What your client sees when you send an invoice
What is on the invoice page your client opens, how they pay by card or bank transfer, and how long the link keeps working.
Your client opens the invoice from a link, either in the email you send or one you share yourself. They do not need an account, a login or a verification code.
The invoice page
From top to bottom, the page shows:
Your logo and legal name, with a Download PDF button, and a Pay now button if the invoice is paid by card and still unpaid
The invoice title, or “Invoice” if it has none, the issue date, and the amount in large type
The due date, or “Due upon receipt”
To and From blocks with both addresses, your client’s VAT ID if it is on their account, and your tax registration numbers under yours
The line items and totals, with a status badge
Your note, if you added one
The Payment section, until the invoice is paid or refunded
The invoice number
Status badge
Badge | What it means |
|---|---|
Unpaid | The invoice is sent and not yet paid |
Overdue | The due date has passed and the invoice is not paid. An invoice due upon receipt stays Unpaid |
Paid | The invoice is paid |
Refunded | The invoice was refunded |
Deposit invoices
A deposit invoice shows a badge with its percentage, such as “50% Deposit”, next to the total project amount. It lists the full project scope and bills only the deposit amount. See Deposits and automatic invoices.
Paying by card
If the invoice’s payment method is Card Payment (Stripe), your client pays like this:
They click Pay now at the top, or the Pay [amount] with Card button in the Payment section.
Stripe’s checkout page opens, and they enter their card details there.
After paying, they return to a confirmation page from Billow.
The confirmation page reads Payment Successful. If Stripe has not confirmed the payment yet, it reads Payment Processing instead. A View Invoice button leads back to the invoice.
The invoice changes to Paid once Stripe confirms the payment, without any action from you.
The card buttons only appear while your workspace has an active Stripe connection. See Accepting card payments with Stripe.
Paying by bank transfer
If the invoice’s payment method is Bank Transfer, the Payment section asks your client to transfer the total using the invoice number as the reference. The invoice number has its own copy button.
Your bank details follow, each with a copy button:
Account type | Fields shown |
|---|---|
IBAN | Account Holder, IBAN, BIC |
US (ACH) | Account Holder, Account Number, Routing Number |
Other | Account Holder, Payment Instructions |
Bank Address also appears when the account has one.
Billow is not notified when a bank transfer arrives. You mark the invoice as paid yourself. See Getting paid.
Sharing the link yourself
You can copy the invoice link and send it to your client yourself. Copying the link of a draft sends it: the invoice moves to Pending and you can no longer edit it. See Share the link instead.
How long the link works
The link keeps working after the invoice is paid or refunded, so your client can come back to download the PDF. If you delete the invoice, its link stops working until you restore it.
Payment confirmations
Billow does not send your client a payment confirmation. For card payments, Stripe may send its own receipt. For bank transfers, your client receives nothing.
