How Invoices Work

Invoices let you request payment from buyers for goods or services. Each invoice includes a unique invoice number, itemized details, a due date, and a hosted payment page where buyers can complete payment. You can create, send, and manage invoices directly from the HL Hunt Dashboard.

Invoices vs. Payment Links

Both Invoices and Payment Links are low-code/no-code solutions for accepting payments. However, there are some key differences between the two:

Invoices are tied to a specific buyer and include a unique invoice number, itemized details, and a due date. They are formal documents suitable for business transactions and tax records. Invoices can be paid in full or in partial payments.
Payment Links are accessible to anyone with the link and do not support partial payments.

Invoice Lifecycle

When you create an invoice, HL Hunt generates:

A unique invoice number for tracking and reference.
A link that directs buyers to a hosted payment page.
A PDF of the invoice that can be downloaded or sent to buyers.

The typical invoice lifecycle follows these steps:

Create: You create an invoice on the Dashboard with buyer details, line items, and a due date.
Send: You send the invoice to the buyer via email or share the payment page link directly.
Pay: The buyer clicks the link and completes the payment on the hosted payment page.
Reconcile: HL Hunt marks the invoice as paid and settles the funds to your account.

Invoice States

State	Description
Draft	Invoice created but not yet sent to the buyer.
Open	Invoice has been sent and is awaiting payment.
Partially Paid	Buyer has made a partial payment. Remaining balance is still due.
Paid	Full payment has been received.
Overdue	Due date has passed without full payment.
Void	Invoice has been canceled and can no longer be paid.

State Transitions

Invoices move through states based on actions and events:

Draft → Open: When the invoice is sent to the buyer.
Open → Partially Paid: When a partial payment is received.
Open → Paid: When full payment is received.
Partially Paid → Paid: When the remaining balance is paid.
Open → Overdue: When the due date passes without payment.
Any → Void: When you manually void the invoice.

Payment Methods

Buyers can pay invoices using the following methods on the hosted payment page:

Credit/Debit Cards — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover.
ACH Bank Transfers — direct debit from a US bank account.

For more details, see Payment Methods for Invoices.

Due Dates and Expiration

When creating an invoice, you set a due date that indicates when payment is expected. After the due date:

The invoice state moves to Overdue.
The payment page remains active — buyers can still pay.
You can choose to send reminder emails or void the invoice.

Key Invoice Settings

Setting	Description
Partial Payments	Allow buyers to pay any amount towards the balance.
Email Delivery	Automatically email the invoice on creation.
Custom Branding	Add your logo and brand colors to the payment page.
Redirect URLs	Send buyers to a custom page after successful/failed payment.