Check the balance again before sending the demand
The draft letter uses last week's balance
Imagine accounts prepares a demand while you are on site. Since the draft was written, a customer payment has arrived and a credit has been agreed. Sending the original figure would create an avoidable argument about the accuracy of your own request.
Check the account again before finalising the letter. The last reminder is useful history, but it is not automatically the current amount outstanding.
Start with the invoices being demanded
List the invoices, original amounts and relevant payment terms. Match received payments to the account and confirm how they have been allocated. Identify any unexplained receipt rather than assuming it belongs to a different job.
Keep a working reconciliation showing how the current total is reached. If a customer can reproduce the number from the attached documents, there is less room for confusion about what is actually being requested.
Separate agreed credits from disputed deductions
An agreed credit should be reflected appropriately. A deduction claimed by the customer but not accepted needs to be identified as disputed. Do not silently remove or accept it just to produce a simpler statement.
If the effect of an agreement is unclear, obtain advice before using a firm balance in a demand. Preserve the correspondence that explains what was agreed, including any qualification or condition.
Check additions as carefully as the principal
business.gov.au advises checking a demand for accurate information and including contractual late-payment interest only where it was specified in the contract. Do not import charges from an old template without checking the basis.
Have any uncertain interest, fee or recovery-cost claim reviewed. A real unpaid invoice does not justify adding an unsupported amount. Explain the calculation separately so a reader can distinguish the invoice balance from any additional claim.
Freeze the version you actually send
Keep the final signed letter, reconciliation and supporting documents together. Record the date and delivery details. If a payment arrives after sending, update the live account and communicate the resulting balance as appropriate.
Do not erase the sent version when the account changes. Retaining both the historical letter and current reconciliation makes later follow-up easier to explain.
Make the next conversation about the real debt
If the customer disputes a line, ask which entry and why. Correct a demonstrated mistake promptly rather than defending a number because it was already printed in a formal-looking letter.
CRP can discuss an overdue business account using the reconciled file. Use Report a Debt below and identify any genuine dispute separately. The purpose of this final check is a reliable request, not a promise that an accurate demand guarantees payment.