Creating & Sending Invoices

Invoices are how you get paid. Leenkies lets you create professional invoices directly from your projects, choose from six polished templates, send them to clients via email, and track payment status -- all without leaving your dashboard.

No more wrestling with spreadsheets or separate invoicing tools. Your client details, project scope, and deliverables are already in the system, so creating an invoice is a matter of adding line items and hitting send.

When to Use Project Invoices

Create an invoice whenever billable work has been completed:

• One-off projects -- Invoice when the project is finished or at agreed milestones (e.g., 50% upfront, 50% on completion).
• Retainer projects -- Invoice at the end of each billing cycle for the work delivered during that period.
• Extra deliverables -- Invoice separately for out-of-scope work that warrants additional charges.

Creating an Invoice

1. Open the project you want to invoice from the Projects page.
2. Navigate to the invoices section.
3. Click Create Invoice.
4. Fill out the invoice form as described below.

Selecting a Project

When creating an invoice, it's automatically linked to the project you're viewing. The client's billing details -- name, address, currency, and payment terms -- are pulled in from the client record.

If the client's details need updating, edit them in the Clients section before creating the invoice.

Adding Line Items

Line items are the individual charges on your invoice. Each line item has:

• Description -- What the charge is for. Be specific enough that the client can match it to the work delivered. Examples: "Homepage Redesign," "January Blog Posts (4x)," "Additional Revision Round."
• Quantity -- How many units of this item you're billing for. For flat-rate work, this is typically 1. For hourly or per-unit work, enter the number of hours or units.
• Unit Price -- The price per unit. Combined with quantity, this determines the line total.

The invoice total is calculated automatically from the sum of all line items.

You can add as many line items as you need. For complex projects, break the work into meaningful categories so the client can see exactly what they're paying for.

Pro Tip: Use descriptive line item names that match the deliverables in your project. If your deliverable is "Q1 Social Media Graphics - 30 Posts," use that same name on the invoice. It creates a clear paper trail that both you and your client can follow.

Invoice Number

Each invoice is assigned a unique number for tracking and record-keeping. The invoice number is auto-generated to ensure uniqueness, but you can customize it to match your own numbering system if you prefer.

Consistent invoice numbering helps with accounting and makes it easy to reference specific invoices in communication with clients.

Due Date

The due date is automatically calculated based on the client's payment terms. If the client has Net 30 terms, the due date is set to 30 days from the invoice creation date.

You can override the due date manually if needed -- for example, if you've negotiated different terms for a specific invoice or if the work was completed early and you want to give extra time.

Choosing a Template

Leenkies offers six professionally designed invoice templates. Each one presents the same information -- your business details, client details, line items, totals, and payment information -- but with a different visual style.

Classic

A clean, traditional layout with a straightforward structure. Ideal if you want invoices that look familiar and professional in any industry.

Modern

A contemporary design with bold typography and subtle accents. Good for creative professionals who want their invoices to feel current.

Minimal

A stripped-back layout that puts the numbers front and center. Perfect if you value simplicity and want the content to speak for itself.

Bold

A high-impact design with strong visual elements. Great for making a statement and reinforcing your brand presence.

Elegant

A refined layout with graceful typography and balanced spacing. Suited for premium services where presentation matters.

Compact

A space-efficient design that fits more information in less space. Useful when your invoices have many line items and you want to keep everything on one page.

Pro Tip: Pick a template that aligns with your brand identity and stick with it. Consistent invoice design reinforces professionalism and makes your business feel polished. You can always change templates for individual invoices, but consistency builds trust.

Invoice Status Workflow

Every invoice follows a lifecycle from creation to payment. Understanding the statuses helps you track where each invoice stands:

Draft

The invoice has been created but not yet sent to the client. You can freely edit all fields -- line items, amounts, due date, template, and notes. Use the draft stage to review everything before sending.

Sent

The invoice has been emailed to the client. The clock starts ticking toward the due date. At this point, certain fields are locked to preserve the invoice as a legal document -- you can't change the amounts or line items after sending.

Paid

The client has paid the invoice. Mark it as paid when you receive the payment. The paid date is recorded for your financial records.

Overdue

The invoice is past its due date and hasn't been paid. Leenkies automatically marks invoices as overdue when the due date passes without a payment being recorded. This status is a visual flag in your invoice list to help you follow up.

Void

The invoice has been cancelled. Void an invoice when it was created in error, the project was cancelled, or you need to issue a corrected replacement. Voided invoices remain in your records for bookkeeping purposes but are clearly marked as void.

Sending an Invoice

Once your invoice is ready:

1. Review all line items, amounts, and details.
2. Choose your preferred template.
3. Click Send.
4. The invoice is emailed to the client's email address on file.

The client receives a professional email with the invoice details and a link to view the full invoice. The invoice status changes from "draft" to "sent" automatically.

Pro Tip: Always preview your invoice before sending. Double-check the client name, line items, totals, and due date. A small error on an invoice can delay payment and create an awkward correction conversation.

Tracking Payment Status

The invoices section in each project gives you a clear view of all invoices and their current statuses. You can quickly see:

• Which invoices are still in draft and need to be sent
• Which invoices have been sent and are awaiting payment
• Which invoices are overdue and need follow-up
• Which invoices have been paid

When you receive payment, open the invoice and mark it as Paid. This updates the status and records the payment date.

Editing Invoices

What you can edit depends on the invoice's current status:

Draft Invoices

Everything is editable -- line items, descriptions, quantities, unit prices, due date, template, and notes. Make all your changes before sending.

Sent Invoices

Financial details (line items, amounts) are locked to maintain the invoice as a legal record. You can still update the status (to mark as paid or void) and add internal notes.

Paid and Void Invoices

These are locked records. You can view them for reference but can't modify the details. If you need to make a correction, void the original and create a new invoice.

Your Business Profile on Invoices

Your invoices include your business name, address, and bank details pulled from your business profile in Settings. If this information is missing or incomplete, your invoices may look unprofessional or be missing critical payment details.

See Setting Up Your Business Profile to configure these details before sending your first invoice.

Best Practices

• Invoice promptly -- Send invoices as soon as work is delivered, while the value is fresh in the client's mind.
• Be specific with line items -- Vague descriptions like "Design work" invite questions. Specific descriptions like "E-commerce Homepage Redesign - Desktop & Mobile" get paid faster.
• Set realistic payment terms -- If cash flow is important, use Net 15 instead of Net 30. Discuss terms with your client before setting them.
• Follow up on overdue invoices -- Don't let overdue invoices sit. A polite follow-up email the day after the due date is professional, not pushy.
• Keep your business profile complete -- Make sure your business name, address, and bank details are filled in so clients have everything they need to pay you.