How it works

Four steps get you paid: add a client, create an invoice, send it, and track when it's paid. No account needed on your client's end to view or pay it.

1. Add a client

On Clients, add whoever you're billing: name, email, and an optional company name. That's it -- Ledger isn't a CRM, so there's nothing else to fill in. You can also add a client inline while creating your first invoice for them.

2. Create an invoice

On New invoice, pick the client, add line items (a description, quantity, and price each), and choose a due date. Add notes if there's anything else the client should see. Save it as a draft to come back to later, or send it right away.

3. Send

Sending generates a PDF and emails your client a link to view it -- no account required on their end. The link stays private to them; don't share it publicly.

4. Get paid

Your client sees two possible ways to pay, depending on what you've set up:

• Your own payment instructions -- free text you set on your account page (bank transfer, Venmo, PayPal, anything). They pay you directly, outside Ledger, and you mark the invoice paid yourself from your dashboard.
• Pay by card -- if you've connected your own Stripe key (also on your account page), a "Pay by card" button appears. The client pays a 3% card-processing surcharge on top so you receive the full invoice amount, straight into your own Stripe account -- Ledger never touches the money. The invoice marks itself paid automatically once the payment completes.

5. Track status

Your dashboard shows every invoice's status at a glance: draft, sent, viewed, paid, overdue, or void. Outstanding and overdue totals are summarized at the top.

Do I need a Stripe account to use Ledger?

No. Payment instructions alone cover most freelancers just fine -- Stripe is there if you'd rather offer clients a card option.

What happens if a client doesn't pay by the due date?

The invoice shows as Overdue on your dashboard once the due date passes. There's no automatic reminder email yet, so following up is on you for now.

Can I edit an invoice after sending it?

No -- once sent, an invoice's line items and total are fixed, the same as a paper invoice would be. If you made a mistake, void it and create a corrected one.

More questions?

See the privacy policy and terms of service, or reach out directly. Contact details are on your account page.