Invoice Delivery Checklist
Getting an invoice delivered to the right place, in the right format, is half the battle. This checklist makes sure your invoices actually arrive and get actioned.
What this checklist covers
- Deliver each invoice through the channel the customer uses
- Reach the contact who can action payment
- Choose a format that is easy to process
- Confirm and record successful delivery
- Cut 'we never received it' delays
5 min
Before you start
Delivery is the bridge between raising an invoice and getting paid, and it is where a surprising number of invoices quietly fail. The cause is almost always a channel or contact mismatch: the invoice was sent, but not to the place the customer pays from. Before you deliver, confirm how this particular customer wants invoices — email to accounts, upload to a portal, or something specific they have told you.
This is closely tied to sending an invoice well; here the focus is on the delivery channel and confirmation. If a customer claims an invoice never arrived, your delivery record is what resolves it — see what to do when a customer says they never got the invoice.
Choose the right channel and contact
Match the delivery to how the customer operates:
- The dedicated accounts-payable address, not just your project contact
- A supplier portal where the customer requires uploads
- Any specific subject-line or reference format they ask for
- The right entity and branch where a customer has several
- A cc to your contact so they know to approve it
If a customer has a portal, email delivery often will not get the invoice paid at all — use the channel they actually process.
Get the format right
Deliver the invoice in a form that is easy to handle:
- Send a PDF, not an editable document
- Make sure it opens without special software
- Keep the file name clear, with the invoice number in it
- Embed key details in the email body as well as the attachment
- Include payment methods and a reference for matching
A clean, self-describing PDF with the details repeated in the message is the easiest thing for an accounts team to file and pay.
Confirm and record delivery
Do not assume an invoice arrived — confirm and log it:
- Watch for a portal confirmation or read receipt where available
- Save the sent email or upload confirmation
- Record the date, channel and address used
- Follow up if no acknowledgement comes within a few days
- Diarise the due date and first reminder
A delivery record turns the 'we never got it' conversation into a one-line answer with proof attached.
Common mistakes
Delivery fails in these familiar ways:
- Wrong channel — emailing a customer who only pays via a portal
- Project contact only — never reaching accounts payable
- Spam trap — the invoice email silently filtered out
- Editable file — sending a format the customer can alter
- No confirmation — assuming delivery without any record
A defined delivery routine prevents most of these. Our free invoice tools help you produce a clean PDF to send, and if invoices keep going astray and ageing, a free debt appraisal can show where the delivery problems cluster.
Key takeaways
- Deliver through the channel and to the contact the customer actually pays from.
- Send a clean, self-describing PDF with details repeated in the message.
- Confirm delivery and keep a record of date, channel and address.
- A delivery record settles the 'we never received it' delay quickly.
Frequently asked questions
Is email delivery enough?
For many customers, yes, provided it reaches accounts payable and you keep the sent record. Portal-based customers usually need an upload instead, and some still require posted invoices — follow what each customer specifies.
What if my invoices land in spam?
Ask the customer to whitelist your sending address, keep the message free of spam triggers, and confirm receipt for important invoices. A portal, where offered, avoids the spam problem entirely.
Should I get delivery confirmation?
Where you can — a portal acknowledgement, read receipt or a short reply confirming receipt. It is your proof if the customer later claims the invoice never arrived.
Work the checklist, then get paid
Use the free Invoice Generator, then let Merion recover anything that goes unpaid — commission-only.