The Kerning Letter8:02 AM
Issue 214 is out - Notes on optical spacing and when to break the grid.
8:02 AMComparison
InvoiceHound vs Stripe invoice reminders
Stripe can send reminders on your unpaid invoices. If you invoice in Stripe and one nudge usually does it, that is often enough. Here is exactly where those built-in reminders stop, and what changes when getting paid is the whole job.
Whose name is on the email
Inbox4 messages
Dana Whitfield9:14 AM
Invoice #1042 is due Friday - Hi Marcus, the $2,400 invoice is due this Friday. Payment link is below.
9:14 AMWhitfield Studiovia stripe.com9:07 AM
Your invoice from Whitfield Studio - is ready to view and pay online.
9:07 AMNorthline UtilitiesYesterday
Your November statement is ready - Autopay is scheduled for the 15th. No action needed.
YesterdayThe same invoice, magnified. Click to switch the sender.
Dana Whitfield
from dana@whitfield.studio
Invoice #1042 is due Friday
Hi Marcus, the $2,400 invoice is due this Friday. Payment link is below.
A person, from her own domain
The sender is Dana herself. The email is signed with her domain’s DKIM key, so inbox filters treat it as hers, and replies go straight to her.
Sender identityDana herself
Sending domainwhitfield.studio
Who owns the emailHer, top to bottom
Stripe's documented email branding is your logo and color on Stripe's emails; own-domain sending is not offered in any documented setting (Stripe docs). InvoiceHound sends from your domain, DKIM-aligned.
Three moments people switch
“My client says they never got it.”
You can see whether each reminder was delivered, bounced, or marked spam. Stripe's reminder settings cover scheduling and branding, not per-send delivery status.
“This invoice came from somewhere other than Stripe.”
Stripe's reminders run only on invoices created in Stripe (send_invoice). InvoiceHound chases invoices you created anywhere.
“The reminders went out and nothing happened.”
Stripe sends on preset schedules. InvoiceHound escalates across seven steps and three tones, so a firm notice follows a friendly one on its own.
Side by side
Stripe remindersInvoiceHound
Reminder cadenceOpt-in reminders on preset schedules (before, on, or after the due date).A 7-step escalating sequence from 3 days before due to 60 days after, in three tone tracks.
Which invoicesOnly invoices created in Stripe (collection_method = send_invoice).Any invoice you created, in Stripe or anywhere else.
Sender identityYour logo and color on Stripe's emails. No own-domain sending in any documented setting.Sent from your own domain, DKIM-aligned, signed in your name.
After it sendsScheduling and branding settings; per-send delivery status is not part of them.Per-send delivery status (delivered, bounced, complained) and automatic bounce suppression.
Stripe facts from Stripe's own docs (send-email, automatic collection), read 2026-08-07.
When to stay with Stripe
Stay with Stripe's built-ins if you send a few invoices a month, all from Stripe, and one nudge usually does it. You already have the reminders, and a second tool would only get in the way.
Before you decide anything, run your domain.
Whichever tool sends your reminders, they only help if they arrive. Check your SPF, DMARC, and DKIM in a few seconds.