Cash flow surprises almost always trace back to not knowing the status of an invoice. Not knowing if it was received. Not knowing if it was viewed. Not knowing if it's sitting in an AP queue somewhere. Here's how to track every invoice — and why it matters.
Created in your system but not yet sent to the client. Still editable. No payment obligation created.
💡 Tip: Always review before sending — a wrong amount on a sent invoice is much harder to correct.
Invoice has been delivered to the client (by email, link, or post). Payment clock starts from this point.
💡 Tip: Get confirmation of receipt for large invoices. A 5-day check-in email is normal.
Client opened the invoice or payment link. Tracked via pixel or link tracking. Key signal: they know it exists.
💡 Tip: If overdue and viewed 3+ times but not paid — the client knows and is avoiding it. Escalate.
Due date has passed without payment. Time to escalate — politely but firmly.
💡 Tip: Don't wait a week after overdue to send the first reminder. Day 1 of overdue should trigger contact.
Payment received and confirmed. Invoice closed. Send a thank-you receipt.
💡 Tip: Auto-mark paid via Stripe webhook — manual marking creates gaps in your records.
Invoice voided or written off. Used for disputed invoices, project cancellations, or bad debt write-offs.
💡 Tip: Issue a credit note when cancelling a sent invoice — it keeps your accounting clean.
Knowing 3 invoices go overdue next week lets you plan. Not knowing means a surprise at month end.
A “viewed 5 times” + “30 days overdue” invoice needs different action than one that was never opened.
Tax returns, bank applications, and investor reports all need accurate accounts receivable figures.
For freelancers with lower invoice volumes, a well-structured spreadsheet is enough. It should include:
| Client | Invoice # | Amount | Sent Date | Due Date | Status | Viewed? | Paid Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acme Corp | INV-041 | €3,200 | May 1 | May 31 | Overdue | ✅ May 3 | — |
| Studio Nine | INV-042 | €950 | May 8 | May 22 | Paid | ✅ May 9 | May 21 |
| Bloom Ltd | INV-043 | €1,800 | May 12 | Jun 11 | Sent | — | — |
Use Chaser's free invoice tracker template to get started in minutes.
Manual tracking works until it doesn't. When you're managing 20+ invoices, here's what automated tracking gives you:
An accounts receivable (AR) aging report is the most important status report for freelancers. It shows your outstanding invoices grouped by age:
| Age bucket | Risk level | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30 days overdue | 🟡 Low | Send first reminder (day 3). Follow up at day 7. |
| 30–60 days overdue | 🟠 Medium | Escalate tone. Consider pausing work. Send firm reminder. |
| 60–90 days overdue | 🔴 High | Final warning. Consider formal demand letter. |
| 90+ days overdue | 💀 Critical | Consider collections agency, small claims court, or write-off. |
Export your full AR aging report from Chaser: Dashboard → Export → CSV report includes all statuses, amounts, and days overdue.
Chaser shows you every invoice's status in real time — viewed, overdue, paid — and sends reminders automatically so nothing slips through.
Try Chaser free →The 6 standard invoice statuses are: Draft (created but not sent), Sent (delivered to client), Viewed (client opened it), Overdue (past due date, unpaid), Paid (payment received and confirmed), and Cancelled (voided or written off). Some systems also add 'Partial' (partially paid) and 'Disputed' (client raised an issue).
Invoice tracking tools add a tracking pixel or open-tracking link to the client-facing invoice page. When the client opens the invoice, it registers as 'Viewed' with a timestamp. Chaser tracks when clients open the payment link — so you know if an invoice has been seen before you send a reminder.
An accounts receivable aging report groups your outstanding invoices by how long they've been overdue: 0-30 days, 30-60 days, 60-90 days, and 90+ days. It shows where your unpaid money is sitting and helps prioritize which clients to chase first. Invoices in the 60-90+ day bucket are at higher risk of never being paid.
The best approach is to connect your invoicing tool to your payment processor (Stripe, PayPal, iDEAL). When payment is received, a webhook automatically marks the invoice as Paid. Without that integration, you'll need to manually mark invoices paid when you see money arrive in your bank account. Chaser uses Stripe webhooks to auto-mark invoices paid.
Yes — a simple spreadsheet with columns for client name, invoice number, amount, sent date, due date, status, and paid date works well for small volumes (under 20 invoices/month). For higher volumes, dedicated invoicing software is worth it. Chaser's free invoice tracker template covers all the essentials.