Automate Invoices and Reminders with Jotform & QuickBooks

From Manual Chasing to Effortless Cash Flow

Manually creating invoices, checking who has paid, and sending reminder emails can quietly drain hours from your week. It breaks your focus, delays important work, and often leaves you feeling behind on both admin and growth.

What if that entire process could run in the background while you focus on serving clients, growing your business, or simply reclaiming your time?

This n8n workflow template connects Jotform, QuickBooks Online (QBO), Outlook, and a database into a single automated system. It captures orders, creates invoices, sends them, and follows up with smart payment reminders, all without you lifting a finger after setup.

Think of it as your always-on billing assistant, quietly keeping your revenue flowing and your customers informed.

Adopting an Automation Mindset

Automation is not just about saving a few minutes, it is about building a business that does not depend on you being online 24/7. When you automate repetitive steps like invoicing and reminders, you:

• Free up mental space to focus on strategy and creativity
• Reduce errors that come with manual data entry
• Offer a smoother, more professional experience to customers
• Create scalable systems that grow with your business

This workflow template is a practical first step into that mindset. You can start with the ready-made structure, then experiment, tweak, and extend it as your needs evolve. Each improvement you make is an investment in a more focused, less stressful way of working.

How the n8n Workflow Brings Everything Together

At its core, this automation links four key pieces of your billing process:

• Jotform to capture customer orders and details
• QuickBooks Online to manage customers and create invoices
• Outlook to send emails and payment reminders
• A database to track invoice status and reminder history

Here is how the journey flows from a simple form submission to a fully automated reminder system.

1. A Customer Submits a Jotform Order

Everything starts with a Jotform form. A customer fills it out to request a product or service, providing details like:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Billing address
• Selected product or service

Jotform is configured with a webhook so that every submission is instantly sent to n8n. No more copying data from forms into your accounting software, the workflow catches each order automatically and prepares it for invoicing.

2. The Workflow Checks or Creates the Customer in QuickBooks Online

Next, the automation verifies whether this customer already exists in QuickBooks Online. It matches the email address from the Jotform submission against your QBO customer records:

• If the customer already exists, the workflow updates their billing information to keep your data accurate and consistent.
• If the customer does not exist, it creates a brand new customer record in QBO using the details from the form.

That means your customer list stays clean and up to date without manual entry, which is a huge win for long term organization.

3. The Correct Product or Service Is Retrieved from QBO

Using the item name submitted in the Jotform, the workflow then looks up the matching product or service in your QuickBooks Online catalog. This step ensures that:

• The right item is billed
• Pricing and descriptions stay consistent with your QBO setup
• Your accounting records remain accurate and easy to reconcile

4. An Invoice Is Automatically Created

With the customer and item information ready, the workflow generates an invoice in QuickBooks Online. The invoice includes:

• The selected product or service
• Relevant pricing information
• A description that references the Jotform submission, so you can always trace back to the original request

You no longer need to log in, search for the customer, pick the product, and build the invoice by hand. That entire sequence is now handled for you.

5. The Invoice Is Sent by Email via QuickBooks

Once the invoice is created, QuickBooks Online takes care of emailing it directly to the customer. The workflow uses QBO’s built-in email capabilities, so your client receives a professional invoice straight from your accounting system, just as if you had sent it yourself.

This immediate response sets a clear, professional tone and reduces delays between order and billing.

6. Invoice Details Are Stored in a Database for Tracking

To enable smart reminders, the workflow stores key invoice information in a database. This includes:

• invoiceId
• remainingAmount (outstanding balance)
• currency
• remindersSent count
• Last reminder timestamps

These fields allow the system to know which invoices are still unpaid, how many reminders have been sent, and when it is time to follow up again. Instead of relying on spreadsheets or memory, you have a clear, automated record.

7. Daily Scheduled Payment Reminders Run Automatically

Every day at 8 AM, a scheduled trigger in n8n wakes up your reminder system. The workflow checks all outstanding invoices in the database and applies the reminder rules you configured.

You can define reminder intervals such as:

• Send a reminder 2 days after invoice creation
• Send another reminder 3 days later
• Send a final reminder after 5 days, or any timing that suits your business

Based on these rules, the workflow decides for each invoice whether to:

• Send a reminder now via Outlook
• Skip it for now and check again later
• Stop tracking if the invoice is paid or deleted

This means your customers receive timely, consistent payment reminders without you having to check who is overdue or craft follow-up emails manually.

Who This Workflow Is Perfect For

This n8n template is a great fit if you want to streamline billing without hiring extra help or spending hours on admin. It is especially valuable for:

• Freelancers juggling multiple clients who want automated, reliable invoicing and reminders.
• Small businesses that need a structured billing and follow-up framework without building everything from scratch.
• Consultants, coaches, and service providers who want a professional, consistent payment process that respects both their time and their clients’.
• E-commerce sellers using Jotform for orders who want those orders to flow directly into QuickBooks invoices with minimal effort.

If you recognize yourself in any of these, this workflow can be a powerful foundation for a more automated and focused way of working.

What You Need Before You Start

To get this n8n workflow template up and running, you will need a few pieces in place. Once they are ready, the rest is largely plug and play.

• A Jotform form configured with a webhook integration to send submissions to n8n.
• A QuickBooks Online account with API credentials so n8n can create and update customers and invoices.
• An Outlook account configured in n8n for sending reminder and summary emails.
• A database table with columns such as:
  • invoiceId
  • remainingAmount
  • currency
  • remindersSent
  • lastReminderTimestamp (or equivalent)
• Reminder intervals defined to indicate when to send emails after invoice creation, for example after 2, 3, and 5 days.

Once these elements are connected in n8n, the workflow can run end to end with minimal ongoing maintenance.

Using This Template as a Stepping Stone

This workflow template is not just a finished tool, it is a starting point for your own automation journey. After you get the basic setup running, you can gradually enhance it, for example:

• Customizing reminder email content in Outlook to match your brand voice
• Adjusting reminder timings to fit your industry or client expectations
• Adding summary emails that show you which invoices are still outstanding
• Integrating additional apps, such as CRMs or project management tools, for even deeper automation

Each small improvement moves you closer to a business that runs on systems instead of constant manual effort.

Start Automating Your Invoicing Today

If you are ready to stop chasing invoices and start working with a calmer, more automated setup, this n8n workflow template gives you a clear path forward. It connects Jotform, QuickBooks Online, Outlook, and your database into a single, reliable invoicing and reminder engine.

Set it up once, then let it handle the repetitive work while you focus on what truly moves your business forward.

For help with setup or deeper customization, you can reach out to our support team or explore our detailed documentation. You are not alone in this journey, and you can shape this workflow to match your exact processes.