Delivered, Approved, Paid: Three Invoice Milestones Consultants Must Separate

When you check an invoice, record delivery, client approval, and payment as separate events. In French portage salarial, the portage company generally bills the client, while your salary follows a separate employment and payroll process.

This distinction makes portage invoice payment status easier to track. Delivery shows that work was submitted. Client invoice approval records the client’s review or acceptance when the contract requires it. Payment confirms that the client paid the portage company. One milestone does not prove the next has happened.

For reliable consultant invoice tracking, keep each invoice connected to the client, billing period, agreed rate, reviewer, and supporting records. Link each charge to its agreed basis, such as a retainer, fixed-fee phase, accepted milestone, or approved time. An approved time entry still needs the correct engagement and rate.

Check for changes to the scope, retainer, or effective date, too. If records are not updated, an invoice may rely on outdated terms. Clear records help you follow client invoice approval without confusing it with payment or salary.

Key Takeaways

• Record delivery, approval, and payment as distinct milestones.
• Client approval does not confirm that an invoice has been paid.
• The portage company generally invoices the client.
• Your salary is handled through a separate payroll process.
• Keep billing terms and supporting records with each invoice.

What “Delivered,” “Approved,” and “Paid” Mean in French Portage Salarial

These three milestones describe different steps in a consulting assignment. Keeping them separate helps you track work, client review, and payment without confusion.

Delivered: Record the work and submission date

For each delivery, record what you sent, who received it, and when. Keep a dated email, portal receipt, or submitted timesheet as proof. Delivery evidence shows that work was sent; it does not prove acceptance or payment.

Approved: Separate client review from invoice processing

Client validation means the client has confirmed the work, hours, or milestone under the agreement. This is separate from checks made by the société de portage as it processes an invoice. Confirm the approval steps in your client and employment documents.

Paid: Track each payment separately

“Paid” means the société de portage has received and matched the client’s payment to the invoice. Your salary payment is a separate step. For an overview of the payment flow, see this guide to portage salarial payments.

Know the key terms

The salarié porté meaning is a consultant employed through the French portage salarial system. The société de portage employs the consultant and manages administrative tasks, including client invoicing. A compte rendu d’activité records work or time for a set period; it does not automatically confirm client acceptance.

How to Track portage invoice payment status in France

Use one status trail for each invoice: prepared, submitted, receipt recorded, under review, approved or disputed, due, and paid or outstanding. Record the invoice submission date, each status change, and the person responsible for the next step. Mark a client payment as complete only after the funds are received and matched to the invoice.

Follow each review step

Link the invoice to the client, contract terms, billing period, rate, reviewer, and delivery records. Connect every line to its agreed basis, such as a retainer, fixed-fee phase, accepted milestone, or approved hours. Keep written approval for changes to scope, rate, or dates with the invoice file.

Standard formats and complete records help reviewers check the work without searching across emails and folders. If a client disputes an amount, save the reason, supporting documents, and follow-up owner. A progress invoice may need review against both the work delivered and the contract.

Separate delivery from approval and payment

For example, a consultant submits a deliverable and the portage company issues the agreed €4,000 milestone invoice on May 6. The client acknowledges receipt on May 7 while its review remains open on May 15. Delivery, acceptance, invoicing, and payment are separate events. The dates and amount are hypothetical.

If the client raises a documented question on May 16, connect it to the invoice and delivery evidence. Keep tracking the invoice due date under the contract. These dates and amounts are hypothetical.

Check the contract and legal terms

Code de commerce Article L441-10 sets a framework for payment terms. The general maximum is 60 days from invoice issuance or, if expressly agreed, 45 days after month-end. If the parties have not agreed to another permitted period, the default is 30 days. Specific rules or exceptions may apply, so check the contract and relevant legal provisions.

Resolve Invoice Delays Without Confusing Client Review With Salary Rules

Start by finding where the process stopped. Was the invoice received? Is the client still reviewing the work? Check for unclear billing terms, changed agreements, or missing records. Keep client approval separate from invoice processing and payroll.

Trace the delay and follow up clearly

Use an invoice delay checklist to track the submission date, proof of delivery, client contact, invoice number, billing period, due date, dispute owner, and payment match. For a portage invoice dispute, save the client’s questions and the records used to resolve them.

Coordinate reminders and any formal demand with the portage company, which is the invoicing supplier. Keep delivery, acceptance, invoice, and payment records together. French business-to-business late-payment penalties can be due without a reminder; do not assume that a generic foreign collection timetable or an omitted contract clause removes statutory rights. See France’s official payment-term and late-penalty guidance and agree on proportionate recovery steps with the provider.

Check the rules that govern pay

A client’s delay does not by itself set your salary rights. Portage salarial minimum remuneration depends on the applicable employment rules and your documents. IDCC 3219 Article 21 is part of the collective agreement to check; do not assume a 2026 PMSS figure sets a guaranteed minimum. Review the agreement on Legifrance and your contract. Code de commerce, Article L441-10, provides a framework for invoice payment terms.

A portage salary estimate can help with planning, but it cannot guarantee pay, taxes, pension rights, benefits, or visa eligibility. Treat it as an indication, not a promise.

Conclusion

For a clear portage invoice payment status France, keep “delivered,” “approved,” and “paid” as separate, dated steps. Save proof of submission, the client’s review or dispute, the contractual due date, and confirmation that the société de portage received payment.

Good portage salarial invoice tracking ties each invoice to its engagement terms, billing period, rate, reviewer, and supporting records. This makes consultant invoice follow-up more focused: a missing approval, changed term, or open question can lead to a clear next action.

Keep client approval versus payment distinct from your salary. Track remuneration under the applicable employment rules and collective agreement, not as a guarantee based on the client’s invoice status. The estimate at simulateur-portage-salarial.fr can help with planning, but it does not promise pay or eligibility.