Articles on: Finance

Creating Invoices

Creating Invoices


Learn how to create, customize, and send professional invoices to your clients.


What are Invoices?


Invoices are bills you send to clients requesting payment for products or services. SWELLEnterprise helps you create professional invoices, track their status, and accept payments online.


Creating a New Invoice


Quick Create


  1. Go to Finance → Invoices
  2. Click "New Invoice" button (top right)
  3. Fill in invoice details
  4. Add line items
  5. Save and send


Step-by-Step Process


1. Select Client


Choose Contact or Company:

  • Start typing name in "Client" field
  • Select from dropdown
  • Or create new contact/company on the fly


Client Information Used:

  • Name and address (for invoice)
  • Email (for sending)
  • Billing address (if different)


2. Set Invoice Details


Required Fields:

  • Invoice Date: Date invoice is issued (defaults to today)
  • Due Date: When payment is due
  • Client: Who to bill


Optional Fields:

  • Invoice Number: Auto-generated, can customize
  • Purchase Order: Client's PO number
  • Notes: Additional information for client
  • Terms: Payment terms and conditions


3. Add Line Items


Line items are the products or services being billed.


From Product Catalog:

  1. Click "Add Product" or "Add from Catalog"
  2. Select product from list
  3. Quantity auto-fills (change if needed)
  4. Price auto-fills (override if needed)
  5. Product is added to invoice


Custom Line Item:

  1. Click "Add Line Item" or "Add Custom Item"
  2. Enter Description: What you're billing for
  3. Enter Quantity: How many units
  4. Enter Price: Unit price
  5. System calculates total automatically


Line Item Fields:

  • Description: Item name/description
  • Quantity: Number of units
  • Price: Price per unit
  • Total: Quantity × Price (auto-calculated)


Editing Line Items:

  • Click line item to edit
  • Change quantity, price, or description
  • Click outside to save
  • Or click delete icon to remove


4. Configure Totals


Automatic Calculations:

  • Subtotal: Sum of all line items
  • Tax: Calculated if tax rate set
  • Total: Subtotal + Tax


Tax Settings:

  • Set tax rate (e.g., 10% for 10% tax)
  • Tax applies to subtotal
  • Can be per-invoice or global setting


Discounts (if available):

  • Add discount amount or percentage
  • Applies to subtotal before tax


5. Review Invoice


Before sending, review:

  • ✅ Client information correct
  • ✅ Line items accurate
  • ✅ Totals correct
  • ✅ Due date appropriate
  • ✅ Notes/terms added if needed


6. Save Invoice


Options:

  • Save as Draft: Save without sending (can edit later)
  • Save & Send: Save and email to client immediately
  • Save: Just save (send later)


Invoice Statuses


Invoices have different statuses:


  • Draft: Not sent yet, can still edit
  • Sent: Emailed to client, awaiting payment
  • Paid: Payment received
  • Overdue: Past due date, not paid
  • Cancelled: Invoice cancelled/voided
  • Partially Paid: Some payment received (if partial payments enabled)


Sending Invoices


Email Invoice


  1. Open invoice (or create new)
  2. Click "Send" or "Email Invoice" button
  3. System generates PDF
  4. Email sent to client's email address
  5. Invoice status changes to "Sent"


Email Includes:

  • Professional PDF invoice
  • Payment link (if Stripe enabled)
  • Your contact information
  • Payment instructions


Manual Send


  1. Download PDF invoice
  2. Send via your email client
  3. Manually update status to "Sent"



If Stripe is configured:

  • Payment link automatically included in email
  • Client clicks link to pay online
  • Payment processed immediately
  • Invoice status updates to "Paid"


Editing Invoices


Draft Invoices


Draft invoices can be fully edited:

  1. Open invoice
  2. Click "Edit" button
  3. Make changes
  4. Save


Sent Invoices


Sent invoices have limited editing:

  • Can add notes
  • Can update status
  • Cannot change amounts (to maintain audit trail)
  • May need to create credit memo for corrections


Invoice Templates


Save time with templates:


  1. Create invoice with common items
  2. Click "Save as Template"
  3. Name the template
  4. Use template for future invoices


Template Uses:

  • Common service packages
  • Recurring client invoices
  • Standard billing formats


Duplicating Invoices


Create similar invoices quickly:


  1. Open existing invoice
  2. Click "Duplicate" button
  3. New invoice created with same items
  4. Edit as needed
  5. Save


Use Cases:

  • Monthly retainer invoices
  • Similar projects
  • Recurring services


Viewing Invoices


Invoice List


View all invoices:

  • Status Filter: Show by status (draft, sent, paid, etc.)
  • Client Filter: Filter by client
  • Date Range: Filter by date
  • Search: Search by invoice number, client name


Invoice Details


Click any invoice to view:

  • Overview: All invoice information
  • Payment History: Payments received
  • Activities: Timeline of changes
  • PDF Preview: View formatted invoice


Printing/Downloading


PDF Invoice


  1. Open invoice
  2. Click "Download PDF" or "Print"
  3. PDF generated with professional formatting
  4. Save or print


PDF Includes:

  • Your company logo (if set)
  • Company information
  • Client information
  • Line items with totals
  • Payment instructions
  • Payment link (if enabled)


Best Practices


  1. Use Products: Create product catalog for faster invoicing
  2. Set Clear Due Dates: Use realistic payment terms
  3. Add Descriptions: Clearly describe what you're billing for
  4. Send Promptly: Send invoices as soon as work is complete
  5. Follow Up: Track overdue invoices and send reminders
  6. Use Templates: Save templates for common invoice types
  7. Track Status: Regularly review invoice status
  8. Accept Online Payments: Enable Stripe for faster payment


Common Scenarios


Service Invoice


Billing for services:

  1. Select client
  2. Add line items:
  • "Consulting Services - 10 hours @ $150/hour"
  • "Project Management - 5 hours @ $100/hour"
  1. Set due date (e.g., Net 30)
  2. Add notes if needed
  3. Send


Product Invoice


Billing for products:

  1. Select client
  2. Add products from catalog:
  • Select "Product A" - Quantity: 2
  • Select "Product B" - Quantity: 1
  1. Prices auto-fill from catalog
  2. Set due date
  3. Send


Recurring Invoice


Monthly retainer:

  1. Create invoice with retainer amount
  2. Set up as recurring (monthly)
  3. System generates automatically each month
  4. Client receives invoice automatically


See Recurring Invoices for details.


Integration with Other Modules


Invoices link to:


  • CRM: Track which clients you've invoiced
  • Projects: Bill for project work
  • Scheduling: Require payment for bookings
  • Products: Use product catalog
  • Email: Send invoices via email


Troubleshooting


Can't create invoice?

  • Verify client is selected
  • Check at least one line item added
  • Ensure required fields filled
  • Try refreshing page


Invoice not sending?

  • Check SMTP settings configured
  • Verify client email address
  • Check spam folder
  • Test email connection


Payment link not working?

  • Verify Stripe is configured
  • Check Stripe API keys
  • Ensure payment processing enabled
  • Test payment link


Totals incorrect?

  • Verify line item quantities
  • Check tax rate settings
  • Review discount calculations
  • Recalculate totals


For more help, see Common Issues.


Next Steps



Updated on: 13/03/2026

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