Unbilled time is the gap between doing the work and getting paid for it. It's every hour you've logged that hasn't made it onto an invoice yet. This might be yesterday's work, last week's project tasks, or that three-hour debugging session you forgot about.
Why Unbilled Time Is a Problem
For freelancers, unbilled time is revenue leakage. The longer work sits unbilled, the more likely it is to:
- Get forgotten - Without a system, tasks slip through the cracks
- Cause cash flow issues - You've done the work but haven't requested payment
- Create awkward conversations - Invoicing months later looks unprofessional
- Reduce your effective rate - If you never bill it, you worked for free
Common Causes
Unbilled time accumulates when:
- You track time but invoice weekly or monthly
- Projects finish but you delay creating the invoice
- You forget to mark time entries as invoiced
- You lack a clear invoicing workflow
How to Prevent Revenue Leakage
- Set a billing schedule - Invoice weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
- Use reminders - Automated alerts when unbilled time reaches a threshold
- Review regularly - Check unbilled time every Friday
- Mark entries clearly - Tag time as billed when invoiced
- Automate where possible - Tools that convert unbilled time to invoices instantly
The goal isn't zero unbilled time—some buffer is normal. The goal is making sure every hour worked eventually becomes an hour paid.
Chronobill shows your unbilled time balance in real-time and lets you convert it to an invoice with one click, so nothing falls through the cracks.