Where does the Awaiting Approval status sit?

Between Sent and Paid. The invoice has been submitted but the client hasn't approved it for payment yet, so this stage keeps it visible and chaseable instead of looking like an ordinary unpaid invoice.

Does Cash Workspace get approval from my client?

No. You submit the invoice and chase approval yourself; Cash Workspace records the PO number, the contact, and the dates so you can track where each invoice is in the client's process. It doesn't contact clients or sync with their systems.

Why record the PO number on the invoice?

Clients that require purchase orders usually can't pay an invoice that doesn't reference the matching PO. Keeping the PO number on the invoice record makes it easy to include and to confirm the match with the client's AP team.

Cash Workspace

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Receivables · Approval workflow

Tracking invoices awaiting client approval

When you bill clients that run a purchase-order process, an invoice isn't simply Sent then Paid — it sits in an approval queue first. Without a status for that stage, those invoices look 'sent' and then mysteriously don't pay, because they're waiting on a PO sign-off you can't see. An 'Awaiting Approval' stage between Sent and Paid makes that limbo visible and chaseable. Cash Workspace lets you add that status and record the PO number, who you submitted to, and the key dates, so nothing stalls silently in a client's approval pipeline.

Start a free workspace See PO-to-invoice matching

The problem

Why approval-stage invoices disappear

A standard Sent-to-Paid flow has no room for the approval step, so invoices waiting on a client's PO sign-off blend in with everything else and get forgotten.

An invoice shows Sent for weeks, but it's really stuck in the client's approval queue.
You don't have the PO number on the invoice, so the client's AP team can't match and pay it.
You can't recall who you submitted the invoice to or when, so chasing is awkward.
Approval came through but the status was never advanced, so it sat unpaid past terms.
Several invoices are awaiting approval but there's no single view of which ones.

The workflow

Add and work an approval stage

Insert an Awaiting Approval status between Sent and Paid and record what the client's process needs.

1
Add the status stage
Create an 'Awaiting Approval' status that sits between Sent and Paid in your invoice labels.
2
Record the PO details
When you submit, note the PO number, the contact it went to, and the date submitted.
3
Move the invoice to the stage
Set the invoice to Awaiting Approval so it's visible as in the client's queue, not just sent.
4
Chase on the submitted contact
Follow up with the named contact if approval is slow, using the date submitted as your reference.
5
Advance on approval
When approval lands, record the approval-received date and move the invoice toward Paid.

Record structure

What to record for an approval-stage invoice

These fields make a stuck invoice chaseable with the client's AP team.

Invoice number: Your invoice reference for the billed work.
PO number noted: The client's purchase-order number the invoice must match for payment.
Submitted-to contact: The person or AP inbox you sent the invoice to for approval.
Date submitted: When you sent it into the approval process, your follow-up anchor.
Status: Awaiting Approval, sitting between Sent and Paid.
Approval-received date: When the client confirmed approval, recorded as the stage clears.
Expected pay date: The date payment is expected once approval is in, noted if the client gives one.
Approval reference: Any approval or AP reference the client provides, attached or noted.

Example setup

An example approval-tracking setup

One way to keep PO-approval invoices visible inside your workspace.

Awaiting Approval

Invoices submitted into a client's PO process, each with PO number, submitted-to contact, and date submitted.

Approved — awaiting payment

Invoices with approval received, now moving toward Paid with an expected pay date noted.

PO references

Purchase orders and approval confirmations attached to the invoices they relate to.

Common mistakes

Mistakes to avoid

Leaving approval-stage invoices marked Sent, so they blend into general unpaid items.
Omitting the PO number, which can hold up the client's AP team from paying.
Not recording who you submitted to, making follow-up vague.
Forgetting to advance the status after approval, so an approved invoice still looks stuck.
Having no single view of everything awaiting approval at once.

How it helps

How Cash Workspace helps

A status between Sent and Paid

Add an 'Awaiting Approval' stage so PO-process invoices are visible rather than hidden among sent items.

PO and contact fields

Record the PO number, submitted-to contact, and key dates on each invoice for clean follow-up.

Attach the PO and approval

Attach the purchase order and any approval confirmation to the invoice so everything's in one place.

PO-to-invoice matching

Match each invoice to the client's purchase order records.

Invoice status labels

Define the status stages, including Awaiting Approval.

On-hold status notes

Note invoices held pending approval or other conditions.

Follow-up notes log

Record each chase to the client's AP contact.

All finance workflows

Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.

FAQ

Approval status FAQ

Where does the Awaiting Approval status sit?: Between Sent and Paid. The invoice has been submitted but the client hasn't approved it for payment yet, so this stage keeps it visible and chaseable instead of looking like an ordinary unpaid invoice.
Does Cash Workspace get approval from my client?: No. You submit the invoice and chase approval yourself; Cash Workspace records the PO number, the contact, and the dates so you can track where each invoice is in the client's process. It doesn't contact clients or sync with their systems.
Why record the PO number on the invoice?: Clients that require purchase orders usually can't pay an invoice that doesn't reference the matching PO. Keeping the PO number on the invoice record makes it easy to include and to confirm the match with the client's AP team.

Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance

Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.

Stop losing invoices in approval queues

Start a free workspace and add an Awaiting Approval stage with PO number, contact, and dates, so every invoice stuck in a client's approval process stays visible and chaseable.