.
• Templates: Settings > Automation > Message Templates (paste Day‑0/1/7).

ServiceFusion (starter path)

• Payments: Settings > Payment Processing > Enable card + ACH if available with your processor.
• SMS: Settings > Notifications/Reminders > Enable SMS; add opt‑out language.
• Invoices: Invoices > Reminders/Automation > Add presets for 1, 3, 7 days from Invoice Date.
• Templates: Settings > Communications > SMS/Email Templates.

QuickBooks Online (fallback)

• Sales > Invoices > Turn on Online Payments (card + ACH if supported).
• Reminders: Gear > Account & Settings > Sales > Reminders > Add 3 presets (1, 3, 7 days after due/issue).
• Use QBO to send Day‑0 email immediately; text the link from your CRM or a secure payment link tool if QBO SMS isn’t available.

Roll this in one focused block, then hold the line.

0:00–0:20 — Turn on payments + SMS. Test a $1 invoice to yourself.
0:20–0:40 — Paste templates (Day‑0, Day‑1, Day‑7) and schedule reminders.
0:40–1:00 — Tech huddle. Demo the driveway closeout. Each tech sends a test to their phone.
1:00–1:15 — Live test on 1 real job. Confirm the link opens and collects.
1:15–1:30 — Create the Friday report views and a whiteboard scoreboard.

This week’s question (post it on the board):
“What percentage of last week’s jobs did we invoice the same day?”
Set a target and run the cadence for 7 days. Adjust scripts Friday.