Turn invoice reminders off on each direct debit client's contact in Xero, and leave them on for everyone else. Xero's reminders follow whether an invoice is paid, not how the client pays, so a client whose collection is already booked can still get one. Once they're off, a failed direct debit won't be chased until you switch that client's reminders back on.
In this article
The short version
- Xero's reminders follow whether an invoice is paid, not how the client pays.
- You can turn reminders off for each direct debit client's contact and keep them on for everyone else.
- Xero has no separate reminder schedule for a group of contacts.
- With reminders off, a failed direct debit won't be chased until someone acts.
- Adfin can chase clients on direct debit and clients who pay another way under different rules.
Why direct debit clients get Xero reminders
You set Xero's reminders once for your whole organisation, as a number of days before or after the due date. Xero checks your bank feed and only chases invoices it still sees as unpaid, but its reminders don't treat a client on direct debit any differently from one who pays by transfer.
So a "due soon" reminder can go to a client whose collection is booked for that very day. If the payment takes a day or two to show as paid in Xero, an overdue reminder can follow too. The client has done everything right and still gets chased.
Xero doesn't let you give a group of contacts their own reminder schedule. For each client, reminders are either on or off, which leaves you three options: remind everyone, switch reminders off for your direct debit clients, or switch them off altogether and chase by hand.
How to switch reminders off for direct debit clients
Turning them off client by client keeps reminders going for everyone else, and you can set it up in an afternoon:
- Export a list of clients with an active mandate from your direct debit provider.
- Open each of those contacts in Xero and turn invoice reminders off.
- Leave your reminder schedule running for everyone else.
- Check the Reminders column on your awaiting payment invoices, which shows whether a contact has reminders off.
- Update the list whenever a client sets up or cancels a mandate.
That last step is easy to forget. Xero doesn't have a report listing every contact with reminders switched off, and the Reminders column only shows clients who have an invoice outstanding, so keep your own list next to your provider's.
What to do when one of those direct debits fails
With reminders off, a failed collection goes quiet. Xero won't chase it, and your provider may retry the collection but won't chase the invoice.
It helps to agree that whoever gets the failure email owns the follow-up. On the day it comes in, check the reason, tell the client, and send them a way to pay this month's invoice. If you'd like Xero to chase it, switch that contact's reminders back on until it's paid, then turn them off again once the mandate's working.
Reminders that know how each client pays
Adfin is a certified Xero app that collects payments and chases invoices from the same place, so your chasing can follow how each client pays. You can set up one of Adfin's collection agents for clients on direct debit and another for clients who pay by transfer or card, each with its own steps, within rules you approve.
For direct debit clients, the collection runs on the invoice's due date, and the client is told the amount and date at least three working days before. If a collection fails, it's retried free. When retries run out, the client can be sent a payment request, which is then chased like any other unpaid invoice, if you've switched that step on. Clients who pay another way get reminders by email, SMS or WhatsApp on the schedule you set. Chasing stops the moment they pay, and the invoice is marked paid in Xero automatically.
If you'd rather a direct debit client heard nothing from you beyond the advance notice of each collection, you can pause reminder emails for that client alone while their direct debit keeps collecting. You'd then switch off Xero's reminders, so clients hear from one place. Reminders are part of essential credit control, which is free.
Common questions
Can I turn off Xero reminders for just one client? Yes. You can switch invoice reminders off for selected contacts, and the rest of your clients keep getting them.
Can I give direct debit clients a different reminder schedule in Xero? No. Xero runs one reminder schedule for the whole organisation, so for each client the choice is on or off.
Will a direct debit client get a reminder before their collection? If your schedule includes a reminder before the due date and that client's reminders are on, yes. Turning reminders off for the contact stops it.
How do I see which clients have reminders turned off in Xero? The Reminders column on your awaiting payment invoices shows it for clients with something outstanding. For everyone else, keep your own list.
What happens if a direct debit fails after I've turned reminders off? Xero won't chase it. Contact the client, send them a way to pay, and switch their reminders back on if you want Xero to follow up.
Should I keep Xero's reminders on if I chase with Adfin? It's usually best to switch them off, so clients don't get reminders from two systems about the same invoice.
Sources
- Xero - Send invoices online (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.xero.com/uk/accounting-software/send-invoices/
- Xero - Invoice auto pay: control emails sent to customers (accurate as of October 2026) https://productideas.xero.com/forums/967115-invoices-quotes/suggestions/51195553-invoice-auto-pay-control-emails-sent-to-custom
- Adfin Help Centre - Getting started with direct debits (accurate as of October 2026) https://support.adfin.com/en/articles/10192945-getting-started-with-direct-debits
- Adfin Help Centre - How to pause reminders and collection in Adfin (accurate as of October 2026) https://support.adfin.com/en/articles/13870679-how-to-pause-reminders-and-collection-in-adfin
- Adfin - Credit control (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.adfin.com/credit-control
