Northwind · Ledgerly user manual · Manual version 1.0, 4 October 2026 · Owner of this chapter: Lena, finance lead

# 4 Invoices

This chapter is for the Northwind accounts team. It covers what to do with an invoice after it was sent.

> **Notice:** Void an invoice only when nothing was paid. A paid invoice is refunded, not voided.

*Ledgerly is a demo accounting app made for these guides; Northwind is a made-up company. The PDF and Word versions of this chapter carry the real screenshots of the demo.*

## 4.1 Void an unpaid invoice

Do this when an invoice was sent in error and the customer has not paid it.

### Before you start

You need the Ledgerly Finance role and the invoice number. The invoice's status must be Awaiting payment or Overdue; a Paid invoice cannot be voided (see 4.2).

### Steps

1. On the **Invoices** page, in **Search invoices**, type the invoice number, for example 10427. One row is left.
2. Click the row **#10427** and check that its status is not Paid.
3. Click **Actions**. A menu opens.
4. Choose **Void invoice**.
5. Check the notice above the tabs and the status in the row.

### Result

A green notice reads "Invoice #10427 voided" and the status reads Void, struck through. The invoice stays in the list with its number. Tell the person who asked, with the invoice number.

### If it goes wrong

A red notice reads "… is Paid and cannot be voided": see 4.2.

## 4.2 Troubleshooting

### "#10428 is Paid and cannot be voided: issue a refund instead"

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Symptom | After **Actions** > **Void invoice**, a red notice reads "#10428 is Paid and cannot be voided: issue a refund instead". The status still reads Paid. |
| Cause | The customer has paid the invoice. Ledgerly only voids invoices that were not paid. |
| What to do | Change nothing in Ledgerly. Refund the order in Paynest, following the finance SOP "Issue a refund on a paid order". |

## 4.3 Glossary entries added by this chapter

| Term, as the screen shows it | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Awaiting payment | Sent, not paid, not yet due. Can be voided. |
| Overdue | Sent, not paid, and past its due date. Can be voided. |
| Paid | The payment has arrived. Cannot be voided; the order is refunded instead. |
| Void | Cancelled. The invoice keeps its number and stays in the list, struck through, and is owed by nobody. |