Sending Invoices and Getting Paid

Overview

After creating an invoice, you need to send it to the customer and collect payment. Cooledge makes this simple with email invoices and online payment links.

What this guide covers:

• Sending invoices via email
• How customers pay online
• Recording manual payments (cash, bank transfer)
• Checking invoice status and payment history

Sending an Invoice

How to Send

1. Open the invoice detail page
2. Click the "Send Invoice" button (top right)
3. Cooledge automatically:
   • Marks the invoice as "Sent"
   • Records the sent date and time
   • Emails the customer with a payment link
   • CCs your business email (so you have a copy)

The customer receives an email immediately.

Customer details on the email: The invoice will show the customer's name and address as they were when the invoice was prepared. If the customer has moved or changed contact details since the job was done, don't worry - the invoice still shows the correct information for that specific job. This is intentional and keeps records accurate.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Invoice detail page with Send Invoice button highlighted]

What the Customer Receives

The email looks professional and includes your business logo and name, the invoice number and amount due, a breakdown of what they're paying for, and a "Pay Now" button that links to a secure payment page. Your business contact details are included too. Everything matches your branding so it feels consistent with your business.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Screenshot of customer invoice email]

Invoice Status Changes

When you send an invoice:

• Status changes from "Draft" → "Sent"
• A "Sent at" timestamp is recorded
• The invoice appears in your customer's online portal (if they have access)

You can send an invoice multiple times if needed (customer lost the email, etc.). Each send updates the "Sent at" time.

How Customers Pay Online

The Payment Page

When a customer clicks "Pay Now" in the email, they see:

• Invoice details and amount due
• Breakdown of charges
• Secure credit card payment form (powered by Stripe)
• Option to pay full amount or partial amount

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Customer payment page showing invoice and card form]

After Customer Pays

When payment processes:

1. Customer sees confirmation message
2. Customer receives payment receipt via email
3. You receive instant notification (email and push notification)
4. Invoice status updates automatically
5. Payment is recorded with date, amount, and method

The money goes directly to your Stripe account, not through Cooledge.

Invoice Status After Payment

Full Payment:

• Status changes to "Paid"
• Amount Due = $0
• Invoice shows as fully paid

Partial Payment:

• Status changes to "Part-Paid"
• Amount Due = reduced by payment amount
• Customer can pay the remaining balance later

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Invoice detail showing Part-Paid status with payment history]

Recording Manual Payments

Sometimes customers pay outside the online system - cash, bank transfer, check. You need to record these manually so the invoice shows as paid.

How to Record a Payment

1. Open the invoice detail page
2. Click "Record Payment" button
3. Fill in:
   • Amount - how much they paid
   • Payment method - Cash, Bank Transfer, Check, etc.
   • Date - when you received it (defaults to today)
   • Reference/Notes (optional) - check number, bank reference, etc.
4. Click "Record Payment"

The payment is added to the invoice immediately and the status updates.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Record Payment modal with fields filled in]

Multiple Manual Payments

You can record multiple payments if a customer pays in installments:

• Record $500 cash deposit → Invoice shows Part-Paid
• Record $1,000 bank transfer next week → Invoice shows Part-Paid with less owing
• Record $500 final payment → Invoice shows Paid

Each payment is timestamped and tracked separately.

Invoice Status Explained

Invoices move through different statuses:

Draft

• Invoice created but not sent yet
• Customer hasn't seen it
• You can still edit details
• Shows as "Draft" in the invoice list

Sent

• Email sent to customer
• They can pay online via payment link
• No payments received yet
• Shows as "Sent" in the invoice list

Part-Paid

• Invoice sent AND some payment received
• Customer owes remaining balance
• Shows as "Part-Paid" with amount due
• Can accept more payments

Paid

• Full amount received
• No balance owing (Amount Due = $0)
• Shows as "Paid" with green checkmark
• Job can be marked as complete

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Invoice list showing different status badges]

Payment History

Every payment on an invoice is tracked in the Payment History section:

What you see for each payment:

• Date and time received
• Amount paid
• Payment method (Online, Cash, Bank Transfer, etc.)
• Who recorded it (for manual payments)
• Transaction reference (for online payments)

