What invoice statuses mean
Every status an invoice can show, how it gets there, and what you can do with it in that state.
The coloured label in the Status column tells you where an invoice stands. Some statuses are set by what you do (sending, marking as sent, cancelling). Others, like Overdue and Partially Paid, are worked out every time you look, from the due date and the payments recorded, so they are always up to date and you never set them by hand.
The statuses
| Draft | Saved, and not issued. How it gets here: Create Invoice, Duplicate, converting a quote, or a recurring schedule. What you can do: Edit, Send, Mark as Sent, View, Download PDF, Duplicate, Cancel Invoice, Delete. Drafts do not count as sales in your reports, and payment reminders never go for them. |
|---|---|
| Sent | Issued to the client and unpaid. How it gets here: Send, Mark as Sent, or Reopen Invoice on a cancelled one. What you can do: Record Payment, Share Payment Link, Resend, Turn Off Card Payment, View, Download PDF, Duplicate, Cancel Invoice, Delete. The amounts, lines and dates stay as issued. |
| Partially Paid | Some money has been recorded but not all, and the due date has not passed. The Total column shows how much is paid and how much is left. Same actions as Sent, plus Payment History. |
| Overdue | The due date has passed and money is still owing (some may have been paid). It shows from the day after the due date. Same actions as Sent. Overdue comes before Partially Paid, because money that is late is what you need to see first. Reminders, if on, go out on the days you chose. |
| Paid | Everything owing has been received, by card, by a payment you recorded, by a bank match, or by a credit note. It changes to Paid by itself. What you can do: View, Download PDF, Payment History, Resend, Duplicate, Delete. A paid invoice stays on record as paid; see the article on changing an invoice for the ways to correct one. |
| Refunded | Money paid on it has all been given back, by a card refund or a refund you recorded, and nothing remains paid. It stays Refunded, for you and for the client, until it is paid again, cancelled or deleted. Its whole total is owed again, so it shows on the Unpaid tab. |
| Partially Refunded | Part of what was paid has been given back and the rest is still paid. It is counted as unpaid, so it shows on the Unpaid tab. |
| Disputed | Your client asked their card company to reverse a card payment (a chargeback), and the dispute is still open. Card payment and reminders are paused on it while Stripe reviews it, and its row does not offer Share Payment Link or Turn Off Card Payment. It shows on the Unpaid tab. See the article on card disputes. |
| Dispute Lost | A card dispute ended in your client's favour and money is still owing on the invoice. It shows on the Unpaid tab until the balance is settled another way, for example a payment you record or a credit note. |
| Cancelled | Voided. It keeps its number and stays in the list, but it is left out of your sales, money owed to you and sales tax. Payments are recorded only after it is reopened. What you can do: View, Download PDF, Duplicate, Reopen Invoice, Delete. |
How an invoice moves between them
- Draft → Sent when you send it or choose Mark as Sent.
- Sent becomes Partially Paid or Paid when money is recorded. Removing a payment moves it back.
- Sent or Partially Paid → Overdue the day after the due date, if money is still owing.
- Draft or Sent → Cancelled with Cancel Invoice; Cancelled → Sent with Reopen Invoice.
- Paid becomes Refunded or Partially Refunded when money is given back.
- Any paid card invoice becomes Disputed while a chargeback is open, then Paid again if you win, or Dispute Lost if you lose and money is owing.
Good to know: An invoice with no due date never becomes Overdue and is never chased by reminders.
Good to know: An invoice becomes Paid when the money is recorded against it: by card through the Pay button, with Record Payment, by matching a bank line, or by applying a credit note.
See also
- Find your way around the Invoices list
- Record a payment you received
- Mark an invoice as sent without emailing it
- Change, copy, cancel or delete an invoice
- Payment reminders: switching them on and choosing the schedule
- Receipts, refunds and the Refunded status
- Record a refund of a cash, cheque or e-Transfer payment
- When a client disputes a card payment (chargeback)
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