Use it for one documented, undisputed invoice
This task makes sense when the invoice, agreed payment terms, payment record and correct client contact are available and consistent. It is not a substitute for resolving a disputed scope, contract, tax, credit, refund or legal claim.
Have ready
- The final issued invoice and invoice number.
- The signed terms or purchase order that defines the due date.
- The current accounting or payment record.
- The existing thread and authorized recipient.
Stop & check
- The client disputes the work, amount, tax or payment terms.
- A partial payment or credit is not reflected consistently.
- The requested recipient or payment details differ from the approved record.
- The message would add a fee, threat or new contractual term.
Reconcile before drafting
| Fact | Preferred source | Do not infer from |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice amount | Final issued invoice plus recorded credits | An earlier draft or email estimate |
| Due date | Approved contract, purchase order or invoice terms | A generic payment-policy template |
| Payment status | Current accounting/payment system | The absence of an email reply |
| Recipient | Existing approved billing contact and thread | A newly discovered address |
If the sources conflict, the result is a reconciliation question—not a follow-up draft.
Copy the one-time brief
Start as a one-time review. Recurring collection work creates a separate schedule and a larger communication risk.
Responsibility: Check the status of invoice [invoice number] and prepare a follow-up only if the evidence shows it is overdue and unpaid. Use only: - the final issued invoice, - the approved contract or purchase order section that states payment terms, - the payment or accounting record for this invoice, - the existing email thread with the named client contact. Before drafting, report the invoice number, recipient, issue date, contractual due date, amount and currency, recorded payments or credits, and the source for each fact. If any fact conflicts or cannot be verified, stop and ask me. If the invoice is confirmed overdue and unpaid, prepare a concise, factual reply in the existing thread. Include the invoice number, original due date, amount still shown as due, and a request for status. Do not add fees, legal threats, new payment terms, bank details or a new payment destination. Do not send the message, create or alter an invoice, contact another person, change an accounting record, or disclose documents. Show me the exact recipient, subject, body and attachments for approval. This is a one-time review. Do not create a recurring schedule unless I separately approve the frequency, end date, notification rule and delivery location.
Review every external effect
- The recipient, copied recipients, subject, body and attachments.
- The amount, currency, due date and any recorded partial payment or credit.
- Any payment instructions; compare them with the approved invoice rather than a newly supplied destination.
- Any later schedule, escalation, fee, account change or legal language.
The draft is not the outcome
If the facts do not reconcile
- Do not send the draft or create a schedule.
- Ask the responsible human to resolve the invoice, credit, contract or payment record.
- Use qualified accounting or legal advice for disputes, fees, taxes or collection rights.
- Remove unnecessary app access after the one-time review.
How this page was produced
OpenAI documents connected-app permissions, action review, draft-versus-send boundaries and ongoing task controls. We combined those product controls with a source-of-truth reconciliation pattern. We did not run a real collection case, so this page remains Guidance only.
Reviewed October 8, 2026. Laws, contracts, payment systems and collection practices differ. This guide only structures a bounded review and draft; it does not determine legal rights or payment status.