Home > Invoices > Invoice How To's > Creating a Client InvoiceCreating a Client Invoice
The software is built to provide the most reporting and tracking options for session invoices. That means it's important you only use client invoices when appropriate (i.e., gift certificates, frames, etc.). To make sure your staff doesn't accidentally create client invoices, you can turn on a warning prompt with the "Client-Based Invoice Creation" security setting. See also: Security Settings
Follow these steps to create a client-based invoice:
Create a New Invoice - Open the client record and click Client Invoice in the New group of the ribbon. A new invoice will open with some information already filled in for you.
Invoicing Overview - If you're just getting started with invoicing, take a quick look at the invoice. You will see the following areas:
Invoice Ribbon - The ribbon at the top is where you'll find tools for working with your invoice. Click on the tabs across the top (Home, Communication, Attachments, and Online) to see more tools. For a complete description of each tool on the ribbon, refer to the Invoice Ribbon reference topic.
Detail Tabs - There are a variety of detail tabs right above the client information. When creating an invoice, you'll focus on the General tab, the Order Detail tab, and the Notes tab.
Review/Modify Client Information - The client information is on the General tab. This includes details for the Client, the Bill-To Client, and the Shipping Address.
To modify the Client information, open the client by clicking Client in the View group of the ribbon. Make any necessary changes on the client's record and then click Save & Close. Click Refresh on the invoice to update the displayed client information.
To choose the Shipping Address, click the down arrow on the right side of the first row. You can ship to the client, the bill-to client, or the studio.
Review/Modify General Invoice Information - Also on the General tab, pay special attention to the following fields:
Invoice Date - This date is automatically created but can be changed if needed by entering a new date or clicking the calendar icon.
Invoice Type - Select what type of invoice this is. You can choose from Generic, Credit Memo, or Estimate.
Invoice Description - Provide a brief description of what the invoice is for. The invoice description will be displayed on the Invoices tab of the client record and on the Invoices hub.
Invoice Status - Select the status of the invoice. Invoice statuses can be used for sorting purposes in the Invoices hub and on your reports. See also: Invoice Statuses
The session date and session number will remain blank because a client invoice in NOT related to a specific session.
Notes - Enter any notes related to this invoice. If you do not want these notes to appear on the client's printed invoice, uncheck the Print box.
Though optional, you may also want to consider using the following fields to help organize and track your orders:
Sales Rep - Select the individual that created the invoice. You can choose the sales rep from the drop-down list.
Payment Due Date - Select the date the payment will be due for the invoice. The default date is today's date. If the payment is not due today, you can change it by entering a new date or clicking the calendar icon. When typing in the due date, you don't need to enter slashes. For example, 010117 will automatically be displayed as 01/01/2017.
Approx. Delivery Date - Use this date field to give your client the estimated date their order will be ready.
Delivery Date - Use field to indicate when the products have actually been delivered.
Custom Fields - There is one text field and one date field for you to use as needed.
Create the Client's Order - Open the Order Detail tab to add items to the client's order.
Add Items to the Invoice - Select the items to be purchased. The item number, description, quantity, unit price, and extended price are displayed here. There are three ways to select items:
Double-click the item in the Item Selection panel. This list contains all the items available from your price list for this type of invoice. See the Price List section for more information about setting up your price list.
Or, enter the item number in the Item field and press Tab.
Or, enter a special item that has not been pre-defined in the price list by simply entering a description in the Description column. No item number is necessary. A quantity and price can also be entered.
Add a Discount - There are two ways to discount an invoice. You can discount a single item on the invoice using a Line Item Discount, or you may discount the entire invoice with an Invoice Discount. See also: Discounting an Invoice
Line Item Discount - To discount an individual item, highlight the appropriate item on the invoice, right-click and select View Item Detail. On the General tab, enter the percentage or dollar discount information and then click OK. The software will calculate the discount and display the adjusted price in the Extended column above.
Invoice Discount - To discount the entire invoice, locate the "Discount" line in the lower right portion of the invoice. You can either enter a percentage in the smaller box and let the software calculate the discount, OR you can type in a dollar amount in the box on the right.
Create a Payment or Payment Plan - If the client is making a payment or setting up a payment plan, click the appropriate option on the ribbon. See also: Creating a Payment and Payment Plans
Create Tasks - You may want to create tasks related to this invoice and assign them to a department or staff member. To create a task, click Task in the New group on the ribbon. All tasks for this invoice will appear on the Tasks tab. See also: Managing Tasks
Print the Invoice - Use the Print tool on the ribbon to print the invoice. See also: Printing or Emailing an Invoice
Click Save & Close when finished.