Set up and send progress invoices in QuickBooks Online

Learn how to send invoices over time as you work off an estimate in QuickBooks.

Progress invoicing lets you split an estimate into as many invoices as you need. Instead of asking for full payment at the beginning of a project, you can invoice customers for partial payments. As you complete work, add items from the initial estimate to progress invoices. This keeps project payments organized and connected from start to finish.

Prerequisites

Before you can create a progress invoice:

• Turn on progress invoicing.
• Create an estimate.

Once progress invoicing is turned on, you can use the premade Airy style template, or create your own.

Step 1: Create progress invoices from an estimate

You can use an estimate to create a progress invoice that has been marked Accepted. This doesn't change the original estimate, which remains in your records. You can create multiple progress invoices from the same estimate.

1. Go to Sales and select All sales (Take me there).
2. Select the estimate you want to use to create a progress invoice.
3. Under Action, select Convert to invoice.
4. Fill out the rest of the invoice.
5. Select Review and send, Save and new or Save and close.

Note: You can also create an invoice and assign it to a customer with an open estimate. Then find the estimate in the Add to Invoice or Suggested transactions sidebar and select Add.

Step 2: Keep track of your progress invoices

1. Go to Sales and select Invoices (Take me there).
2. Select the invoice
3. Select (number) linked Estimate.
4. Select to the estimate you want to see.

After you’ve invoiced for the total estimate, the estimate status automatically changes to Converted. If you try to invoice for more than 100% of the total estimate, you’ll only be able to add what’s left of the remaining balance.