PingtailThis page is about the part of the monthly close that happens before the close: getting the client's statements in, in the right shape, early enough. Pingtail does not do the close itself. It sends a recurring request per client, checks each upload as it lands, chases what is missing, and shows on one board who is holding things up.
What slows a monthly close
- The request goes out late, because someone has to remember to write it for each client.
- Your client sends the July statement for an August request, and nobody opens the file for a week.
- A statement says "Page 1 of 6" and only four pages arrive.
- Reminders depend on a person having a free hour.
- Nobody can say in one sentence which clients are complete.
A recurring request for each client
You create a request for one client and one period from the monthly bookkeeping checklist: bank and credit card statements, payment processor reports, payroll reports, bills and receipts, a sales report, and a yes/no question about new loans, assets or accounts. There are versions for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India and ten more countries. Take out what a client does not have, add what is special to them, and save the result as your own template.
On a paid plan a request can recur monthly, quarterly or yearly. Each item names the period, so "the full statement for August" is written on your client's page, not left to memory.
Due dates that follow the period
Each request has a due date, and it never defaults to the past. Pick one that matches your close calendar, for example a fixed number of days after the month ends, and keep it the same every month so clients learn the rhythm. Reminders run from the day the request is sent, on day 3, 7 and 12 by default, and list only the missing required items. More on the reminders page.
Checked uploads, so review is short
Each upload is checked at once, while your client is still on the page. Fixed rules catch a password-locked PDF, a document with pages missing, dates outside the requested month, and a photo that is too blurred. When the rules cannot decide, the check reads the document for its type and period. The check can accept the file, ask your client to look again, or pass it to your team. It never rejects; your client can always answer "This is correct, send it anyway", and you see that flag.
A statement that covers several months, including the one you asked for, is accepted, and your staff see every month it covers. See upload checks for the full list.
What each status means
The dashboard has five counters, and inside a request every item has a state. This table says what each one means and what to do about it.
| Status | What it means | What you do next |
|---|---|---|
| Open requests (counter) | Requests that are sent and not yet complete. | Nothing, unless one is also in a row below. |
| Not opened yet (counter) | Your client has not opened the link. | Check the email address. Call if the due date is close. |
| To review (counter) | Files or answers are waiting for a person at your firm. | Open the request, then accept or send back. |
| Overdue (counter) | The due date has passed and the request is not complete. | Look at what is missing. Send a reminder now, or call. |
| Completed in the last 30 days (counter) | Requests where everything is in. | Export the zip and start the close. |
| Waiting for client | Nothing has arrived for this item. | Let the reminders run. |
| Received, passed checks | A file arrived and the check found no problem. | A short look, then accept. |
| Needs your look | The check was unsure, or your client chose "send it anyway". | Read what the check found. Accept, or send back with a note. |
| Client must fix | You sent the file back with a note. Your client got the note by email. | Wait. The next reminder includes this item. |
| Client says not applicable | Your client says the item does not apply this period, with a reason. | Approve or refuse. |
| Accepted | You accepted the file. Your client can no longer replace it. | Nothing. |
| Received outside | The document reached you another way, and you marked it. | Nothing. Reminders stop asking for it. |
A calmer close in four steps
- First working day. Requests go out for the month that just ended.
- Twice a week. One person clears the "to review" counter. Accept what is right. Send back what is wrong, with a plain note.
- After the last reminder. Your firm gets a "time for a call" email and reminders stop. Call that client the same day. If you would rather set a deadline than chase, add a cut-off notice to the request: after its date your client is told you will go ahead with what you have, reminders stop, and the chasing log shows every message sent.
- As you accept files. Accepted files can go to QuickBooks Online, where each one is attached to the client's customer, to Google Drive or Dropbox, or by email to tools like Dext and Hubdoc. Pingtail only adds files there: nothing already in your books is changed. When a request is complete you can also export one zip. Files are renamed with your pattern, by default
{client}_{period}_{item}, and answers to questions are in a text file. Start the close.
When you do not need this
If your clients give you direct bank feeds and you rarely need a document from them, a spreadsheet and plain email are probably enough. Pingtail does not read your bank feed, and it never changes what is already in your books; it helps most where statements and receipts still come from the client by hand.
Related: a worked month at a bookkeeping firm and pricing.