Tracking Payments and Outstanding Balances

What is this page about: How to track invoice payments and outstanding balances in Light, including invoice payment states, recording payments via bank reconciliation, viewing a customer's payment history, and monitoring overdue balances with the aging widget.

# On this page

• Quick answer
• Key takeaways
• Tracking Payment Status from the Invoices List
• Recording Payments via Bank Reconciliation
• Customer Payment History
• Customer Aging Widget
• Activity Log
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Articles

# Quick answer

Light tracks the payment status of every sales invoice automatically. Each invoice moves through a clear set of payment states (Open, Payment pending, Partially paid, Paid, Reversed, Void) as payments come in through bank reconciliation, so you always know what's been paid and what's still an outstanding balance, both on the invoice itself and on the customer's account. This is the core of how accounts receivable and invoice tracking work in Light.

# Key takeaways

• Light updates invoice payment status automatically as payments are matched, so you don't need to change invoice states by hand.
• Every invoice sits in one of six payment states: Open, Payment pending, Partially paid, Paid, Reversed, or Void.
• Payments are recorded through bank reconciliation, matching bank transactions to open invoices.
• Each customer's Payment history tab shows their payments, with type, amount, currency, date, and linked invoices.
• The customer aging widget breaks outstanding balances into Current, 1-30, 31-60, 61-90, and 90+ day buckets, so you can spot overdue invoices at a glance.
• An activity log on every invoice provides a full audit trail of posting, sending, and payment events.

# Tracking Payment Status from the Invoices List

The Sales invoices list in Light shows the payment state of every invoice. Open invoices that have received payments transition automatically based on the matched amount, so you don't have to update statuses by hand:

Use the filters above the table to narrow the list to a specific state or customer.

# Recording Payments via Bank Reconciliation

Payments received from customers are recorded in Light through bank reconciliation: the bank transaction is matched to the open invoice. As matches post, Light updates the invoice's payment state automatically, keeping your accounts receivable current without manual entry.

See Automated Bank Reconciliation for the matching workflow.

# Customer Payment History

To see all payments a customer has made, Light keeps a complete record right on their profile:

1. Open the customer from Customers
2. Go to the Payment history tab

Each payment row opens a payment details drawer showing:

• Payment type: Bank payment or Customer credit
• Amount and currency
• Date
• Linked invoices

# Customer Aging Widget

To help you spot overdue balances at a glance, Light shows an aging widget on each customer's overview with these buckets:

Click a bucket to drill into the underlying invoices.

# Activity Log

For a full audit trail, Light logs every posting, sending, payment, and other event on the invoice's detail page.

# Frequently Asked Questions

# How does Light know when an invoice has been paid?

Light matches bank transactions to open invoices during bank reconciliation. Once the matched amount covers the invoice total, Light automatically updates the invoice's payment state to Paid.

# What does "Payment pending" mean on an invoice?

Payment pending means an online payment, such as a Stripe charge, has been initiated but hasn't yet been bank reconciled. The invoice stays in this state until the payment clears and is matched.

# What's the difference between Reversed and Void invoice states?

Void means the invoice was voided, which can happen even after it's been posted. Reversed means a posted or sent invoice was reversed by a credit note; it's a terminal state and can't be reopened.

# Where can I see how much a customer owes and how overdue it is?

Open the customer's profile and check the aging widget on their overview. It breaks the outstanding balance into Current, 1-30, 31-60, 61-90, and 90+ day buckets. Click any bucket to see the underlying invoices.

# How do I see a customer's payment history?

Go to Customers, open the customer, and select the Payment history tab. Each row expands into a drawer with payment type, amount, currency, date, and linked invoices.

# Can I track partial payments on an invoice?

Yes. Once one or more payments are received but the invoice isn't fully paid, Light marks it Partially paid. Open the invoice's detail view and go to the Payments tab to see the outstanding balance.

# Related Articles

• Accounts Receivable Overview
• Invoice Generation
• AR Aging
• Customer Credits
• Automated Bank Reconciliation