Invoice Genie keeps you informed with real-time notifications whenever a client views your invoice, makes a payment, or when an invoice is approaching its due date. This guide explains every notification type, what the icons and colors mean, and how to manage your notification list.
How to Open Notifications
From the Home tab, look for the bell icon in the top-right area of the header. Tap it to open the Notifications screen.
When you have unread notifications, a red badge appears on the bell icon showing the count. Opening the notifications screen automatically clears this badge.
The Notifications Screen
The screen has a simple layout:
- Back button (top-left) — returns to Home
- Notifications title (center)
- Clear All button (top-right, blue text) — removes all notifications for the current business. This happens immediately with no confirmation dialog.
Notifications are listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Each row shows three lines of information:
- Title — describes what happened (e.g., “Invoice #INV-12821 due soon (1 day)”)
- Subtitle — additional context like the client name, amount, or payment method
- Timestamp — when the notification was generated
A colored icon on the left of each row instantly tells you the notification type.
Notification Types & What They Mean
Invoice Genie sends 12 types of notifications across three document types: invoices, estimates, and purchase orders. Here’s a complete breakdown:
Invoice Notifications
| Icon Color | Notification | What It Means | Example Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔵 Blue (eye) | Invoice Viewed | A client opened the invoice payment link you sent them | “Invoice #INV-10250 viewed” |
| 🟢 Green (dollar) | Payment Received | A client paid the full amount of an invoice | “Fully Paid: $1,234.56” |
| 🔵 Blue (dollar) | Partial Payment | A client made a payment but a balance still remains | “Partial Payment Received: $500.00” |
| 🟣 Purple (repeat) | Recurring Generated | A new invoice was automatically created from a recurring schedule | “Recurring invoice created” |
| 🟠 Orange (clock) | Due Soon | An invoice is approaching its due date (based on your reminder setting) | “Invoice #INV-12821 due soon (1 day)” |
| 🟠 Orange (calendar) | Due Today | An invoice is due today and hasn’t been paid yet | “Invoice #INV-11117 due today” |
| 🔴 Red (warning) | Overdue | An invoice is past due. Shows how many days overdue. | “Invoice #INV-10364 overdue (60 Days)” |
Estimate Notifications
| Icon Color | Notification | What It Means | Example Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔵 Blue (eye) | Estimate Viewed | A client opened the estimate link you sent them | “Estimate #EST-00045 viewed” |
| 🟢 Green (checkmark) | Estimate Accepted | A client formally accepted your estimate | “Estimate #EST-00045 accepted” |
| 🔴 Red (X mark) | Estimate Rejected | A client declined your estimate | “Estimate #EST-00045 rejected” |
Purchase Order Notifications
| Icon Color | Notification | What It Means | Example Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔵 Blue (eye) | PO Viewed | A vendor opened the purchase order link you sent them | “Purchase Order Viewed” |
Reading the Subtitle Line
The second line of each notification provides extra context that varies by type:
| Notification Type | Subtitle Shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice/Estimate/PO Viewed | Client name and amount | “David Thompson • $2,450.00” |
| Payment Received | Invoice number, client, and payment method | “Invoice #INV-10250 • Lisa Anderson • via Square” |
| Recurring Generated | Invoice number, client, and amount | “Invoice #INV-12900 • Sarah Johnson • $750.00” |
| Due Soon / Due Today / Overdue | Client name only | “James Wilson” |
For payment notifications, the payment method is shown when available: via Square, via Stripe, via PayPal, via Apple Pay, or by Credit Card.
Understanding Timestamps
The third line shows when the notification arrived, using a relative format:
| When | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Today | “Today at [time]” | “Today at 7:00 PM” |
| Yesterday | “Yesterday at [time]” | “Yesterday at 3:30 PM” |
| Older | Short date and time | “Jan 15, 3:30 PM” |
Tapping a Notification
Tap any notification row to jump directly to the related document:
- Invoice notifications (viewed, payment, due reminders, recurring) → opens the full invoice editor/viewer
- Estimate notifications (viewed, accepted, rejected) → opens the estimate editor/viewer
- Purchase order notifications → opens the purchase order editor/viewer
A chevron arrow (›) on the right side of each row indicates it’s tappable. If the underlying document has been permanently deleted and can’t be found, the chevron won’t appear and the row is display-only.
