---
path: /learn/stablecoin-invoicing/
title: "Stablecoin invoicing: how to send and collect invoices"
description: Learn how stablecoin invoicing works, including invoice currency, payment instructions, quote expiry, reconciliation, partial payments, and refunds.
image: /images/opengraph/og-learn.png
publishDate: 2026-10-21
label: Enterprise
timeToRead: 5
faq:
  - question: What is stablecoin invoicing?
    answer: Stablecoin invoicing lets a business request payment for goods or services using an accepted stablecoin. The invoice records what the customer owes, while payment instructions specify the asset, network, recipient, amount, and reference needed to pay it.
  - question: Does a stablecoin invoice have to be priced in stablecoins?
    answer: No. An invoice can be denominated in a conventional currency while the customer pays a quoted stablecoin amount. Record the invoice currency, accepted payment asset, conversion terms, and the asset or currency the seller ultimately receives.
  - question: What information should a stablecoin payment request include?
    answer: Include the accepted token and network, verified recipient details, exact payable amount, invoice reference, fee treatment, and any quote expiry. Provide a way to obtain updated instructions if the quote expires or the customer needs another payment route.
  - question: How should partial or duplicate payments be handled?
    answer: Record each confirmed transfer against the invoice. A partial payment leaves a remaining balance unless an agreed adjustment applies. A duplicate payment needs review and an agreed credit or refund process. Repeated notifications of the same transfer must not count as new payments.
  - question: Can a stablecoin invoice payment be refunded?
    answer: Yes, using a supported provider workflow or a separate transfer. Confirm the refund recipient, asset, network, amount, and applicable fees. Retain the original payment and refund records and associate both with the invoice.
heroTitle: "Stablecoin invoicing: how to send and collect invoices"
seoTitle: "Stablecoin invoicing: payments and reconciliation explained"
socialTitle: Stablecoin invoicing explained
locale: en
canonical: https://tempo.xyz/learn/stablecoin-invoicing/
---

# Stablecoin invoicing: how to send and collect invoices

_Stablecoin invoicing lets a business request and collect payment for goods or services in stablecoins. A clear workflow connects the invoice currency, exact payment instructions, confirmed receipt, and accounting records. [Contact Tempo](/contact/) to discuss stablecoin collections for your business._

Stablecoin invoicing is a form of crypto invoicing focused on assets designed to track a reference value, such as a currency. An invoice establishes what a customer owes. A stablecoin transfer moves an asset between accounts. Connecting the two requires more than placing a wallet address on a PDF: the payer needs usable instructions, and the seller needs to know which invoice a payment settles.

## Separate invoice currency from payment and settlement

Three different values can appear in one invoice flow.

|Term|Meaning|Illustrative example|
|-|-|-|
|Invoice denomination|The unit used to price the obligation|A software services invoice for $2,000|
|Payment asset|The token and network the customer sends|A quoted amount of an accepted dollar stablecoin on a specified network|
|Settlement asset or currency|What the seller ultimately receives|The same stablecoin, another supported asset, or bank money after conversion|

These values can match, but they do not have to. [Request Network's conversion documentation](https://docs.request.network/api-features/conversion-payments) describes requests priced in one currency and paid in another, with conversion details retained in the payment record.

A dollar-denominated invoice does not make every dollar stablecoin interchangeable. The payment instructions need to identify the accepted token and network. If a provider converts the payment, record the rate or quote, fees, and net amount the seller receives.

## What to include in stablecoin payment instructions

Keep the commercial invoice and the payment request connected by a unique reference. Show the customer the exact payable amount, accepted token, network, recipient details, and whether fees are additional to the invoice amount.

When conversion is involved, distinguish the invoice due date from the quote expiry. A payment quote can expire before the invoice is due. State how the payer gets a refreshed quote and how a payment arriving after expiry will be handled. Never imply that an old quote remains valid indefinitely.

A hosted payment page can reduce manual entry, but the application still needs to validate the payment. A ticker symbol alone is insufficient to identify a token. Systems should check the approved token contract, network, recipient, amount, and payment reference.

## An illustrative invoice workflow

Suppose a supplier sends a $2,000 invoice and agrees to accept a supported stablecoin on a specified network.

