Making an invoice is easy. Getting it in front of the person who has to pay you — that's where money disappears. Email lands in spam, mail takes a week, and a PDF attachment is a barrier the customer has to work through.
The right channel depends on your customer, but the pattern is the same: use the fastest channel, include a one-tap pay link, and follow up when it goes quiet.
By text (SMS): fastest to open, fastest to pay. Text messages have a ~98% open rate and are read within 3 minutes on average. Compare that to email at 20% open in 90 minutes. If speed to payment matters — and it always does — text is the winner.
By email: standard, but write a subject line that lands. Email works for business customers, larger clients, and anyone who wants a paper trail. But the subject line matters. 'Invoice #1042 — Due Jan 15' beats 'Invoice from ACME' — the number tells the AP clerk it's a specific bill to log, and the date signals urgen
Share link: the fallback that works everywhere. For customers who prefer WhatsApp, Messenger, or something else, copy the invoice's public share link and paste it into whatever they use. The link opens the same invoice page, works on any phone, and takes card payments the same way.
By mail: only when required. Government agencies, some large corporations, and older customers still need paper. Print, sign if you want, and mail via first-class. Include a return envelope for a check if that's their preference.
What to include no matter the channel. Every send should carry:
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to send an invoice by text?
Yes, in nearly every jurisdiction. An invoice is a request for payment, not a regulated financial document. If a written record is required by contract, keep the digital record — Glo Invoice logs every send with timestamp and delivery status.
What if my customer says they didn't get it?
Every Glo Invoice send logs delivery. You can see when it was sent, delivered, and opened — no more 'I never got it'.
Should I attach a PDF or send a link?
Send a link. Attached PDFs get flagged as spam and force the customer through extra steps to pay. A link opens the invoice in the browser with a pay button.
How many follow-ups is too many?
Three is standard — day 3, day 7, day 14 after the due date. After that, a phone call is more effective than another email.
