Customer Invoice Portals: Track Submission and Approval

Find out what the status actually means

Start with the buyer's instructions. Ask which channel to use, what counts as a complete submission, who accepts the work and where to ask about a hold. Save those instructions with the customer account. A purchasing officer may approve the order while someone else confirms delivery and another team releases payment.

NSW Health provides a useful real example: its portal lets suppliers inspect invoice status, purchase orders and payment history, and download remittances. Its published guide distinguishes invoices awaiting approval from approved invoices still unpaid. These are separate checks, even when they appear on the same screen. HealthShare NSW supplier guidance, portal status matrix, page 19.

The sequence below is a neutral workflow you can adapt. Its labels aren't invented screenshots of a particular product. If you use Peppol, our eInvoicing guide covers the delivery channel; this checklist covers what happens at the customer's end.

Keep the evidence beside each status

1. Draft: not sentSave invoice INV-248, customer entity, order PO-73 and delivery record D-19. Check the attachments before submitting.
2. Submitted: 12 SeptemberSave receipt SUB-681, the timestamp and the exact uploaded files. Next: check validation or acceptance, not the bank balance.
3. Rejected or held: 14 SeptemberSave the message: D-19 has no customer acceptance signature. Assign the missing evidence to the job owner; retain the original submission.
4. Corrected and resubmitted: 15 SeptemberAdd the signed D-19 and save receipt SUB-704, linked to SUB-681. Return to the submitted check; keep one underlying sale.
5. Accepted or approved: 16 SeptemberSave approval evidence and ask whether payment has a scheduled date. Confirm what this status means for this customer.
6. Payment scheduled, then received: 21 SeptemberKeep the promised payment date separately. Match the remittance and actual $2,400 bank receipt to INV-248 before closing it.

Original ASBG fictional example, in Australian dollars. All dates are illustrative September 2026 dates. A hold can return to the correction step more than once; approval is not a bank receipt.

Create one small evidence pack per invoice

A shared folder named with the invoice number can work, provided the people handling the account can find it. Keep the sales ledger reference unchanged and add the following records:

• The invoice as sent, its amount and the entity billed.
• The order, agreed scope and evidence of delivery or completion.
• Submission receipts, uploaded filenames and the date and time, including time zone.
• Status exports or dated captures showing the invoice reference and any hold reason.
• Enquiry references, the person responsible and the next check date.
• The remittance and matched payment when available.

Use filenames such as INV-248_2026-09-15_submission-SUB-704.pdf. Keep earlier versions. If the portal displays only the latest attachment, your saved pack should still explain what was supplied first and what changed.

Record an actual status, not an interpretation. "Approved: unpaid" is useful. "Accounts will probably pay Friday" belongs in a separate notes field with the source and date of that expectation.

What if the invoice disappears or stays in a queue?

Check your customer account, invoice number, date filters and submission receipt first. A blank result can mean the wrong filter or a processing delay. It isn't sufficient evidence to create another sale or send the same invoice through every channel.

Ask the buyer whether they can find the submission reference. If they request a replacement, record how the old submission will be handled and how the replacement should refer to it. Keep your accounts team informed so the customer receives one consistent answer.

For a stalled approval, ask for the missing decision. A delivery-signoff problem belongs with the person who received the goods; a portal access fault belongs with support. Send the query to the person who can clear that particular hold.

Send an enquiry the recipient can act on

Subject: INV-248 / SUB-704: approval status

Hello accounts team, invoice INV-248 for $2,400 was submitted on 12 September under SUB-681. We added the signed delivery record on 15 September under SUB-704. The portal still shows an approval hold as at [date and time].

Could you confirm which approval is outstanding, who owns it and whether you need anything further from us? Please also confirm the payment date currently recorded. I've attached the submission receipt and delivery record. Thank you.

Replace every example detail before sending. Don't attach other customers' invoices or an unrestricted export of your ledger.

Keep the due date and cash forecast separate

Record the agreed due date alongside the expected receipt date. Business.gov.au explains that payment terms form part of the sales contract; a portal status alone doesn't tell you how to interpret that agreement. Query a changed date rather than silently overwriting the original.

If approval remains uncertain, mark the receipt as uncertain in your cash-flow forecast. Once the processing problem is resolved, the unpaid-invoice guide can help with the next stage. Find the wider workflow in cash flow and getting paid.

Next, find the rejection reason and preserve the correction trail.

Key takeaways

• Save evidence of submission, approval and payment separately.
• Give every hold a named owner and a dated next action.
• Keep correction history without creating duplicate sales.
• Close the invoice only after matching the actual receipt.

Where to get help

Use the buyer's supplier-support team for its status definitions and submission rules. NSW Health suppliers can use the current payment service page and its linked portal guide. For uncertain payment terms, take the agreement and submission history to your business adviser or solicitor.