Knowledgebase

Need a copy of an invoice for your accountant, your taxes or an expense claim? Every invoice we've ever sent you is kept in the client area, and you can open, download as a PDF or print any of them at any time. This guide shows how to view, download and print your invoices and receipts, how to tell a paid invoice from an unpaid one, and how to find old ones quickly.

Invoices and receipts: what's the difference here?

Our billing system doesn't issue a separate "receipt" document. Instead, the invoice itself becomes your receipt once it's paid:

• An unpaid invoice is a bill -- it shows what's due and when.
• A paid invoice is marked Paid and lists the payment underneath: the date, the payment method, a transaction ID and the amount. That's the proof of payment most accountants and expense systems need.
• You also get a payment confirmation email when a payment goes through. It's a handy notice, but the paid invoice PDF is the better record to keep.

If you paid through PayPal, PayPal also sends its own receipt to your PayPal email address. That's separate from ours and shows up in your PayPal account history.

How to view your invoices

1. Go to the client area by typing https://instantaccess.net/accounts/clientarea.php or using a bookmark. Please don't use a link from an email -- see Never Click Links in Emails About Your Account: Log In Directly Instead.
2. Log in with your client area email address and password.
3. Go to Billing > My Invoices.

You'll see a table of invoices with the invoice number, the date it was created, the due date, the total and the status. Click a column heading to sort by it, or use the search box above the table to find an invoice number or amount.

The menu on the side of the page lets you show only invoices with a particular status, which is the quickest way to find what you're after.

What the invoice statuses mean

How to download an invoice as a PDF

1. In Billing > My Invoices, click the invoice you want. It opens on its own page.
2. Near the bottom of the invoice, click Download.
3. Your browser saves a PDF file, usually named with the invoice number (for example Invoice-12345.pdf). Look in your Downloads folder if you don't see it straight away.

Give the file a name you'll recognize later, such as 2026-09 Instant Access hosting.pdf, and keep them all in one folder. Your accountant will thank you.

How to print an invoice

1. Open the invoice from Billing > My Invoices.
2. Click Print. Your browser's print window opens with the invoice laid out for paper, without the client area menus.
3. Pick your printer and print. To make a PDF instead, choose Save as PDF (Chrome and Edge) or PDF > Save as PDF (Mac) as the printer.

If nothing happens when you click Print, press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Command + P (Mac) while the invoice is open.

What's on each invoice

• Invoice number and invoice date -- quote the number in any billing question.
• Due date -- when payment is due.
• Pay To -- our company details.
• Invoiced To -- your name, company and address from your account.
• Invoice items -- each service with its billing period, for example your hosting plan and the dates it covers, or a domain name and its renewal term.
• Sub Total, any Credit applied, and the Total.
• Transactions -- for a paid invoice, the payment date, payment method, transaction ID and amount. The Balance should show zero.

Finding a copy of an emailed invoice or receipt

Deleted the email? The client area keeps a copy of the emails our billing system has sent you.

1. Open the account menu at the top right (it shows Hello, your name!).
2. Choose Email History.
3. Click an email -- such as an invoice notice or payment confirmation -- to read it again.

For your records, though, download the invoice PDF rather than relying on the email.

Changing the name or address on invoices

The Invoiced To block comes from your account details. To change your company name, street address or other billing details, open the account menu at the top right and choose Account Details, update the fields and click Save Changes. The companion guide in this category, "How to Update Your Contact Details, Email Address and Billing Address", walks through every field.

Depending on how the billing system is set up, invoices that already exist may keep the details they were created with. If you need an older invoice reissued with corrected details, open a ticket in the Billing department with the invoice number and what needs to change.

Letting your bookkeeper get invoices

Don't give your bookkeeper your client area password. There are two better ways:

• Give them their own login. In the account menu, go to User Management and invite them with only the View & Pay Invoices permission. They can then log in with their own email and password and see invoices, but nothing else.
• Just send them copies. In the account menu, go to Contacts, add your bookkeeper as a contact and tick Invoice Emails. They'll receive invoice emails without being able to log in. (If your client area shows these options with slightly different wording, look for the closest match.)

Troubleshooting

I can't find an old invoice

• Check the status filter in the side menu -- you may be looking at Unpaid only.
• If you have access to more than one client account (for example your own and a customer's), the invoice may be on the other one. Use Switch Account in the account menu.
• If you once had a second account with a different email address, the invoice is there. Log in to that account, or open a Billing ticket.

The PDF won't download or opens blank

• Allow downloads and pop-ups for instantaccess.net in your browser.
• Try a private window, or another browser.
• Use Print and save as PDF instead.

I paid, but the invoice still says Unpaid

Card payments normally update within a few minutes. A payment funded from a bank account through PayPal can take several days and shows as Payment Pending meanwhile. If a card payment was taken but the invoice isn't marked Paid after an hour, open a Billing ticket with the invoice number, payment date and the last four digits of the card or your PayPal transaction ID. Don't pay twice. See How to Pay an Invoice and Update Your Payment Method.

I received an invoice by email that isn't in my client area

Then it didn't come from us. Fake invoices with "pay now" buttons are a common scam. Delete it, and see How to Spot Fake Domain Renewal and Hosting Phishing Emails.

Common questions

Can I download all my invoices at once?

The client area downloads invoices one at a time. For a year-end file, filter to Paid, sort by date and download each one. If you need a summary of many invoices, open a Billing ticket and tell us the date range.

Is a paid invoice good enough as a receipt for taxes?

It shows what you bought, the dates covered, the amount and that it was paid, which is what a receipt normally needs. If your accountant or tax office needs a particular format, ask them, and ask us if something is missing.

Why are my hosting and domain on separate invoices?

They're separate services with their own renewal dates, so they're usually billed separately. See How to Renew Your Hosting or Domain (and What Happens If It Expires).

Where do invoice emails go?

To the email address on your account (and to any contacts you've set to receive invoice emails). If they're not arriving, check your spam folder and make sure the address in Account Details is current.

Related guides

• How to Pay an Invoice and Update Your Payment Method
• How to Renew Your Hosting or Domain (and What Happens If It Expires)
• Why Was My Account Suspended and How Do I Get It Back?
• How to Spot Fake Domain Renewal and Hosting Phishing Emails
• How Do I...? Billing, Domains and Staying Safe

Still stuck? Open a support ticket and the Instant Access Internet Services team will help.