Invoices

Create and track invoices from within ClientFlow. Link invoices to clients and proposals for complete visibility.

Invoice Statuses

Creating an Invoice

From Client Profile

1. Go to Clients tab in ClientFlow
2. Select a client
3. Open the Invoices tab in the client detail panel
4. Click Create Invoice

Invoice Fields

Payment Terms Presets

Quick-set payment due date:

Or set a custom date manually.

Generating Invoice from Proposal

When a proposal is approved, you can generate an invoice directly:

1. Open the approved proposal
2. Click Generate Invoice
3. Choose amount (full or partial)
4. Invoice is created linked to the proposal

The proposal tracks:

• Total invoiced amount
• Remaining to invoice
• Full invoiced status

Invoice Detail Panel

View invoice details including:

Managing Invoices

Draft Invoices

• Edit any field
• Delete invoice
• Send to client when ready

Sent Invoices

• View client activity (opened, viewed)
• Send reminders
• Copy public link
• Record payment when received

Recording Payment

1. Open the invoice
2. Click Mark as Paid or equivalent action
3. Invoice status changes to Paid
4. Revenue dashboard updates automatically

Invoice Visibility

Dashboard Tabs

Invoices appear in multiple dashboard views:

Client Profile

Each client's Invoices tab shows:

• All invoices for that client
• Invoice status badges
• Quick access to create new invoice

Overdue Invoices

Invoices past their payment_due date are flagged:

• Appear in At Risk tab with risk type "overdue_invoice"
• Show in Insights as Critical priority items
• Display days overdue count
• Contribute to client risk score

Currency

Invoices use the workspace's default currency. Amount displays formatted according to locale.

Permissions

Troubleshooting

"Can't delete a sent invoice"

Sent invoices are locked for audit trail. Mark as cancelled instead.

"Invoice not appearing in Revenue tab"

Check the date filter range on the dashboard.

"Client says they didn't receive invoice"

Copy the public link and send directly, or resend via the invoice panel.

You just lost $4,800 of margin because nobody invoiced when the work ended.

This happens constantly. Not because agencies are careless. Because billing is disconnected from work.

The Fix: Invoice Where Work Happens

The difference: 30 minutes of work becomes 3 minutes. And nothing gets forgotten.

Creating an Invoice in Reality

From Time Entries (The Fast Way)

Your team tracked 36 hours on the Acme website project. Here's how you invoice it:

1. Open Acme's client profile
2. Click "Create Invoice"
3. Click "Import from Time Entries"
4. Select date range
5. Review entries—each becomes a line item:

1. Add any fixed items (hosting, licenses)
2. Set due date
3. Send

Time entries are now marked "invoiced." They won't appear twice. You can't double-bill by accident.

Manual Line Items (For Fixed-Price Work)

Add descriptions, quantities, rates—whatever your client expects to see.

Mixed Approach

Many agencies do both:

• Fixed-price deliverables (from proposal)
• Time-and-materials add-ons (from tracking)

Both work together on the same invoice.

Invoice States: What Actually Happens

The State That Matters Most: Viewed

When an invoice shows "Viewed," you know:

• Client received it (not in spam)
• They opened it (aware of amount and due date)
• You have grounds to follow up ("I see you received the invoice...")

This changes the collection conversation. You're not wondering if they saw it.

The Invoice Email

When you click "Send," client receives:

Subject: Invoice #1042 from [Your Agency] - $5,400 due Feb 28

Body includes:

• Summary: Amount, due date
• Line item preview
• Link to view full invoice
• Payment button (if configured)
• PDF download option

Clients can pay directly from the email if you've connected Stripe or another payment gateway. One click → pay → done.

Recording Payments

When payment arrives:

1. Open the invoice
2. Click "Record Payment"
3. Enter:

- Amount received (full or partial) - Payment date - Method (check, wire, card, etc.) - Reference number (for reconciliation)

Invoice status updates. Revenue dashboard updates. Cash flow forecasting updates.

Partial Payments

Client pays $3,000 of a $5,400 invoice:

1. Record $3,000 payment
2. Invoice shows balance: $2,400 remaining
3. Status stays "Sent" (or "Partially Paid" indicator)
4. Record next payment when it arrives
5. Full amount received → status becomes "Paid"

You always know exactly where you stand.

The Three Mistakes That Cost Agencies Money

Mistake 1: Delayed Invoicing

Rule: Invoice within 48 hours of work completion.

Late invoices signal to clients that payment isn't urgent. If you take a month to bill, they'll take a month to pay.

Mistake 2: Vague Descriptions

Bad: "Development work - February"

Good: "Homepage redesign: responsive layout, CMS integration, cross-browser testing (12 hours)"

Specific descriptions:

• Justify your rates
• Reduce client questions
• Build trust
• Document what was delivered

Mistake 3: Unclear Due Dates

Bad: "Net 30" (from when? What's the actual date?)

