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Invoices, statements, and getting paid
Bill customers, take their payments, send statements, and watch who still owes you, all from Customers.
- Open CustomersIn Books & Payroll, click Customers in the left rail. Three tiles show what is Open, what is Overdue, and what was Paid in the last 30 days. Three tabs run the screen: Customers (Add Customer, Statements), Estimates (Create Estimate), and Invoices (Create Invoice, Receive Payment, Prepayment).
- Create an invoiceOn the Invoices tab, click "Create Invoice." Pick the customer or type a name; Invoice # is the next number; set the Issue date and Due date. Click "+ Add a line" for each thing sold: description, quantity, rate, and a tax code where you charge sales tax. The totals update as you go. "Preview" shows it exactly as it prints. "Save" keeps it as an open invoice; "Save & send…" saves it and opens the window to email it, text it, or copy its link.
- Print it or send it againThe "⋯" at the end of any invoice (or a right-click) has "Preview / print" and "Send…". An emailed or texted invoice carries a link the customer opens without signing in. A paid invoice sent again says it is paid.
- Record a paymentWhen the customer pays, choose "Receive payment" from the invoice's "⋯", or click Receive Payment on the Invoices tab. Enter the amount, the date, how it was paid, and Deposit to (Undeposited Funds until it goes to the bank). Tick the invoices it covers: one payment can cover several, and a part payment leaves the rest open. The invoice shows paid when the money is in.
- Undo a paymentOn a paid invoice, "⋯" then "See its payments" lists what was paid. "remove" takes a payment and its deposit back out, and the invoice is owed again. A payment made online comes off with "Stripe refunded it" once Stripe has sent the money back.
- Customer statementsOn the Customers tab, click Statements for every customer with a balance, how each one gets a statement, and when the last one went out. Press "Email 11 statements" (the number is how many are checked) and a window names who gets one; press "Email them now" and each is checked off as it goes. Press "Print 5 to mail" to print the rest on paper, with the option of paper for the email customers too; say "Yes, mark as mailed" once they are in the envelopes. Each month starts fresh, and nobody can be emailed the same month twice by accident. Click "view" for one customer's statement with an aging breakdown (Current, 1–30, 31–60, 61–90, 90+).
- The words on every invoice and statementChart of Accounts, then Preferences: under Invoices set the Terms, the Footer line, How to pay, the Statement note and the Statement email message. Under "Email & text" is how they go out; your name, logo, address and phone come from Settings.
- Void or delete an invoice"⋯" then Void keeps the record marked VOID with nothing owed. Delete removes a mistake entirely. An invoice with a payment on it has to have the payment removed first.
Good to know- A customer who pays while the statement window is open is not sent one: their line reads "Nothing owed, not sent."
- To take payments online, turn on "Take payments online" under Chart of Accounts, Preferences. Invoices and statements then carry a Pay button and a code to scan.
- Interest on late balances is not on these screens yet. A statement shows how old each balance is, and the Statement note can say what your terms are.
- An estimate is made the same way from the Estimates tab; "Turn into an invoice" on its "⋯" menu makes the invoice when the customer says yes.
- "Snap a Receipt" under Banking is for your own purchase receipts (expenses into the books) — separate from customer payments here.