1. **Issue the invoice.** Record the customer, services, amount due, due date, and invoice identifier in the billing system.
2. **Generate payment instructions.** Bind the accepted asset, network, destination, quoted amount, and any expiry to that invoice.
3. **Show the payer the terms.** Explain any conversion, provider charges, and network fee treatment before payment.
4. **Track submission.** Display a pending state while the transfer or provider workflow remains incomplete.
5. **Confirm receipt.** Verify the payment through the provider's authenticated notification or confirmed onchain records. A checkout redirect or screenshot is insufficient.
6. **Reconcile the invoice.** Record the amount received and any remaining balance. Keep conversion and bank-delivery records if settlement continues through another provider.

A payment reference makes matching more reliable than comparing amounts alone. [Request Network's payment detection](https://docs.request.network/api-features/payment-detection) illustrates a reference-based approach that also validates the amount, currency, and recipient. Implementations differ, so check the capabilities of your chosen provider.

## Handle exceptions before the first collection

Stablecoin invoicing needs an exception queue as well as a successful-payment path.

|Exception|Practical handling|
|-|-|
|Partial payment|Apply the confirmed amount and retain the remaining balance|
|Duplicate transfer|Review the extra payment and arrange an agreed credit or refund|
|Overpayment|Record the excess separately and follow the agreed adjustment process|
|Expired quote|Review the actual payment against the invoice and applicable quote terms|
|Wrong token or network|Flag for investigation; avoid marking the invoice paid automatically|

Supporting installments is a product choice. For example, [Request Network documents partial payments](https://docs.request.network/api-features/partial-payments) that accumulate against one request until it is fully paid. Other payment products can require an exact amount in one transfer.

Also distinguish duplicate transfers from duplicate notifications. A provider can deliver an event more than once. The system should recognize the same payment identifier and avoid applying the same receipt twice. Before retrying a payment request, check whether an earlier attempt is still pending.

## Keep usable finance records

Retain the invoice identifier, customer record, payment identifier or transaction hash, network, token contract, amount, timestamps, fee details, conversion information, and resulting invoice balance. Separate gross payment, provider fees, and net receipt so the records explain differences.

Keep personal details and invoice contents in the business system. Public payment metadata should carry an opaque reference rather than a customer's name or the full invoice. The [payment reconciliation guide](/learn/payment-reconciliation/) covers connecting payment events to finance systems.

For refunds, verify a suitable destination through the supported workflow. The address that sent the payment can belong to an exchange or another intermediary. Link the refund and any invoice adjustment to the original receipt without deleting its history.

## Where Tempo fits

Tempo provides near-instant onchain settlement for stablecoin payments. Its [32-byte payment references](/developers/docs/guide/payments/transfer-memos) can connect confirmed transfers to an invoice record. The invoice application still owns payment instructions, matching, exception handling, and accounting integration.

If a customer needs to acquire stablecoins first, the [crypto onramp guide](/learn/crypto-onramp/) explains that separate funding step. If the business needs bank money after collection, conversion and bank delivery have their own timing and costs. Read [how to accept stablecoin payments](/learn/how-to-accept-stablecoin-payments/) or [contact Tempo](/contact/) to assess the full flow.

## FAQ

### What is stablecoin invoicing?

Stablecoin invoicing lets a business request payment for goods or services using an accepted stablecoin. The invoice records what the customer owes, while payment instructions specify the asset, network, recipient, amount, and reference needed to pay it.

### Does a stablecoin invoice have to be priced in stablecoins?

No. An invoice can be denominated in a conventional currency while the customer pays a quoted stablecoin amount. Record the invoice currency, accepted payment asset, conversion terms, and the asset or currency the seller ultimately receives.

### What information should a stablecoin payment request include?

Include the accepted token and network, verified recipient details, exact payable amount, invoice reference, fee treatment, and any quote expiry. Provide a way to obtain updated instructions if the quote expires or the customer needs another payment route.

### How should partial or duplicate payments be handled?

Record each confirmed transfer against the invoice. A partial payment leaves a remaining balance unless an agreed adjustment applies. A duplicate payment needs review and an agreed credit or refund process. Repeated notifications of the same transfer must not count as new payments.

### Can a stablecoin invoice payment be refunded?

Yes, using a supported provider workflow or a separate transfer. Confirm the refund recipient, asset, network, amount, and applicable fees. Retain the original payment and refund records and associate both with the invoice.

---

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