Statuses across the system: draft, unpaid, partial, paid
Understand the lifecycle of a financial document from creation to final settlement.
Statuses across the system: draft, unpaid, partial, paid
What it is
Every financial document in Usystems (invoices, bills, sales receipts, cash purchases) has a status that tells you its stage in the payment lifecycle. The status is displayed as a label on the document and affects what you can do with it.
The four main statuses are:
- Draft: Document is being written but not yet active. No accounting entry has been posted. You can edit any field freely.
- Unpaid: Document is active and complete, but payment has not been received (or sent). Accounting entries are posted; the document is binding.
- Partial: Payment has been received (or sent) for part of the amount. The unpaid balance remains outstanding.
- Paid: Full payment has been received (or sent). The document is settled.
Why it matters
- Cash flow clarity: The status tells you at a glance which documents need follow-up. Unpaid and Partial documents are your outstanding receivables or payables.
- Accounting accuracy: Only documents in Unpaid, Partial, or Paid status have posted journal entries. Draft documents do not affect your accounts or reports.
- Workflow enforcement: You cannot, for example, mark a document Paid unless the amount actually received/sent matches the expectation. This prevents accidental errors.
How it works in Usystems
Document creation
When you create a new document, it starts in Draft status. You can edit, delete, or discard it without affecting your accounts.
Publishing (Draft → Unpaid)
When you finish editing and are ready to make the document binding, you choose "Publish" or "Confirm" (the exact label varies by document type, but the intent is the same). The document moves to Unpaid status and its journal entry is posted immediately.
Receiving / sending payment (Unpaid → Partial or Paid)
When payment comes in (for a sales invoice or bill) or is sent (for a cash purchase or payable), you record it via:
- Payments page: log the payment and associate it with one or more documents. This moves the document toward Partial or Paid.
- Payment allocation: if the received amount doesn't match the document total, the document remains Partial until the full amount is paid.
Examples
| Document | Draft | Unpaid | Partial | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice (sale) | You're writing it. | Customer owes you. | You've received part payment. | Customer settled fully. |
| Bill (purchase) | You're reviewing the supplier's bill. | You owe the supplier. | You've paid part. | You've paid fully. |
| Cash Purchase | You're entering the receipt. | Goods received; no payment yet (if on credit). | (Rare for cash purchases.) | Paid when created (if paid in cash). |
| Sales Receipt | (Usually goes straight to Paid, no Draft stage.) | N/A | N/A | Payment received; document complete. |
Where you see it
- Document list: Open any document type (Invoices, Bills, Purchases, Receipts). The status appears as a badge or label on each row.
- Document detail page: When you open a document, the status is shown prominently at the top. Buttons to publish, record payment, or print are enabled/disabled based on status.
- Reports: Financial reports (aging, receivables, payables, balance sheet) filter and group by status to show you outstanding vs. settled amounts. Open Reports
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