How to Introduce Instalment Payments to Existing Customers

Why Existing Customers Are a Good Starting Point

A customer who already buys from you regularly does not need to be convinced to trust your business. Introducing instalments to this group is largely a matter of letting them know a new payment option is available, rather than winning them over from scratch.

It is also a lower stakes way to test messaging and rollout mechanics before extending the option to prospective customers who do not yet have that existing relationship to fall back on.

Choose the Right Initial Audience

Not every customer or transaction needs to hear about instalments at once. Consider starting with customers who place larger orders, order irregularly, or have previously asked about payment timing. This gives you a smaller group to learn from before rolling the message out more broadly.

Starting narrow also makes it easier to handle questions well, since staff are fielding them from a smaller group first rather than the whole customer base at once.

Prepare Internal Staff

Sales and account management staff should understand the option before customers start asking about it. At minimum, they should be able to explain what it is, who it may suit, roughly how it works, and where to send more detailed questions.

A short internal briefing, rather than a lengthy document, is usually enough. The goal is confidence in a plain explanation, not memorising every detail of how PaidTerms Capital works behind the scenes.

Announce the Option Clearly

A short, direct announcement works better than an elaborate campaign. State what the option is, that it is optional, and that existing contractual terms have not automatically changed for anyone who does not choose it.

Keep the tone matter of fact. This is a new way to pay an invoice, not a response to a problem the customer is assumed to have.

Add It to Existing Customer Touchpoints

Rather than a single one-off announcement, add a mention to communications you already send: invoice emails, account statements, or a note from the account manager on the next order. For a fuller placement guide, see where to display instalment options across the buying journey.

Three Concise Message Examples

Customer announcement email: "We now offer the option to pay invoices in instalments through PaidTerms. This is an additional way to pay, alongside your existing terms. If you would like to use it on an upcoming order, let us know or select it at checkout."

Account manager script: "Just so you know, we now offer instalments through PaidTerms if that ever suits an order better. It is entirely optional, and your current terms with us do not change unless you choose to use it."

Invoice email line: "This invoice can be paid in full, or in instalments through PaidTerms. Terms and eligibility apply."

Handle Questions Transparently

Customers may ask about fees, eligibility or what happens if a repayment is missed. Answer these directly rather than glossing over them. Being upfront that eligibility and terms apply, and that the customer remains responsible for scheduled repayments, builds more trust than vague reassurance.

It also helps to give customers an obvious way to ask questions before they commit, such as a named contact or a short line pointing them to more detail, rather than leaving them to work it out from a single announcement.

Measure and Improve the Rollout

Once the option is live, note which customers ask questions, which decline, and what those questions tend to be about. This is useful for refining the messaging before extending the rollout to a wider customer base, or to promoting it more broadly.

Treating the initial rollout as a starting point rather than a finished campaign makes it easier to adjust the wording, timing or audience before committing to a wider announcement.

Frequently Asked Questions