14.3 Invoices & Estimates (Commission Invoices, Service Bills)

Purpose:

Create and send professional invoices to collect payments (e.g., commission payments from cooperating brokers or clients if applicable, fees for specific services) and send estimates or proposals for approval before invoicing.

Access:

Navigate to Payments → Invoices. You'll see tabs for All Invoices, Recurring Templates, and Estimates.

Creating a One-Time Invoice:

  1. Click + New → New Invoice.
  2. Select Customer: Search for and select the existing Contact you are invoicing. Their details (Name, Email) should pre-fill. Add details if needed.
  3. Set Dates: Adjust the Invoice Date and Due Date.
  4. Add Line Items:
    • Click + Add Item.
    • Select Existing Product: Choose a pre-defined Product (from 14.2) from the dropdown list. The description and price should populate automatically. Adjust quantity if needed.
    • OR Add New Item Manually: Enter a Name (e.g., "Commission - Sale of 123 Main St"), Description, Quantity (usually 1), and Price directly for this specific invoice.
    • Add multiple line items as needed.
  5. Apply Tax/Discount (Optional): Add tax rates (if configured in settings) or apply discounts (% or fixed amount).
  6. (Optional) Add Payment Schedule: Click ... (More Actions) → Add Payment Schedule if you want to allow the recipient to pay in fixed installments. Define the amount and due date for each installment.
  7. Review: Check all details for accuracy.
  8. Send or Record:
    • Send: Click the Send button. Choose delivery method (Email or SMS). Customize the accompanying message. The recipient gets a link to view and pay the invoice online (if a payment gateway is connected).
    • Record Payment: If you have already received payment offline (e.g., via check, wire transfer), click ... (More Actions) → Record Payment. Enter the amount, date, method, and any notes. This marks the invoice as paid (or partially paid) in the system.

Creating a Recurring Invoice Template:

(For ongoing retainers, subscription services)

  1. Go to the Recurring Templates tab.
  2. Click + New Recurring Template.
  3. Select Customer.
  4. Set Schedule: Define the Frequency (e.g., Monthly, Yearly), Start Date, and optionally the Number of Invoices (or run indefinitely).
  5. Add Line Items: Add Product(s) or manual items that should be included on *each* recurring invoice. Note: Use One Time priced products here; the recurrence is controlled by the template schedule itself.
  6. Enable Auto Payment (Optional): If the customer has a saved payment method (via Stripe usually), toggle this ON to automatically charge their card/bank on the scheduled invoice date.
  7. Save & Schedule Template. The system will automatically generate and send invoices based on the schedule.

Creating Estimates/Proposals:

  1. Go to the Estimates tab.
  2. Click + New → New Estimate.
  3. Build the estimate similar to an invoice (Customer, Line Items, Pricing, Notes).
  4. Set Expiry Date for the proposal.
  5. Send the estimate to the client via Email/SMS.
  6. Track Status: Monitor the estimate status (Sent, Viewed, Accepted, Rejected, Expired).
  7. Convert to Invoice: If the client Accepts the estimate, you can easily click a button to Convert to Invoice, automatically creating a new invoice with the agreed-upon details, ready for payment collection.

Managing Invoices:

  • View List: See all invoices with status (Draft, Sent, Due, Overdue, Partially Paid, Paid, Void). Filter/Search.
  • Editing: You can usually edit invoices in Draft status freely. For Sent, Due, Overdue, or Partially Paid invoices, you can typically edit most details *except* the customer. You cannot edit Paid or Void invoices, nor can you typically edit the core items/frequency of already scheduled Recurring Template invoices (you might need to cancel and recreate).
  • Notifications & Reminders: Configure automated email/SMS notifications for invoice events (Invoice Sent, Payment Received, Payment Failed) in Payments → Settings → Notifications. Set up automated payment reminder emails based on due dates in Payments → Invoices → Settings → Reminder Settings.