Issue and send an invoice

Goal

Turn a draft into an issued invoice with its real number, and email it to the client with a PDF attached. Issuing and sending are two separate steps, and you can do them together or apart.

Prerequisites

• Your role can edit invoices. Owners and admins can by default. A manager can create a draft but cannot issue or send it.
• The invoice has a client email address. Add it with Edit if it is missing.
• Your company address is saved, and on a VAT system your VAT number too. The invoice cannot be issued without them. Open Settings > Company > Profile & brand and Settings > Finance > Tax profile.
• A mailbox is connected, so the email can leave.

Steps

1. Open Accounting, select Invoices, and choose the Draft filter.
2. Open the invoice with View details in the row menu.
3. Check the client email, lines and totals. Once the invoice is issued these are fixed.
4. To issue and email in one go, select Send invoice. The invoice is numbered first and then sent.
5. To issue without emailing, select More then Issue invoice.
6. In Issue this invoice?, read what issuing does and select Issue.
7. To email it later, open the invoice again and select Send invoice.
8. To chase an unpaid invoice, open it and select Send reminder.

Expected result

The invoice shows Sent with its real invoice number. The email carries the PDF, and a card payment link when online invoice payments are turned on. Issuing also dates the invoice today and moves the due date with it, keeping the same length of terms. After that, only the delivery email and the Internal notes can be changed. The invoice cannot return to draft.

Troubleshooting

• If a message asks you to add your company address or VAT number in Settings, the invoice stays a draft. Add the detail and issue again. The invoice window links to Open Company profile and Open Finance settings.
• If your company uses US sales tax and the invoice is refused, add your jurisdictions in Settings > Finance > Tax profile and make sure every line has a type. The draft stays a draft and a notification titled "Invoice not issued" says why.
• If the message says the invoice has no client email address, select Edit, add it, save, and send again.
• If sending fails after the invoice was numbered, the invoice shows Sent even though the client did not get it. Fix the mailbox, then select Send invoice again. Automatic reminders skip an invoice that was never delivered.
• If you only issued the invoice, it also shows Sent while the client has seen nothing. Select Send invoice to deliver it.
• If you need to change an issued invoice, you cannot edit it. Use a credit note or reissue it, as described in the articles on credit notes and on voiding or reissuing.
• If Send invoice is missing, your role cannot edit invoices, or the invoice is already paid, voided or canceled.