Pending Invoices? 7 tactics to Get Them Paid Faster!

Just imagine you have sent an invoice to your client; months have passed, and it’s still pending. Sounds frustrating, right? 

Pending invoices turn out to be the biggest hurdles in cash flow management for businesses of all sizes and types. It doesn’t matter if you are a freelancer, owner of a startup, or finance official- waiting to get paid can delay salaries, halt operations, and even strain vendor relations. 

The longer you wait to get paid, the more difficult it becomes to recover the payment. But, here’s the catch- no more sitting and waiting to get paid, time to act. 

This blog will take you through pending invoice meaning and expert hacks to get paid faster without disrupting your reputation. 

What Does Pending Invoice Mean? 

A pending invoice is a bill issued by the seller to the buyer that has not yet been paid. It depicts the outstanding amount the client owes to the seller. In simple words, we can say it’s a payment request that’s yet to be settled by the client. 

Key Highlights of Unpaid Invoice!

How to Draft an Email for a Pending Invoice – A Quick Overview! 

Subject: A Friendly Payment Request for Invoice #4321 

Dear [Client Name], 

Hope you are doing well! 

I am dropping the email into your inbox to follow up on Invoice #[Invoice Number- 4321], which was issued on [Invoice Date- 15/6/2025] for [amount- ₹25000]. The payment is due on [Due Date] and just [number of days remaining to pay the amount] to go before it turns overdue. 

I noticed the payment is still pending from your end, so I wanted to confirm if it didn’t slip. 

Don’t rush if the payment cycle is already in process, but I would appreciate it if you could specify the clearance date. 

Let me know if you need another copy of the invoice or want me to share some details again.  

Thank You! 

Warm Regards, 

[Your Name] 

[Job Title] 

[Company Name] 

[Contact Details] 

How to View Pending Invoice on IMS? 

1. Authenticate yourself to gain access to the IMS dashboard. 
2. Inward and Outward Supply Tabs will be displayed on your screen. Click on the ‘VIEW’ button to verify imports and inward supplies. 
3. Now, you will have multiple records displayed under the below three tabs on your screen.
   1. All other ITC
   2. Inward Supply from ISD 
   3. Import of Goods 
4. Every tab mentioned above contains the below records:

1. B2B invoices and their amendments 
2. B2B debit notes and their amendments 
3. B2B credit notes and their amendments 
4. E-commerce invoices and their amendments

5. The Count of Accepted rejected, and pending invoices under each report will be displayed on your screen. 
6. To get only pending invoices on your screen, you can add the filters available in the top right corner. It’s just a click, and you will get the desired results. 

How to Manage Pending Invoices in IMS? 

Once you take action on the pending records, they will appear under GST returns GSTR-2B and GSTR-3B. These entries will automatically carry forward to the next tax period without affecting the current GSTR-2B and 3B filings. The records will remain visible in the IMS system until the official cut-off date, as specified under the CGST Act. 

You can proceed to the below actions once you see the pending invoices on your screen. 

• Accept 
• Reject 
• No action 

When you click on ‘ACCEPT’, the invoice moves to the ‘ITC Available’ section in GSTR-2B, and it will be automatically reflected in Form GSTR-3B during GST filing.

If you select ‘REJECT’, the invoice will appear under the ‘ITC Rejected’ section in the respective GSTR-2B form. In this scenario, form GSTR-3B doesn’t fetch the invoice. 

However, please note actions on pending invoices can’t be taken under the below situations:

• Initial Credit Receipt 
• Increase in credit receipt value
• Decrease in credit receipt value 

Outstanding Invoice Vs Pending Invoice: What’s the Difference? 

Category	Outstanding Invoice	Pending Invoice
Outstanding and Pending Invoice Meaning	The invoice payment is pending and has crossed the due date	The invoice is awaiting payment, though the due date hasn’t passed.
What is the payment status?	Overdue payments	Payment isn’t due
Is it visible to the customer?	Customer can access the outstanding invoice	The customer might have access to it, or it could still be hidden.

Still confused? Check Out the Below Pending Invoice Example now! 

Dharmesh is a freelance graphic designer based out of Surat, Gujarat. He works for multiple clients from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, etc., across the country. 

Last week, he wrapped up a website designing task for a client from Mumbai, Maharashtra. The client liked the work, appreciated Dharmesh and got great feedback. The client even said, “Mr. Dharmesh, your invoice will be processed at the earliest”

Fast forwarding the scenario to a month later. Dharmesh logged in to his IMS dashboard, and guess what- the invoice was still pending. Here’s when he panicked a bit as a huge amount of ₹50,000 was pending from the client. 

Later, he took a deep breath and identified the payment to be pending, which meant it wasn’t processed or approved yet. The finance team might be waiting for their manager’s approval or might have missed the invoice. 

So, What Did He Do? 

Dharmesh didn’t spam the client’s inbox with too many follow-up emails. Instead, he just notified him politely. 

Subject: A quick check on Invoice #3613

Hope you are doing well! 

I have dropped this mail just to see if the payment cycle is in process or if you need some clarity from my end on invoice #3613. Currently, it’s showing as a pending invoice in my system.

Looking forward to an update from you! 

Warm Regards, 

Dharmesh!

What Happened Next? 

You won’t believe it, but within 24 hours, Dharmesh received an Update, “Thanks for the reminder. The payment is underway and should reach you within the scheduled timeline.” 

7 Tactics to Get paid Faster! 

1. Drop a calm and polite email asking about the payment status. 
2. Set clear payment terms. 
3. Offer Early Payment Incentives 
4. Automate Reminder Emails 
5. Bult-a prework payment habit. 
6. Maintain an invoice ageing report. 
7. Follow 1-3-7 rule. Where 1 means request acknowledgement after sending an invoice, 3 means to share a friendly reminder, and 7 means send a formal nudge with an escalating note if needed. 

Let’s Conclude! 

Pending invoices aren’t just about counting on a dashboard- it’s all about the stress of recovering your payments. But here’s the catch- if you have the right system in place, you don’t need to stress out or chase clients for payments.

Leverage the above tactics to get paid faster without affecting your relations with clients. So, the next time you see a pending invoice in your system, you know what needs to be done.

Save this blog and manage your invoices efficiently with us. 

FAQs on Pending Invoice 

What are the reasons for the pending invoice in your system? 

The client must have forgotten to process the invoice

The approval is pending

There might be a technical glitch 

The client must be facing some financial issues 

How to follow-up on a pending invoice? 

Review earlier invoices and their due dates 

Get a clear payment schedule 

Sent an overdue invoice mail 

Share escalating payment mail

Take legal action 

Is an unpaid invoice the same as a pending invoice? 

An unpaid invoice, also termed an outstanding or overdue invoice, refers to a bill shared with the customer by the seller, and the payment has not been received even after the due date. A pending invoice is the one where payment is not made, but it has not crossed the due date. 

How do I request a pending invoice payment?

You can request a payment through a polite mail or an escalating note.