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For most auto shops, the work is done long before the cash is in. The gap is friction: customers receive a paper or email invoice they can only pay later. Text-to-Pay flips the sequence—approvals and payments happen while intent is high.
Productized version of this flow: Invoicing & Payments for Auto Repair
Table of Contents
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Why Auto Invoices Don’t Get Paid on Time
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Text-to-Pay (How It Really Works)
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Deposits & Partial Payments
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Reminder Cadence That Doesn’t Annoy
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What to Track: AR Days, Recovery, Failures
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A Mini Case: Two Policy Changes, Big Impact
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Implementation Checklist
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Scripts You Can Copy
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FAQ
Why Auto Invoices Don’t Get Paid on Time
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Friction: “Find card,” “call back,” “swing by later.”
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Timing: Customers are back at work by the time the invoice arrives.
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Unclear balances: Confusion over deposits, parts on order, add-ons.
Text-to-Pay (How It Really Works)
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Invoice generates checkout link (unique, secure, mobile-friendly).
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Customer receives SMS: “Your invoice from ACME Auto—tap to pay.”
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One-tap opens Apple/Google Pay or card entry—done in seconds.
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Customer gets a receipt; shop sees real-time status.
Good practice: Pair text-to-pay with on-site approvals—when the work is green-lit, capture a deposit.
Deposits & Partial Payments
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Deposits: For special orders or long jobs, secure 20–50% with one tap.
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Partial payments: For high tickets, set scheduled partials (weekly/bi-weekly).
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Policy: Communicate deposit policy before ordering parts.
Reminder Cadence That Doesn’t Annoy
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Day 0: “Thanks—your car is ready. Tap to pay & pick up.”
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Day 2: Friendly nudge with hours & pickup window.
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Day 5: Final reminder with phone number for questions.
Automate inside your system; escalate to a call only if needed.
See the flow productized: Auto Repair Invoicing Software
What to Track
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AR Days: Target single digits.
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Recovery Rate: % collected within 7 days.
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Failed Payments: Rate, top causes, time to resolution.
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Deposit Coverage: % of special orders covered by deposits.
A Mini Case: Two Policy Changes, Big Impact
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Before: AR days 18; frequent “I’ll stop by tomorrow.”
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After: Text-to-pay + 30% deposits on special orders → AR days 7; failed-payment resolution time cut by 40%.
Implementation Checklist
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Enable text-to-pay and Apple/Google Pay.
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Create deposit presets (20/30/50%).
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Turn on automated reminders (Day 0/2/5).
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Publish a plain-English payment policy.
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Train staff on scripts and escalation.
Scripts You Can Copy
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At approval: “To secure the parts today, we’ll take a 30% deposit. I’ll text a link—tap to pay.”
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At completion: “Your car’s ready. I’ll text a link to pay now so pickup is quick.”
FAQ
Fees? Expect standard card rates; mobile wallets are often similar.
Chargebacks? Clear work orders, photos, and signatures reduce disputes.
Cash/ACH? Offer them—but don’t hide the fast wallet options.
CTA
Get the Invoice Reminder Script Pack (free):
Product page: Auto Repair Invoicing & Payments
Category: Auto Repair Shop Management Software