This gives you a complete audit trail.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Payment history section on invoice detail page]

Checking What's Owed

On Invoice Detail Page

At the top you'll see:

• Total Amount - original invoice total
• Amount Paid - sum of all payments received
• Amount Due - what customer still owes (Total - Paid)
• Deposits Deducted (for job invoices) - deposits automatically subtracted

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Invoice amount summary with labeled sections]

In Invoice List

The main invoices page shows:

• Each invoice with amount due
• Status badge (Sent, Part-Paid, Paid)
• Quick view of what needs collection
• Filters to show "Unpaid Only" or "Overdue Only"

Email Sending Features

From Address

Emails come from your business name:

• Basic: Your Business Name <billing@notifications.cooledge.com.au>
• With Subdomain (Premium): Your Business Name <yourslug@notifications.cldg.com.au>

The subdomain makes emails look more professional and improves delivery rates.

CC to Your Business Email

By default, you're automatically CCed on all invoice emails so you have a copy for your records. You can turn this off in Settings if you prefer.

Reply-To Address

When customers hit "Reply" to an invoice email, it goes to your business email (set in your profile), not a no-reply address.

Common Workflows

Scenario 1: Customer Pays Online in Full

1. You create invoice and click "Send"
2. Customer opens email and clicks "Pay Now"
3. Customer enters card details and pays
4. You get instant notification
5. Invoice automatically marked as Paid
6. Done! No further action needed.

Scenario 2: Customer Pays Cash On Site

1. You create invoice and click "Send" (so customer has record)
2. Customer gives you cash when work is done
3. You click "Record Payment" and enter cash amount
4. Invoice marked as Paid
5. Customer already has emailed invoice for their records

Scenario 3: Customer Pays in Installments

1. You create $5,000 invoice and send it
2. Customer pays $2,000 deposit online → Status: Part-Paid, Owe: $3,000
3. Week later, customer pays $1,500 bank transfer → You record it manually → Owe: $1,500
4. Week later, customer pays $1,500 cash → You record it → Status: Paid

Overdue Invoices

Invoices sent more than 30 days ago without full payment show as "Overdue":

• Red "Overdue" badge appears
• Easy to filter and see what needs follow-up
• You can resend the invoice email as a reminder

To follow up on overdue invoices:

1. Filter invoice list by "Overdue"
2. Click the invoice
3. Click "Send Invoice" again to send a reminder email
4. Or call/SMS customer directly (contact details on invoice)

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Invoice list with Overdue filter selected]

Best Practices

Send invoices immediately after completing work Don't wait. Customers pay faster when the work is fresh in their mind.

Use online payments when possible Online payments are instant, automatic, and customers can pay anytime. Much faster than waiting for bank transfers.

Record cash/bank payments same day Don't let manual payments sit unrecorded. Do it immediately so your records are accurate.

Check the Sent email worked After sending, check your CC email to confirm it went through. Occasionally customer emails are wrong.

Follow up on overdue invoices weekly Set a reminder to check overdue invoices every Monday. A polite email or call usually gets payment moving.

Common Questions

Can I edit an invoice after sending? You can edit invoice details, but major changes (like line items) should be avoided after sending. Better to create a new invoice or credit note if needed.

What if the customer says they didn't receive the email? Click "Send Invoice" again to resend. Also check the customer email is correct in their profile.

Do I need a Stripe account? Yes, to receive online payments you need to connect your Stripe account in Settings > Billing & Payments. This takes 5 minutes to set up.

What fees does Stripe charge? Stripe charges ~1.75% + 30¢ per transaction. This is standard for card payments and much cheaper than merchant terminals.

Can I accept payment in person with a card terminal? Yes, if you have a Stripe card reader. Process the payment through Stripe, then record it manually in Cooledge.

What if I need to refund a customer? Process the refund through Stripe (if paid online), then record a negative payment in Cooledge to update the invoice.

Related Articles

• Creating Invoices - How to create job-linked and standalone invoices
• Understanding Deposits - How deposits are deducted from invoices
• Invoice Line Items - Adding and editing items on invoices
• Invoice Numbers - How invoice numbering works