Do I need to send an invoice as a contractor?

Last updated: October 28, 2026

Applies to: Independent contractors paid through Ascen, in the US and in other countries. If you are an employee (US W-2, Canadian T4, or employed through a local employer outside the US and Canada), you are paid through payroll from your approved time, so this does not apply to you; see When do I receive my paycheck? instead.

Summary: Your payment is processed from the hours that are submitted and approved in Ascen, and invoices are generated automatically once approved timesheets are processed, so there is no extra step for you. If you are a Canadian contractor registered for GST/HST, email support@ascen.com to confirm whether you need to send an invoice showing your GST/HST amount.

What your payment is based on

Your approved hours in Ascen are what you are paid from.

  • Hours in Ascen and approved: nothing else is needed from you for that week or period, as long as the items under Before you can be paid are in place.

  • Hours still waiting for approval: the payment has not started yet. Approved means the person who approves time on your assignment (your staffing partner or the client) has signed off on your hours.

  • Invoice sent, but no hours in Ascen: nothing is paid from the invoice. An invoice does not replace your timesheets, so make sure the hours themselves are entered.

If you can't enter your hours

Do not send an invoice in place of your timesheet. If you can't get into Ascen to enter your hours, tell your staffing partner, or email your hours to timesheets@ascen.com with your start time, end time and breaks for each day worked. Your hours are entered for you and sent for approval. For entering time yourself, see How do I add time sheets?.

When you get paid

You are paid on the net terms in your contractor agreement, which are set on your assignment. The net-terms days are counted from the end of the work week (or period) your hours cover, not from the day you send anything and not from the day the hours were approved. For example, on net-30 terms, hours for a week that ends on October 25 are scheduled for payment on November 24.

Your hours still have to be approved before a payment can be scheduled. Once it is scheduled, you receive an Upcoming Payment Scheduled email with the exact payment date. For the full payment timeline, see How independent contractors are paid (net terms).

Before you can be paid

These must be complete, and your documents approved (not just uploaded):

If a business document or your insurance certificate is still outstanding, approved hours are not paid until it is uploaded and approved. Once you upload it, our team reviews it, and the held payments are processed after it clears. For other reasons a payment can be held, see Why your pay might be on hold (and how to fix it).

Where to get help

  • Payments, invoices, business verification and insurance documents: email support@ascen.com.

  • Entering or approving your hours, and your schedule: your staffing partner. Hours you can't enter yourself can also go to timesheets@ascen.com.

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