- SSignalSpot trouble before the due date.
- EEngageMake the first contact easy to answer.
- TTraceFind the real reason it's unpaid.
- TTalkNegotiate an outcome both sides can keep.
- LLockPut the agreement in writing.
- EEscalateEscalate with cause, on a clean record.
- SSignalSpot trouble before the due date.
- EEngageMake the first contact easy to answer.
- TTraceFind the real reason it's unpaid.
- TTalkNegotiate an outcome both sides can keep.
- LLockPut the agreement in writing.
- EEscalateEscalate with cause, on a clean record.
The SETTLE Method: a six-step payment navigation system to resolve overdue and disputed invoices.
Most unpaid invoices don't need another reminder or a collection agency. They need a clear path forward. SETTLE navigates every overdue or disputed invoice step by step, early, fairly and in writing, so you convert revenue into cash and keep the client relationship.
Reminders stop working. Collections costs too much.
Reminders work until a customer disputes the invoice, goes quiet or breaks a promise to pay. A collection agency or lawyer can get results, but it costs money and often the customer. Between the two sits the overdue or disputed account that needs a clear path to payment, not another reminder. Most businesses handle that stage ad hoc, if they handle it at all. SETTLE gives it a structure.
Time drives everything.
SETTLE is not an event-driven system. It is a time-driven payment navigation system. Most businesses react once an invoice is already overdue. SETTLE starts much earlier.
Every stage is built around one critical date: the agreed payment due date.
If the practitioner does not know the invoice date, the agreed payment terms and the agreed payment due date, the SETTLE Method cannot be applied correctly.
- The invoice date
- The agreed payment terms
- The agreed payment due date
Everything in SETTLE revolves around protecting that date.
One method, six steps.
Each step has a job, a common mistake to avoid, and a clear split between what software can do and what a person should do.
- SSignalSpot trouble before the due date.Read the Signal step
- EEngageMake the first contact easy to answer.Read the Engage step
- TTraceFind the real reason it's unpaid.Read the Trace step
- TTalkNegotiate an outcome both sides can keep.Read the Talk step
- LLockPut the agreement in writing.Read the Lock step
- EEscalateEscalate with cause, on a clean record.Read the Escalate step
Signal and Engage happen before the conversation. Trace, Talk and Lock are the conversation. Escalate is what you do if it fails.
Want the full training? Take the SETTLE Method course — $199 AUD, lifetime access.
Three ideas behind it.
Diagnose before you negotiate.
An invoice is rarely unpaid for the reason you assume. Disputes, cash flow problems, admin errors and avoidance each need a different response.
Agree in writing.
A verbal promise is a hope. A written agreement with amounts, dates and consequences is something you can rely on.
Escalate on a clean record.
If it comes to a formal step, every contact, offer and reply should already be on file.
AI for volume. People for judgement.
In Chasyr, the AI Copilot handles the repetitive work in each step. A person makes the calls that need judgement.
- Signal
- The Copilot: Watches payment patterns and flags accounts that are drifting
- You or your team: Sets the risk thresholds and picks accounts for personal attention
- Engage
- The Copilot: Drafts and schedules well-timed messages
- You or your team: Approves tone and policy, and handles key accounts personally
- Trace
- The Copilot: Reads replies and sorts the cause: dispute, cash flow, admin error or avoidance
- You or your team: Confirms the cause on complex accounts
- Talk
- The Copilot: Prepares context, options and suggested scripts
- You or your team: Leads the conversation
- Lock
- The Copilot: Drafts the agreement terms
- You or your team: Reviews and signs off
- Escalate
- The Copilot: Compiles the record of every contact and offer
- You or your team: Decides whether to escalate
You can use SETTLE without Chasyr. Chasyr is the payment navigation platform built on the SETTLE Method, and it runs SETTLE for you. Join the Chasyr waitlist
Built for the people who get paid late.
Finance leaders and business owners
A repeatable way to protect cash flow without souring your best customers.
Accounts receivable and payable teams
A shared language, scripts and a sequence for handling difficult accounts.
Accountants, bookkeepers and advisors
A payment navigation system to recommend to clients with overdue or disputed invoices.
Bonus
SETTLE policy templates.
Put the SETTLE Method into your business with thirteen editable policy templates, one for each part of the method. Word and PDF formats, ready to adapt.
A$29 including GST, or free with any SETTLE course.
Start with a score.
The free SETTLE Payment Resolution Scorecard takes about five minutes. Choose your role, answer 17 questions, and get a personalised report: your score across the six SETTLE stages, an estimate of the cash tied up by late payment, and your top priorities.
Learn the whole method, step by step.
The SETTLE Method course covers all six steps with checklists and scripts you can use the same day. One payment of $199 AUD, lifetime access.
Questions
What is the SETTLE Method?
A six-step payment navigation system for resolving overdue and disputed business invoices: Signal, Engage, Trace, Talk, Lock and Escalate. It gives every unpaid invoice a clear path from routine reminders to payment, before formal collection.
Do I need Chasyr to use it?
No. You can apply the method with your own team and tools. Chasyr is the payment navigation platform built on the SETTLE Method, with an AI Copilot and human support.
How is it different from sending payment reminders?
Reminders repeat a request. SETTLE starts by finding out why the invoice is unpaid, then negotiates an outcome and records it.
Is this legal advice?
No. SETTLE is a payment navigation system for good practice. Obligations vary by state, contract and situation, so get advice for your circumstances before taking formal steps.
Does it replace a collection agency or a lawyer?
No. It aims to resolve more accounts before they need one, and to leave you with a clean record if they do.
Is it only for large businesses?
No. The steps work for an owner chasing a handful of invoices and for a finance team managing thousands.