Your customer’s 13th-month salary: the month when money is available
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
Brazil’s 13th-month salary is paid in two installments: the first by November 30 and the second by December 20 (when the 20th falls on a weekend, payment is brought forward; in 2026, it is due by Friday, December 18). Between those dates, salaried customers have more money in their accounts than in any other month. This is the window to collect overdue payments, sell what customers postponed all year, and close annual plans paid upfront. After December 20, the money becomes gifts, holiday meals, and travel, and in January it becomes IPVA vehicle tax.
This changes your month’s priorities. Collections and annual plan proposals belong in the first half, before the money has a destination. Christmas sales belong in the second half, when customers have decided how much to spend on gifts.
Why collect overdue payments before selling something new?
Because customers who owe you money and receive their 13th-month salary will pay someone. If your reminder arrives first, with Pix details and an offer to waive interest, you make the list. If it arrives in January, you compete with IPVA and lose.
The December message differs from October’s. It does not talk about being overdue; it talks about closing out the year. “Hi, Carlos. To end the year with no outstanding balance, I can waive the interest on October’s installment if payment arrives by December 20. Here are the Pix details.” It is honest, has a deadline, and gives a reason. The full script is in How to collect overdue payments without losing the customer.
What should you sell to customers receiving a 13th-month salary?
This is not the time to offer the cheapest option. Offer what customers wanted but did not buy because their budgets had no room:
| Offer | For whom | How to present it |
|---|---|---|
| Annual plan paid upfront at a discount | Monthly service customers: gym, studio, course, maintenance | “12 months for the price of 10 when you pay now” |
| A higher-value product they considered but did not buy | Store customers with purchase histories | A direct message, not a broadcast list, naming the product |
| Service package or bundle | Clinic, salon, auto shop, pet business | “A package of 6 sessions to use by June” |
The annual plan has the biggest effect on your cash flow. You receive in December what would otherwise trickle in through November, and eliminate that customer’s delinquency for a year. The discount must be real because customers can do the math, but it need not be large: two months off a 12-month plan usually closes the deal.
For those who do not choose the annual plan, Pix Automático is the next best option: customers authorize it once in December, and monthly debits happen without payment slips or reminders.
How do you use this window without seeming opportunistic?
Customers know they received their 13th-month salary and that everyone wants a share. A generic “make the most of your 13th-month salary” message goes where all the others go: ignored. What works is a specific offer for one person, based on what they have already shown they want.
This requires knowing who is who. Customers who pay monthly and have never been late receive the annual proposal. Those with outstanding balances receive a settlement proposal. Those who asked about a product in September but did not buy receive a message about that product. Those who bought yesterday receive nothing because they just spent money.
Without customer records that tell you this, you send everyone the same message and reach few of them effectively. With records, you send 40 different messages and close a good share of them. The difference between these scenarios is CRM, not the copy. Send offers only to people who agreed to receive business messages, always with an easy way to ask you to stop.
A practical December calendar:
- December 1 to 10: collect overdue payments with an offer to close out the year.
- December 5 to 18: offer annual plans to recurring customers whose payments are current.
- December 10 to 20: send individual messages to people who showed interest in higher-value products.
- December 20 to 24: Christmas, pickup, and gift cards only.
- After December 26: silence, or a year-end message without a sales pitch.
What to do now
Create three lists today: customers who owe money, customers who pay monthly on time, and people who asked but did not buy. Write one message for each list and send it before December 20, starting with the first. If those lists do not exist because the history is scattered across WhatsApp, a notebook, and a spreadsheet, describe your business; the assessment is on us: avilaops.com/jornada or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
When is the 13th-month salary paid?
Under Law 4.749/1965, the first installment must be paid by November 30 and the second by December 20; when the 20th falls on a weekend, as in 2026, payment must be brought forward. Some companies pay the first installment earlier, with vacation pay. Self-employed and informal workers do not receive it, and they account for a significant share of customers at many small businesses.
Should I discount the annual plan?
Yes, and state how much. Customers are advancing money and taking the risk of not using the service. Two months off a 12-month plan is a common benchmark; for more than that, check whether your margin can support it.
Should I message all customers about their 13th-month salary?
No. A mass message about customers’ money sounds opportunistic and gets no response. Send individual messages based on what each customer has already shown they want. Fewer messages, more replies.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
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