When you collect payments via SEPA Direct Debit via XML Export, invoices are paid through your bank workflow (XML file upload) instead of an automatic payment provider. If you also use email reminder flows with the merge tag “x days after invoice is due”, customers with SEPA XML invoices can unintentionally receive overdue reminders. This article explains why this happens and what you can do to prevent it.
Why This Happens
The merge tag “x days after invoice is due” is a universal trigger:
It is triggered x days after the invoice due date
You cannot filter it by payment method
You cannot exclude invoices by payment method (e.g., SEPA XML)
Since SEPA XML invoices are processed manually via export, they can remain Open / Past Due until you export the file and update invoice statuses - making them eligible for reminder emails.
Important: ”Invoice Due” Settings & Email Trigger
In Location Settings, you can define how many days after an invoice is issued, it will be considered due.
The merge tag “x days after invoice is due” is based on this due date itself and will trigger after x days unless you manage the invoice status of your SEPA XML invoices proactively.
Recommended Workflow
To prevent reminder emails from being sent to SEPA XML customers, set up a workflow that aligns:
how often you export SEPA XML invoice batches, and
the “x days” value used in your reminder email flow.
Step 1: Define your SEPA XML export frequency
Decide how regularly you will export SEPA XML invoices, for example:
daily export
every 2–3 days
weekly/monthly export
Choose a schedule that fits your internal process (who exports, on which days, and what happens during holidays).
Step 2: Adjust the reminder email “x days” to match your export workflow
In the Location settings, you can define after how many days an invoice will become due "Invoice Due In" (under Billing). This has an influence after how many days of the invoice creation the x days after the due date email will be sent out.
Example: If the "Invoice Due In" setting is set to 3 days, and you set your reminder email to be triggered after 7 days after the invoice is due, then this reminder is in general sent out 10 days after the invoice is created.
Because the reminder merge tag triggers strictly x days after the due date, you should set x so that your SEPA XML export typically happens before the reminder would trigger.
Practical guidance:
If you export daily during weekdays, you can set a smaller x (e.g., 1–2 days), because invoices will be moved along quickly.
If you export weekly, use a larger x (e.g., 7+ days), so SEPA XML invoices are exported and updated before reminders go out.
If exports are not always on time (weekends/holidays), add a buffer (e.g., +1–2 days).
This reduces the chance that SEPA XML invoices will still be “Open" or "overdue” when the reminder trigger runs.
Step 3: Export SEPA XML invoices regularly
Export invoices based on the schedule you defined, so SEPA XML invoices don’t remain overdue for too long.
Step 4: Mark exported invoices as “Pending Payment”
During the export process, make sure you mark invoices as “Pending Payment” (as described in Step 4 of this export article). This is the key step to avoid reminder emails being sent to customers paying via SEPA XML.