Good: "Due: February 28, 2026"

Specific dates are harder to ignore than relative terms.

Invoice Timing Strategy

Never Invoice Quarterly

Some agencies invoice quarterly "for simplicity."

Problems:

• Client sees large number, has sticker shock
• Cash flow gap of 90+ days
• Disputes harder to resolve months later
• You're financing their business

Monthly maximum. Biweekly for T&M work.

Payment Terms That Work

The Deposit Rule

First project with any client: Require deposit. Reason: You don't know if they'll pay. They don't know your work. Deposit aligns risk.

Deposit amounts that work:

• 30% = Low commitment (client still testing)
• 50% = Standard (both parties committed)
• 100% = Prepaid (recurring clients, productized services)

The Collection Sequence That Gets Paid

Before Due Date

Day -3: System sends automatic reminder "Invoice #1042 is due in 3 days. [Pay now]"

Due Date

Day 0: System sends due notification "Invoice #1042 is due today. [Pay now]"

After Due Date

Day 3: "Hi Sarah, quick note that invoice #1042 is past due. Any questions I can help with?"

(Assume they forgot. Don't accuse.)

Day 7: "Following up on invoice #1042. If there's an issue with the invoice, let me know. Otherwise, please process when you can."

(Create accountability. Offer an out.)

Day 14: Phone call. Not email. "Hi Sarah, calling about invoice #1042. Is there anything preventing payment I should know about?"

(This is when you learn if there's a real issue: dispute, cash problem, unhappy with work.)

Day 21: "I need to formally follow up on invoice #1042, now 21 days past due. Please provide a payment timeline or let me know if we need to discuss."

(Formal tone. They know it's serious.)

Day 30+: Decision time:

• Pause current work
• Payment plan negotiation
• Collections if they won't engage

What Most Agencies Do Wrong

Skip from "friendly email" to "30 days frustrated."

The gradual escalation works because:

1. Early reminders often get immediate payment
2. Each step documents your follow-up
3. Relationship preserved when possible
4. Clear pattern if you need to escalate formally

Recurring Invoices

For retainer clients:

1. Create invoice template with standard items
2. Set recurrence (monthly, biweekly)
3. System generates invoice automatically
4. Review before auto-send (optional)
5. Client receives predictable invoice, same time each month

Retainer invoicing should be boring. Same amount, same time, same expectations. Surprises kill retainers.

The Unbilled Time Problem

Time is tracked. Work is done. But no invoice exists.

ClientFlow shows "Unbilled Time":

This is money you've earned but haven't claimed. The system reminds you it exists.

Common causes:

• Project ongoing, waiting for milestone
• PM forgot to request invoice
• Work fell between billing cycles

Either invoice it or document why you're not.

Invoice History Analytics

Over time, you see patterns:

Client-Specific Patterns

Quantum is a collection problem. Either fix the relationship or require deposits.

Connecting to Revenue Dashboard

Every invoice affects your Revenue tab:

• Sent → increases "Pending" amount
• Paid → moves to "Collected"
• Overdue → appears in "Overdue" (red)

The Revenue tab is just invoices, aggregated. Keep invoices accurate, and Revenue tab is automatic.

Tax and Currency Reality

Tax Configuration

Configure once in settings. Apply per invoice as needed.

Multi-Currency

• Set currency per invoice
• Default from workspace
• Supports USD, EUR, GBP, and 50+ others
• Revenue reports convert to primary currency

International agencies: This just works. You don't need separate systems.

Real Agency Impact

Before Connected Invoicing

• Invoices created in QuickBooks
• Time tracked in Harvest
• Manual data transfer required
• Things fell through
• Average "invoice delay": 12 days after work completion

After ClientFlow

• Invoice created from within project context
• Time entries pull automatically
• Nothing falls through
• Average "invoice delay": 2 days

Financial impact on a $200K/month agency:

• 10 days faster invoicing → 10 days faster payment
• 10 days × $200K/30 = ~$67K more cash in bank at any time
• Lower credit line usage
• Less stress

Troubleshooting

"Client says they didn't receive invoice"

1. Check email address
2. Check their spam
3. Resend via ClientFlow
4. Send direct link to invoice

"Invoice shows wrong amount"

1. Check line items (math is automatic)
2. Check tax settings
3. Edit if in Draft, or cancel and recreate if Sent

"Can't delete a sent invoice"

Sent invoices are locked for audit trail. Options:

• Record as cancelled
• Create credit note
• Issue corrected invoice

"Time entries not importing"

1. Entries must be marked billable
2. Entries must be on project linked to this client
3. Entries must be within selected date range
4. Entries can't be already invoiced

Invoicing isn't administration. It's revenue capture.

Every day between work completion and invoice sent is a day you're financing your client's business. Every invoice that falls through the cracks is money you earned and never claimed.

ClientFlow makes invoicing fast enough that there's no excuse to delay—and transparent enough that nothing gets lost.