An accounts receivable virtual assistant gets you paid on time. They send invoices, apply payments, run a friendly follow up schedule on overdue accounts, update the aging report and flag customers who need your attention. With a written collections policy and access to your accounting software, most businesses see fewer invoices slipping past due within the first couple of months.
Late payments rarely come from customers who refuse to pay. They come from invoices sent late, reminders never sent and nobody noticing that an account crossed sixty days. If you are the owner, chasing money is also awkward. An assistant removes both problems. They follow a process every week, and they are not the person who has to make small talk with that client at the next meeting.
A simple AR process an assistant can run
Here is the process I would hand over, step by step.
- Send invoices the same day work is completed or on a fixed billing day
- Send a friendly reminder a few days before the due date
- Send a polite overdue notice the day after the due date
- Follow up by email and phone at set intervals after that
- Escalate to you at a set point, with the full history attached
- Apply payments and reconcile weekly
- Send you an updated aging report every Monday
The exact timing depends on your terms and your customers. The point is that it happens every time, without anyone needing to remember.
Writing the collections policy
Before your assistant contacts a single customer, write down how you want this handled. A one page policy covers most of it. Payment terms, when reminders go out, what tone to use, when to call, when to stop work or hold shipments and who decides on payment plans or write offs.
Include a list of accounts that need special handling. Your biggest client might get a personal call from you instead of a template. A new client might get extra patience in their first month. Your assistant cannot know these things unless you tell them.
Templates that keep the tone right
Good collection emails are short, specific and friendly. They include the invoice number, amount, due date and a payment link. Write three or four versions for each stage, from gentle reminder to firm final notice. Your assistant personalizes them and sends them on schedule.
Phone calls work well for larger or older balances. Give your assistant a short script. Confirm the invoice was received, ask whether anything is holding up payment and agree on a date. Then log the call and follow up on that date.
The tools
Most small businesses run AR in QuickBooks Online, Xero or FreshBooks. All of them support invoice reminders and payment links. Your assistant should have a user role that lets them create and send invoices and record payments, without access to bank settings or payroll. Our QuickBooks virtual assistant post covers setup in that system.
Some businesses add a dedicated AR tool for automated reminders and customer portals. That can help at higher volumes, but a disciplined assistant with your accounting software is enough for many companies.
How AR fits with bookkeeping
AR is part of bookkeeping, but it is not all of it. If you already have a bookkeeper, your AR assistant works alongside them and hands off clean payment records. If you do not, consider a broader role. Our guide to hiring a Filipino bookkeeper covers the full picture, and the invoice processing virtual assistant post covers the payables side.
Keeping controls in place
Cash is where controls matter most. Separate duties where you can. The person who records payments should not also be the only person reconciling the bank account. Review the aging report yourself every week, even if it takes five minutes. Approve any write offs, credits or payment plans personally. Look at a sample of customer communication each month.
These are not signs of distrust. They protect you and your assistant from mistakes and make it easy to spot problems early.
Hiring for AR
Look for experience with your accounting software, clear and polite writing and comfort on the phone. Ask candidates how they would handle a customer who keeps promising to pay but never does. Good answers balance persistence with respect and include escalation.
For a paid test, give a sample aging report and ask for a prioritized follow up plan plus two draft emails. You will see whether they focus on the largest and oldest balances first and whether their tone fits your brand.
Measuring progress
Track days sales outstanding, the share of receivables over sixty and ninety days and how many invoices go out on time. Look at trends over a few months rather than week to week, because one large payment can swing the numbers. Ask your assistant to include these in the Monday report.
Our post on virtual assistant KPIs has more on setting fair targets.
Cleaning up an old backlog
If you are starting with a pile of old overdue invoices, treat it as a short project. Your assistant first confirms that each invoice is valid and was received, because some will turn out to be duplicates or disputes. Then they sort the rest by size and age and work from the top. Old balances are harder to collect, so set realistic expectations and decide early which ones you will write off. Once the backlog is clear, the regular weekly process keeps it from building up again.
Cost
At delegateit, part time assistants start at $900 a month for about 80 hours and full time from $1,500 a month for about 160 hours. Experienced accounting specialists start at $2,200 a month. AR alone often fits part time unless you have a high invoice volume. Many businesses combine AR with broader bookkeeping and admin to fill a full time role. Compare on the pricing page.
When to bring in outside help
If an account goes seriously past due despite your process, you may need a collections agency or legal advice. Your assistant can prepare the file with every invoice, reminder and note, which makes that next step faster. Decide in your policy when an account moves to that stage so the decision is not made in a rush.
What changes for you
Once AR is running, you stop thinking about who owes you money. You read a short report on Monday, make a few decisions and get back to work. The awkward calls are handled. The money comes in more predictably. For most owners, that peace of mind is worth as much as the cash itself.
AR assistant FAQ
Should my assistant call customers about late payments?
Calls work well for larger or older balances. Give your assistant a short script and log every call in your system.
Can a VA offer payment plans?
Only within limits you set. Most owners approve payment plans and write offs personally.
What access does an AR assistant need?
A role in your accounting software that allows invoicing and recording payments, without bank settings or payroll access.
How fast will AR improve?
Many businesses notice fewer overdue invoices within the first couple of billing cycles once reminders go out consistently.