When Due Date Notifications Are Sent
The server runs a daily check at 9:00 AM Eastern Time that scans all unpaid invoices and sends notifications based on the following schedule:
Before the Due Date
You choose how many days in advance you want to be reminded. Go to your notification settings (see below) and pick from: 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days before the due date, or disable it entirely. The default is 1 day before.
On the Due Date
If “Notify on Due Date” is enabled, you receive a “due today” notification on the morning the invoice is due.
After the Due Date (Overdue)
If “Notify When Overdue” is enabled, you receive overdue notifications at these milestones:
1 day → 3 days → 7 days → 14 days → 21 days → 30 days → 45 days → 60 days → 90 days
Each overdue notification includes the number of days in the title, like “Invoice #INV-10364 overdue (60 Days)”, so you can quickly gauge severity.
How “Viewed” Notifications Work
When you send an invoice, estimate, or purchase order to a client via email, text, or shareable link, Invoice Genie tracks when the recipient opens it. The moment they do:
- A push notification is sent to your device immediately
- The notification appears in your list with the blue eye icon
- The document’s “views” record is updated with the timestamp
To avoid spam, views from the same IP address within 5 minutes are not counted again.
Notification Settings
You can customize exactly which notifications you receive. Click on the main menu More -> Settings and look for the notification settings section. There are three groups of toggles:
Master Toggle
| Setting | Default | What It Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Push Notifications | On | Master switch. Turning this off disables all push notifications. |
Invoice Reminders (when push is enabled)
| Setting | Default | What It Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Due Reminders | On | Enables all due-date-related notifications |
| Notify on Due Date | On | Get a notification on the morning the invoice is due |
| Notify When Overdue | On | Get notifications at overdue milestones (1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 30, 45, 60, 90 days) |
| Remind Before Due | 1 day | How many days before the due date to send a reminder (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days) |
Activity Notifications (when push is enabled)
| Setting | Default | What It Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Viewed by Client | On | Notified when a client opens your invoice link |
| Payment Received | On | Notified when a client pays (full or partial) |
| Estimate Viewed by Client | On | Notified when a client opens your estimate link |
| Estimate Accepted/Rejected | On | Notified when a client responds to your estimate |
These settings sync to the server, so they apply to push notifications delivered to your device even when the app isn’t open.
Empty State
If you have no notifications, the screen shows a crossed-out bell icon with the message: “When clients view or pay your invoices, you’ll see notifications here.”
Multi-Business Support
Notifications are business-specific. If you manage multiple businesses with the Profile Switcher, the notification list only shows notifications for the currently active business. Switching businesses changes which notifications you see. Clearing notifications only clears them for the current business.
Tips & Best Practices
| Tip | Details |
|---|---|
| Act on “viewed” notifications | When you see a client viewed your invoice, that’s often a good time to follow up with a quick message while it’s fresh in their mind. |
| Watch overdue escalation | Overdue notifications come at increasing intervals (1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 30, 45, 60, 90 days). If you see 30+ day overdue alerts, it’s time for a direct conversation with the client. |
| Use “Remind Before Due” | Set this to 3 or 5 days to give yourself a head start on following up before the invoice is actually overdue. |
| Tap to jump to the document | Don’t just read the notification — tap it to go directly to the invoice, estimate, or purchase order for full details. |
| Check payment methods | Payment notifications show how the client paid (Square, Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Credit Card). This is useful for reconcilation. |
| Don’t ignore red icons | Red warning triangles mean overdue invoices. Red X marks mean rejected estimates. Both require your attention. |
