Key takeaways
- Dunning is the structured process of contacting customers to collect overdue invoices.
- A good dunning cadence starts before the due date and escalates gradually in tone and channel.
- Use multiple channels — email, WhatsApp, phone — because customers respond on different ones.
- Dunning automation runs the cadence for every account; the best systems also read replies and adapt instead of blindly sending the next email.
What is dunning?
Dunning is the process of communicating with customers to collect overdue payments. In practice it’s a sequence of reminders — the dunning cadence — that escalates in tone and channel as an invoice ages, from a friendly pre-due nudge to a firm final notice.
What a good dunning cadence looks like
Effective cadences share a shape: start early, escalate gradually, and stay human. A typical sequence:
| Timing | Channel | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days before due | Friendly confirmation — “just making sure this is approved.” | |
| Due date | Polite reminder with a payment link. | |
| +7 days | Email / WhatsApp | Direct check-in; ask if there’s a blocker. |
| +21 days | Phone / WhatsApp | Personal outreach to a named contact. |
| +45 days | Email (formal) | Final notice before escalation. |
Principles that make dunning work
- Start before the due date. The cheapest collection is the one that never becomes overdue.
- Escalate gradually. Match firmness to age and history, not a one-size cadence.
- Use the right channel. Some customers ignore email but answer WhatsApp or a call.
- Stay human. Reference the specific invoice, acknowledge replies, and never dun a customer who already paid.
- Be consistent. The accounts that slip are the ones nobody followed up on.
Where dunning automation earns its keep
Dunning automation runs the cadence for every overdue account so consistency never depends on memory. But basic automation has a flaw: it sends the next email even after the customer has replied “I paid this last week.” That’s why the better approach is an autonomous agent that reads replies, adapts the cadence, pauses on disputes, and only sends what makes sense for that account — and applies the cash when it lands so no paid customer ever gets a notice.
A cadence that reads the room
Welldun runs your dunning across email, WhatsApp, and voice, adapts to replies, pauses on disputes, and stops the moment an invoice is paid — all set in plain language.
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