How to Track Paid and Unpaid Invoices on iPhone

What 'paid' and 'unpaid' really mean on an invoice

Sending an invoice and getting paid are two separate events. A sent invoice is a request for money; a paid invoice is a record that the money actually arrived and is available to you. Tracking status means recording that second event — and updating it every time reality changes, whether that is a deposit landing, a client paying half the balance, or a transfer clearing three days later than promised.

Your status field is an internal note to yourself, not proof to anyone else. Think of it as a signal that tells you who still owes you money, how much is outstanding, and which invoice deserves your attention next. Recordkeeping expectations differ by country: in the United States the IRS publishes guidance on which business records to keep, and in the UK GOV.UK sets out what invoices must include and when VAT rules apply. Both are worth reading if your invoice statuses double as your bookkeeping trail — and neither replaces advice from an accountant who knows your situation.

Outstanding balance

The amount still owed on an invoice after any deposits or partial payments have been applied.

Pick a status set you will actually keep up with

Most freelancers and small businesses only need a handful of states. More labels sound organised, but every extra label is another chance to forget to change one — and a status you do not trust is worse than no status at all.

• Unsent or draft — prepared but not yet delivered to the client.
• Sent, unpaid — delivered and waiting for money.
• Partially paid — a deposit or part-payment has arrived.
• Paid — the full amount is available to you.
• Void or written off — the invoice will not be collected, kept separate so it does not distort your reports.

Mark an invoice paid on iPhone, step by step

The habit matters far more than the tapping. Do this as soon as you have confirmed the money is available, while the details are still fresh in your head.

1. Open the invoice — Find it in your invoice list or search by the client's name.
2. Check what actually arrived — Compare the incoming payment against the invoice total and any agreed deposit before you change anything.
3. Mark it paid if the full amount landed — Switch the status to paid so the invoice drops out of your open balance and stops appearing in follow-up lists.
4. Keep part-payments visible if only some arrived — Leave the invoice unpaid or partially paid and note the amount received and the remaining balance.
5. Add the payment date and method — A short note — transfer, card, cash — saves you hunting through email later when you reconcile.
6. Export a PDF copy if it matters — For larger jobs, save or send a copy showing the current state so you have a record outside the app.

Handling deposits, part-payments, and split payments

Deposits and milestone payments are normal on bigger projects, and this is where tracking most often goes wrong. The rule is simple: an invoice stays open until the full amount is received. Record what came in, keep the remainder visible, and close it only at the end.

Use filters and reports instead of memory

Memory is a poor invoice register. A quick weekly pass through your unpaid list is usually enough to catch anything that has drifted past its due date. See invoice tracking for how status and outstanding balances fit together inside the app.

• Filter to show only unpaid and partially paid invoices.
• Scan for anything past its due date and decide whether to follow up today.
• Check clients with several open invoices — they often need one combined conversation rather than three separate reminders.
• Run a simple report at month end to see what you invoiced and what you actually collected.

Remember that reports reflect the statuses you set. An invoice still marked unpaid only because you forgot to update it will make a good month look like a bad one.

Keep client and product records tidy so statuses stay trustworthy

Statuses get messy when client details, product lines, and prices are retyped from scratch every time. Save clients and reusable items once, then pull them into new invoices — fewer typos means fewer disputes about what was billed. The clients and products feature exists for exactly that.

A consistent base also makes quoting simpler. Build the estimate with the same saved line items, then convert it to an invoice when the work is approved, as described on the estimate maker page. Reusing a clean layout keeps your paperwork consistent, and invoice templates are a good starting point if you have not settled on a design.

Together, these habits keep your paid and unpaid view honest: the numbers on the invoice match what you agreed, and the status matches what actually happened.

Common tracking mistakes to avoid

• Marking an invoice paid because the client said they sent it, before the money is available.
• Forgetting a deposit, so the balance shows more than the client actually owes.
• Tracking status in the app, a spreadsheet, and a notebook — pick one source of truth.
• Leaving old, uncollectable invoices in the unpaid list so genuine overdue work gets buried.
• Never exporting PDFs, which leaves no copy if something happens to the device.
• Using ten status labels when four would do.