Watch the video on how to send bulk invoices.

Sending a batch of payment requests takes just a few steps. (You can also access a more in-depth step-by-step guide here.)

Set up your spreadsheet. You’ll need to create the right columns so the bulk upload and send works just right. Start by creating 3-6 columns containing the customer name (can be in one column or split into separate first and last name columns), customer phone and/or customer email, amount you want them to pay, and invoice number (this field is optional, depending on if you want to use it for reconciliation). Usually you can export this information from another system pretty easily, or you can enter your data into a new sheet and save the file as a CSV.

Upload your spreadsheet. To do upload, navigate to the Workflows section in Podium by clicking on the gear in the top right and then on “Workflows” on the left navigation. Click on the blue “Bulk Upload” button and select “Payment.” Click on “Choose CSV to Upload” and find your CSV.

Map your fields. Mapping the fields in your spreadsheet to the fields in Podium is easy. Podium walks you through the process, making sure each column in your spreadsheet is connected to a specific field in Podium to ensure each recipient gets the right message and the right payment amount.

Create message and preview. Once all your fields are mapped, you can create and preview the actual message. You’ll need to select a template to use or create a new template for outstanding balances. We recommend the message has a gentle tone reminding customers to pay their outstanding balance and click on the link to pay. It’s best practice to make who the message is from and who it’s for as clear as possible, but remember to not include any personally identifiable information if you need to comply with HIPAA rules.

Here are some templates with great conversion rates:

Text #1 30-60 days
- Hi :contact:, this is the billing team with :location:. This is a friendly reminder that you have a balance due with :Organization Name:. Please pay now with this secure link:
Text #2 60-90 days
- Hi :contact:, this is the billing team with :location:, according to our records, you have a balance past due. Please pay with this secure link to avoid late charges.
Text #3 90+ days
- Hi :contact:, this is the billing team with :location:, this is our last attempt to collect your past due balance. Please pay via this link to avoid further charges:

Accept the terms and send. Now all you have to do is accept the terms and conditions that your message is in compliance with Podium’s standards for sending messages. Then hit send and your messages will go out. You might also consider sending when customers are most available. Generally, we see that invoices sent in the evenings when people are home from work perform better than those sent during the day. (Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays also generally perform better.) And remember to always comply with state and federal debt collection laws and not oversend messages (or send at extremely late hours).

And that’s it. If you want to send a test bulk message to a portion of your customers first then just create a smaller list in your CSV file before sending out to your full audience. For any questions, contact support@podiummain.wpengine.com.

How to Collect Past Due Balances Faster with SMS

Ready to grow?