Payment Tracking
Learn how to track invoice payments, manage overdue invoices, and maintain healthy cash flow with billli.
Tracking payments is essential for healthy cash flow. billli makes it easy to see who has paid, who hasn't, and what actions to take for overdue invoices.
Payment Overview
Your dashboard shows at a glance:
- Total Outstanding - Sum of all unpaid invoices
- Overdue Amount - Unpaid invoices past due date
- Paid This Month - Revenue received this month
- Pending - Invoices not yet due
Invoice Payment Status
Every invoice has one of these statuses:
| Status | Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | ⚪ | Not sent yet |
| Sent | 🔵 | Sent, awaiting payment |
| Overdue | 🔴 | Past due date |
| Paid | 🟢 | Payment received |
| Cancelled | ⚫ | Voided |
Marking Invoices as Paid
When you receive payment:
Find the Invoice
Go to Invoices and find the paid invoice.
Click Mark as Paid
Click Mark as Paid or the checkmark icon.
Enter Payment Details
Add the payment date and method (optional).
Confirm
Click Confirm to update the status.
For faster reconciliation, use the Bank Reconciliation feature to automatically match payments with invoices.
Managing Overdue Invoices
Finding Overdue Invoices
Filter your invoice list to see overdue items:
- Go to Invoices
- Click the Filter button
- Select Overdue
Taking Action
For each overdue invoice, you can:
- Send Reminder - Email a payment reminder
- Call Client - Note in invoice for follow-up
- Mark as Paid - If payment was received
- Cancel - If invoice is no longer valid
Reminder Schedule
Suggested approach for overdue invoices:
| Days Overdue | Action |
|---|---|
| 1-3 days | Gentle email reminder |
| 7 days | Second reminder |
| 14 days | Phone call + firm email |
| 30 days | Final notice |
| 60+ days | Consider collections |
Payment Reminders
Sending Reminders
From an overdue invoice:
- Click Send Reminder
- Review the reminder message
- Add any personal note
- Click Send
Reminder Templates
billli provides professional reminder templates:
First Reminder (Friendly)
This is a friendly reminder that invoice [number] for [amount] was due on [date]. Please arrange payment at your earliest convenience.
Second Reminder (Firm)
Invoice [number] for [amount] is now [days] days overdue. Please process payment immediately to avoid any service interruption.
Keep reminders professional. Even with late payers, maintain a business-appropriate tone.
Payment Methods
billli tracks payments received via:
- Bank Transfer - Standard Swiss bank payment
- QR-Bill Scan - Payment via QR code
- Other - Cash, card, or other methods
When marking as paid, select the method used for your records.
Partial Payments
If a client pays part of an invoice:
- Open the invoice
- Click Record Payment
- Enter the partial amount
- The remaining balance stays as outstanding
The invoice shows:
- Original amount
- Payments received
- Balance due
Aging Reports
See how long invoices have been outstanding:
| Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| Current | Not yet due |
| 1-30 days | Recently overdue |
| 31-60 days | Significantly overdue |
| 60+ days | Severely overdue |
Cash Flow Tips
Invoice Promptly
Send invoices immediately after completing work. Delays in invoicing lead to delays in payment.
Clear Payment Terms
State due dates clearly on every invoice. "Payment due within 14 days" is better than "Payment due soon."
Make Payment Easy
The QR-Bill makes it simple for clients to pay. Highlight this in your communications:
"Just scan the QR code with your banking app for instant payment!"
Follow Up Consistently
Don't let overdue invoices linger. A consistent follow-up schedule improves collection rates.
Reporting
Track your payment performance:
- Average Days to Payment - How long clients take to pay
- Collection Rate - Percentage of invoices paid
- Monthly Revenue - Track trends over time