AR Handover Checklist
When responsibility for accounts receivable passes to someone else — leave cover, a new hire, or a permanent change — a clear handover prevents collections stalling and the ledger drifting. This checklist captures what the next person needs.
What this checklist covers
- Document the AR process and routines for a successor
- Hand over the live position of every active account
- Transfer access, contacts and ongoing commitments
- Flag disputes, promises and at-risk balances
- Make sure collections continue without a gap
6 min
Before you start
A good handover is written down, not just talked through. Reconcile and tidy the ledger first so you are handing over a known, accurate position.
- Confirm AR is reconciled and cash applied, so the successor inherits clean numbers.
- Gather the process notes, calendars and templates the role relies on.
- List system access, logins and approvals that need transferring.
- Pull the notes log so promises, disputes and history carry across.
Step 1 — Document the process
- Write down the routines: weekly chasing, cash application, statement runs and the month-end close.
- Note the timetable — when each task is due and any dependencies.
- List the templates, reports and tools used, and where they live.
- Record approval limits and who signs off write-offs and credits.
Step 2 — Hand over the live position
- Walk through the current aged trial balance and the priority accounts.
- Flag every open dispute, its status and the next step.
- List all promises to pay and payment plans with their dates.
- Identify at-risk and provided accounts so chasing continues appropriately.
Step 3 — Transfer access and confirm continuity
- Transfer system access, key customer contacts and email mailboxes.
- Introduce the successor to major customers where relationship continuity matters.
- Agree a short overlap or check-in so questions can be answered.
- Confirm the successor can run the next weekly routine and the next close unaided.
A handover is also a good moment to escalate debts that have been drifting. A free debt appraisal helps the incoming person decide which aged accounts to pursue, and our free tools keep the routines consistent.
Common mistakes
- Verbal-only handover. Spoken instructions evaporate — write the routines down.
- Forgotten access. A successor locked out of the bank feed or ledger cannot do the job.
- Hidden promises and disputes. Undocumented commitments get missed and trust is lost.
- No overlap. A hard cut-off with no check-in leaves the successor stuck on day one.
Key takeaways
- Hand over a reconciled ledger and written routines, not just a conversation
- Walk through the live aged position, disputes and promises to pay
- Transfer access, contacts and approval limits explicitly
- Build in an overlap so collections continue without a gap
Frequently asked questions
What is the single most important thing to hand over in AR?
The live position of the active accounts — what is owed, what is disputed, what is promised and by when. Process notes matter, but a successor who knows the state of each priority account can keep collections moving immediately, even while learning the routines.
How much overlap should an AR handover include?
Enough for the successor to run at least one full weekly routine, and ideally one month-end, with the outgoing person available. Even a few days of overlap or a scheduled check-in dramatically reduces dropped balls in the first weeks.
Why document promises to pay and disputes at handover?
Because they are time-sensitive and invisible in the ledger. A promised payment date or an unresolved dispute that the successor does not know about gets missed, which lets a balance age and can damage the customer relationship. Capturing them keeps continuity intact.
Work the checklist, then get paid
Use the free Invoice Generator, then let Merion recover anything that goes unpaid — commission-only.