Turn approved time into an invoice
Go from an approved timesheet to a sent invoice: bill the period's time, check anything still pending, review the draft, send it, and the client pays by link.
Approved time should turn into an invoice without anyone re-keying hours. This article takes one week of time from approval to a paid invoice on an hourly project.
Steps
- Submit the week. Each person submits their timesheet from My work, then Timesheet. See Submit and approve weekly timesheets.
- Approve it. The approver opens Team, then Approvals, and approves the week. Approved entries lock.
- Start the invoice. In the approvals queue, admins see a Bill approved time strip: click the client. Or go to Billing, then Invoices, click New invoice and choose From time.
- Pick the period and project. Choose the client's project and the dates to bill. Verbial gathers the billable entries for that window.
- Check the preview. Entries still waiting for approval are included and flagged, and the draft carries a This invoice includes pending time notice. Approve them first, or send knowing they are on it. Rejected time is never billed.
- Review the draft. Check the lines, rates and due date. If you correct an entry afterwards, open the More menu on the draft and choose Rebuild from time so the draft matches the timesheet.
- Send it. Click Send. Sending is always an explicit click. Admins can send any invoice; account managers and account directors can send invoices for clients they manage.
- Get paid. The client receives the invoice by email with a link to view and pay. See Collect payment by card, bank, or stablecoin.
Which work bills its hours?
| Project billing model | What happens to approved time |
|---|---|
| Hourly | The hours are the invoice. Approved time is billed at each person's rate, after the work. |
| Retainer (drawdown) | The retainer is invoiced in advance. Hours draw down the prepaid amount and go on a usage statement, not an invoice. Only a pre-paid overage asks for more money. |
| Fixed fee, recurring or one-time | The fee is invoiced. Hours count toward budgets and utilization but are never billed. |
Common questions
Is pending time billed?
It can be. Time that is submitted but not yet approved is included and flagged, and the draft says This invoice includes pending time so you can wait for approval or send it knowingly. Rejected time is never billed.
Who can send the invoice?
Admins, and account managers and account directors for the clients they manage. Sending is always an explicit click; nothing goes to a client on its own.
What if I fix an entry after the draft is built?
Open the draft and click Rebuild from time. The lines are rebuilt from the entries as they stand now.
Does this work for retainers and fixed fees?
Only hourly work bills its hours. On a drawdown retainer the hours go on a usage statement against the prepaid amount, and on a fixed fee the hours are never billed.