Invoicing and payments: from signed POD to money in the bank

Raise invoices from completed jobs, watch them move from draft to paid, and let automated reminders and late fees do the chasing you never have time for.

In short: Smart Strix handles the money side for UK fleets of 2–50 vehicles: invoices tracked through draft → sent → viewed → paid, accounts-receivable automation with reminder schedules, late fees and partial payments, OAuth export to Xero and QuickBooks, marketplace earnings statements, and Stripe payouts to drivers. It completes the quote-to-cash flow that starts on the dispatch board. Free to get started.

How does the invoice lifecycle work?

Every invoice carries a visible state, so you always know where the money is stuck. It starts as a draft raised from a completed job — typically one that just closed with a signed POD — then moves through sending, viewing and payment.

StateMeaningWhat you learn
DraftRaised but not issuedBillable work waiting on you
SentIssued to the customerThe clock on payment terms has started
ViewedThe customer has opened it"We never received it" is off the table
PaidSettled in full (or building via partials)Done — reconciled and exportable

The viewed state deserves emphasis: knowing an invoice was opened four days ago changes the tone of a follow-up call entirely.

What does AR automation actually automate?

The chasing. Small fleet owners are usually the credit control department, and chasing happens at 10pm or not at all. Strix lets you set reminder schedules that follow up unpaid invoices automatically, apply late fees under rules you define, and accept partial payments so an invoice can be settled in instalments without falling out of tracking. The system is politely persistent on your behalf — the customer relationship stays yours, the persistence becomes software.

How do Xero and QuickBooks fit in?

Through OAuth invoice export — you connect your Xero or QuickBooks account and invoices flow across without retyping. We are precise about scope: this is invoice export, not a full two-way accounting sync. Strix is where operational billing happens, tied to jobs and PODs; your accounts package remains the ledger of record for your accountant. That division keeps both tools doing what they are good at.

What are marketplace earnings statements?

If you take work from the Smart Taurus job marketplace — consumer jobs you quoted on to fill empty legs — those earnings are accounted for in statements, separate from the invoices you raise to your own customers. Marketplace revenue and direct revenue stay distinguishable, which your bookkeeper will thank you for at year end.

How do Stripe driver payouts work?

Strix supports paying drivers out via Stripe, which matters most for fleets running owner-drivers or subcontractors rather than salaried staff. Payouts happen through Stripe's infrastructure against the work recorded in the platform, so what a driver is owed and what they were paid are connected to the same job records — and the shift history is there when the numbers get queried.

Why tie invoicing to dispatch instead of using a standalone tool?

Because the gap between operations and billing is where revenue leaks. Standalone invoicing means someone re-keys completed jobs into another system — and the jobs nobody re-keyed are the ones that never get billed. In Strix the quote becomes the job, the job ends with a POD, and the POD is the invoice's evidence; nothing falls between systems because there is nothing between them. For a courier fleet, the question "did we invoice everything we delivered this week?" gets answered by the platform, not by an audit. See the pricing page for plans — invoicing is part of the core platform, free to get started, cancel anytime.

Frequently asked questions

Can I tell whether a customer has looked at my invoice?
Yes — invoices track a viewed state alongside draft, sent and paid, so you know when a customer has opened one before you pick up the phone to chase.
How do automated payment reminders work?
You configure reminder schedules and Strix follows up unpaid invoices automatically on that cadence. Late fees can be applied under rules you set, and everything stays visible on the invoice record.
Does Smart Strix support partial payments?
Yes. An invoice can be paid in instalments, with the balance tracked as partial payments land, rather than forcing an all-or-nothing settled state.
Does the Xero and QuickBooks integration sync everything both ways?
No — it is OAuth invoice export. Invoices you raise in Strix transfer to your accounting package without re-keying; your accountant's ledger stays in Xero or QuickBooks. We would rather describe the integration accurately than oversell it.
Can I invoice a job before the POD is captured?
The designed flow is quote → job → POD → invoice, because the signed POD is the evidence that closes the job for billing. That link is what makes invoice disputes short conversations.
How are marketplace earnings kept separate from my own invoices?
Work taken from the Smart Taurus marketplace is reported through earnings statements, distinct from invoices you raise directly to customers — two revenue streams, cleanly separated.
How do I pay owner-drivers through Smart Strix?
Driver payouts run via Stripe, connected to the work recorded in the platform. It suits fleets paying subcontractors and owner-drivers per job rather than through payroll.
Is invoicing an add-on or included?
Included — the quote-to-cash flow is core Smart Strix, available from the free start. Plans are monthly or yearly (Starter up to 3 drivers, Advanced unlimited) and you can cancel anytime.

Run your fleet on Smart Strix

Dispatch, tracking, compliance records and invoicing for 2–50 vehicle fleets — free to get started, no hardware to install.

Free to get started · No card required · No hardware to install · Cancel anytime