To track paid and unpaid invoices in Simple Invoicing, keep the due date accurate and update the matching invoice after checking payment. You can mark it manually or enable matching from bank payment notification emails.
Freelancers often lose track because the invoice lives in one folder, the bank transaction in another, and a reminder in an email thread. A simple status on the original invoice creates a useful working view without requiring every invoicing task to become an accounting project.
Status tracking is intentionally limited. The app does not connect directly to your bank, receive funds, reconcile partial payments or create a ledger. Optional payment-email matching can update one unambiguous invoice from a bank notification; otherwise you update the status manually. Keep the exact settlement date and accounting evidence in the system where you maintain financial records.
Review my invoice statusesA reliable invoice status routine
Update status from evidence, not from expectation. A client’s “payment sent” message is useful context, but the receiving account or agreed payment channel is the final check.
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Issue with a realistic due date
Create the invoice with the agreed terms and payment instructions. The due date lets the list distinguish an unpaid invoice that is still upcoming from one that is overdue.
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Match the actual payment
Check the sender, amount, reference and relevant invoice in your bank or payment record. Optional bank-email matching can do this automatically only when one unpaid invoice is unambiguous.
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Confirm the paid status
If email matching did not update the invoice, open its Action menu, select Update, tick Paid in Invoice Configuration and save. Keep transaction dates and reconciliation details in your accounting records.
Example: two identical monthly fees
A freelancer has two $750 invoices open for different clients. A $750 bank credit appears, so the amount alone cannot identify the invoice. The freelancer compares the sender and payment reference with both documents, finds the correct client and marks only that invoice paid.
The second invoice remains unpaid. Because its due date is next week, it stays in the upcoming category rather than appearing overdue. The freelancer records the bank settlement date in their bookkeeping record, where the transaction can be reconciled, and uses Simple Invoicing as the focused status view for invoice follow-up.
- Match more than the amount: use sender and reference.
- Change only the invoice supported by the payment evidence.
- Use the due date for follow-up timing; marking paid does not change or replace it.
Paid, upcoming and overdue mean different things
Paid means you have updated the invoice after checking receipt. Upcoming means it is still unpaid but the due date has not passed. Overdue means it remains unpaid beyond that date. These labels help prioritize follow-up; they do not prove the legal state of a disputed or partially settled debt.
The categories are only as accurate as the invoice data. If the due date was entered incorrectly or a payment arrived but the status was not updated, the list will be misleading. A short weekly review keeps it useful.
- Check new credits against open invoices.
- Review invoices approaching their due date.
- Investigate overdue items before sending a reminder.
- Keep separate records for partial payments and adjustments.
What the paid status records
The invoice carries issue and due dates, while its status is a simple paid or unpaid value. Marking an invoice paid does not store the date money settled, the amount received or a bank transaction reference.
This narrow status still gives you a cleaner operational view of outstanding documents. Keep settlement dates, partial payments, fees, exchange differences and reconciliation evidence in your accounting or banking records.
Partial, combined and reversed payments
A single paid or unpaid flag cannot describe every situation. If a client pays half, combines several invoices in one transfer, deducts a fee or a payment is reversed, do not force the status to tell a more detailed story than it can. Track the breakdown in your accounting records and update the invoice only when the status is meaningful.
Simple Invoicing is not accounts receivable software. Payment-email matching does not connect directly to your bank and cannot handle partial or combined settlements. The app does not send automatic reminders, calculate late fees or file taxes.
Related guides and tools
Frequently asked questions
It does not connect directly to your bank. You can optionally send bank payment notification emails to your unique matching address; one unambiguous invoice can then be marked paid automatically. Otherwise check receipt and update it manually.
An unpaid invoice is treated as overdue after its entered due date passes. Keep that date accurate and consider any separate agreement with the client before following up.
No. The app stores only the paid or unpaid status. Keep settlement dates and transaction evidence in your bank or accounting records.
The basic status does not provide a full partial-payment ledger. Record the amounts and dates in your accounting process and avoid marking the invoice fully paid prematurely.
See which invoices still need attention
Review due dates, verify payments outside the app and keep the paid status of each invoice current.
Open my invoices