The Basic Idea
When a customer promises to pay by a certain date, the Task Manager helps you record that commitment, track whether it happens, and chase it up if it doesn't. The whole process lives inside a single task.
Step 1 — The Customer Commits
This usually starts with an inbound email. The customer says something like "I'll pay by the end of the month" — the AI reads it, creates a Promise to Pay task, and suggests two actions:
Reply to the customer confirming the date
Record the promise to pay to log the formal commitment
Step 2 — You Record the Promise
Once you've confirmed the details with the customer, open the Record Promise to Pay action and enter the payment date and amount. When you mark this action as complete, several things happen automatically:
The promise is activated and locked in
The task status changes to Waiting
The task's due date is set to the payment date
A reminder is scheduled for 24 hours before that date
Step 3 — Waiting for Payment
While the task is in Waiting, it sits quietly in your queue. If the customer pays, you simply mark the task as Completed.
Step 4 — If the Customer Doesn't Pay
24 hours before the due date — you get a "Due Soon" notification
On or after the due date, if no payment — you get an "Overdue" notification and the task appears at the top of your queue
The task is still the same task — it simply becomes overdue and needs your attention again. Open it and create a new action to chase the customer.
The Full Picture
Stage | What happens | What you do |
Customer promises to pay | AI creates a Promise to Pay task | Review and confirm with the customer |
You record the commitment | Task moves to Waiting, due date is set | Enter the payment date and amount |
Payment date approaches | "Due Soon" notification fires 24h before | Check in if needed |
Payment date passes, no payment | "Overdue" notification fires, task surfaces at top of queue | Create a follow-up action — call or email |
Customer pays | Nothing automatic — you close the task | Mark the task as Completed |
The Task Manager never automatically closes a Promise to Pay task when payment is received. You'll know the customer has paid through your usual reconciliation process — at that point simply open the task and mark it as Completed.