What each invoice status means
Draft, Sent, Part paid, Paid, Overdue and Void, what moves an invoice between them, and how each shows in Xero.
Each invoice has one status, shown as a chip on Finance and on the invoice itself.
Invoice statuses
| Status | How it gets there | In Xero |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Save draft, or created from purchase orders or as a top-up | Draft |
| Sent | Send to Client, Send invoice on the create page, or chosen when editing. Also set when Xero approves a draft. | Approved |
| Part paid | Automatically, when payments recorded here or in Xero cover part of the balance | Approved, part paid |
| Paid | Automatically, when payments cover the whole balance | Paid |
| Overdue | Only when someone chooses it while editing the invoice | Approved |
| Void | Void, or when the invoice is voided in Xero, or a credit note cancels it in full | Voided |
Rules
- Once an invoice leaves Draft, it can't go back. To cancel it, void it.
- You can't choose Part paid or Paid yourself. Record a payment and the status follows.
- Removing every payment takes an invoice back to Sent.
- Void is final.
Purchase order statuses
Purchase orders have their own statuses, chosen by hand: Draft, Sent, Approved and Paid. In Xero these are Draft, Submitted, Authorised and Billed.
Good to know
- Nothing changes an invoice to Overdue automatically. The red due date on Finance and the Overdue card are worked out from the dates, whatever the status says.
- On Finance, Flagged isn't a status. It shows documents holding an item that needs review.
- If an invoice is deleted in Xero, it is deleted in Techstyles too.