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Dunning

Slonge Billing handles dunning fully automatically — every day, overdue invoices are detected, the appropriate dunning level is determined, and depending on the mode the reminder is either sent directly or queued for approval.

Overview

  • Three dunning levels with their own templates and optional fees
  • Two modes — auto (fully automatic) or semi_auto (with approval)
  • Daily cron job runs at 07:00 UTC and processes all overdue invoices
  • Templates customizable per dunning level
  • PDF attachment in the dunning email — rendered from the same template as the print preview, with dunning fees and default interest reflected in the totals and the QR-bill amount

Dunning email contents

Dunning emails use the same layout as the invoice email:

  • Greeting that mentions the dunning level, days overdue, and payment deadline
  • Line items from the original invoice
  • Totals: Invoice Amount → Dunning Fees → Default Interest → Total Amount
  • Swiss QR bill with the current amount due (including fees and interest)
  • PDF attachment with the same numbers

The email contains no link to the in-app invoice page — that page is auth-walled behind the sender's login, so external recipients can't open it. The PDF attachment is the canonical artifact the customer keeps.

Permissions

RoleView DunningApprove DunningTemplates / Configuration
Employee❌❌❌
Accountant✅✅❌
Administrator✅✅✅

How the dunning flow works

Invoice overdue → Cron detects it → Level determined → Mode decides
                                                       ├─ auto:      send directly
                                                       └─ semi_auto: queue for approval
  1. Trigger: An invoice in status sent becomes overdue once the payment term (default: 30 days) has passed.
  2. Cron job: Every day at 07:00 UTC, the dunning-cronjob job sweeps all tenants.
  3. Dunning level: Based on the number of previous reminders and the days elapsed, the system determines which level is next due.
  4. Mode decision:
    • auto: The dunning letter is sent directly to the client with a PDF attached, and a document is filed in the tenant.
    • semi_auto: A draft is created and an approval request is sent to accountants/admins.
  5. After sending: The next dunning level is queued (waitDays days later).

Dunning levels

Slonge Billing has three levels:

LevelLabelToneDefault wait
DUNNING_11st payment reminderFriendly7 days after due date
DUNNING_22nd reminderFirm14 days after level 1
DUNNING_33rd reminder (final)Strict, mentions further steps14 days after level 2

Each level has its own email template and PDF template type, both editable under Settings > Templates.

Dunning modes

auto — Fully automatic

  • Best for: standard B2B with steady reminder volume, well-defined terms, low need for case-by-case judgment.
  • The dunning letter is sent directly.
  • A document is still created in the system so you can review, download, or keep it as evidence.
  • Recommended together with a sufficiently long payment term and clear T&Cs.

semi_auto — With approval

  • Best for: relationship-oriented business, sensitive clients, or when you want to review at least the second/third level individually.
  • The dunning letter is created as a draft and an approval request is filed in the system.
  • Accountants or administrators see the request under Approvals and can:
    • Approve → the letter is sent directly
    • Reject → no send, the draft remains available for a later manual action
  • You receive a push / email notification when an approval is waiting.

Configuration

Under Settings > Dunning you configure:

SettingDescription
Modeauto or semi_auto (see above)
Active levelsWhich of the three levels are sent automatically
Wait daysDays between due date / levels — configurable per level
Dunning feesOptional per level (e.g., CHF 10, 25, 50)
TemplatesEmail and PDF template per level
Default languageDE or EN — taken from the client setting

Dunning fees

When enabled, dunning fees are added as an extra line item to the original invoice (visible on the dunning PDF). The fee is cumulative — level 3 includes the fees of all previous levels.

Viewing dunning history

On the Invoice page you see:

  • "Overdue" tab — all invoices past their due date
  • Dunning section per invoice — a chronological list of sent reminders with date, level, and fees
  • Download dunning PDF — every issued reminder as a PDF

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the client pays during a dunning cycle?

Once the invoice is set to paid, all queued dunning levels for that invoice are stopped. Already sent reminders remain on file as documents.

Can I disable dunning for individual clients?

Yes — per contact you can enable Pause dunning in the contact settings. The cron skips those clients.

How do I customize the dunning text?

Under Settings > Templates there is one email template per dunning level. You can adjust the subject, salutation, body, and closing — variables like {{invoiceNumber}}, {{amount}}, {{dueDate}} are replaced when sending.

Are reminders sent on weekends?

The cron runs daily. If you want to avoid weekend sends, configure the wait days so a weekday landing is likely — or use semi_auto and approve the reminders manually during business hours.

What's the difference vs. the "Send reminder" action on the invoice?

You can always trigger a manual reminder — it goes through the same send pipeline but ignores the cron wait days. Useful when you want to dun outside the standard cadence.

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