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Invoice workflow

Every invoice in FSM Navigator® follows a defined lifecycle. Understanding the statuses and allowed transitions helps you manage your accounts receivable efficiently.

Invoice statuses

Status Description Color
Draft Just created, not yet finalized Gray
Generated Finalized and ready to send Blue
Sent Delivered to the customer via email Indigo
Partially Paid Some payment received, balance remaining Orange
Paid Full payment received Green
Overdue Recorded as overdue. This status is never set automatically (see below) Red
Void Cancelled — no longer valid Gray
Refunded Payment returned to customer Pink

Status diagram

The following diagram shows every possible transition between invoice statuses.

stateDiagram-v2
    state "Partially Paid" as Partially_Paid
    [*] --> Draft : Invoice created
    Draft --> Generated : Finalize
    Generated --> Sent : Send to customer
    Sent --> Paid : Payment received
    Sent --> Partially_Paid : Partial payment
    Partially_Paid --> Paid : Remaining balance paid
    Sent --> Overdue : Marked overdue
    Partially_Paid --> Overdue : Marked overdue
    Overdue --> Paid : Late payment received
    Draft --> Void : Cancel
    Generated --> Void : Cancel
    Sent --> Void : Cancel
    Overdue --> Void : Cancel
    Paid --> Refunded : Refund issued
    Void --> [*]
    Paid --> [*]
    Refunded --> [*]

Allowed actions by status

Use this table to determine what you can do with an invoice at each stage.

Status Can edit Can send Can void Can record payment Can refund
Draft ✅ — ✅ — —
Generated ✅ ✅ ✅ — —
Sent Limited ✅ ✅ ✅ —
Partially Paid — — — ✅ —
Paid — — — — ✅
Overdue — ✅ ✅ ✅ —
Void — — — — —
Refunded — — — — —

Limited editing

When an invoice is in Sent status, you can update the due date, discount, tax, and notes — but you cannot change line items or the customer.

What happens when the due date passes

An invoice's status does not change on its own when the due date passes. A Sent invoice stays Sent until it's paid or voided; it doesn't switch to Overdue by itself.

FSM Navigator still knows the invoice is past due. Once the due date has passed and a balance remains, the invoice counts in your past-due and accounts receivable totals, and your customer gets past-due reminder emails, whatever its status says.

Opening an invoice in the Customer Portal doesn't change its status either.

Understanding key statuses

Draft vs. generated

A Draft invoice is a work in progress — it is not visible to customers and can be freely edited. When you are satisfied with the details, finalize it to move it to Generated status. Generated invoices are ready to send but have not yet been delivered.

Void vs. refunded

Voiding and refunding serve different purposes:

  • Void cancels an unpaid invoice. Use this when an invoice was created in error or is no longer needed.
  • Refund returns money to a customer after payment. Use this when a customer needs a full or partial refund.

Voided and refunded invoices are preserved in your records for audit purposes.

When you void an invoice, any online payment page your customer already opened for it is closed, so it can no longer be paid. If a customer still manages to pay a voided invoice (for example, they finished paying at the same moment you voided it), the payment is recorded, the invoice stays Void, and owners and dispatchers get an in-app alert to refund the customer.

Example: invoice lifecycle

Here is a typical lifecycle for an invoice at Riverside Plumbing:

  1. A dispatcher creates an invoice for Acme HVAC — INV-2026-0001 starts in Draft.
  2. After reviewing the line items, the dispatcher finalizes it → status moves to Generated.
  3. The dispatcher clicks Send → the customer receives an email and the status becomes Sent.
  4. Acme HVAC makes a partial payment of $150.00 → status changes to Partially Paid.
  5. Acme HVAC pays the remaining $2,500.00 → status changes to Paid.

Tips

  • Void instead of deleting — voiding an invoice preserves your audit trail and keeps your records complete.
  • Invoices in Draft are invisible — customers cannot see draft invoices, so take your time getting the details right.
  • Set up email reminders — send follow-up emails for overdue invoices to improve collection rates.
  • Track partial payments — record each payment as it comes in to keep your balances accurate.

Frequently asked questions

Can I un-void an invoice?

No. Once an invoice is voided, it cannot be reopened. If you need to bill the customer again, create a new invoice. The voided invoice remains in your records for reference.

Does an invoice turn Overdue automatically?

No. The status stays as it is until the invoice is paid or voided. Past-due totals and reminder emails go by the due date, so an unpaid invoice past its due date is treated as past due either way.

How do I handle partial payments?

Record each payment as it is received. The invoice status changes to Partially Paid after the first payment and moves to Paid once the full balance is settled. See Payments & refunds for step-by-step instructions.

Can I change the due date after sending an invoice?

Yes. You can update the due date on invoices in Sent or Overdue status. Go to the invoice details page and edit the Due date field.

Next steps