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Create invoices in QuickBooks

by Intuit•42• Updated 2 weeks ago

Learn how to create and send invoices in QuickBooks.

Note: This article is for customers using QuickBooks Online (Advanced, Essentials, Plus, and Simple Start) and Sole Trader.

If you plan to get paid in the future for products and services you sell, send your customers an invoice. You can add the product or service you’re selling to an invoice and email it to your customer.

We’ll show you how to create new invoices and show you how to review unpaid invoices. We'll also show you how to handle things if you use an external payment processing platform.

Your estimates or invoices will look different depending on whether you have the old or new estimate and invoice experience. Find out which experience you have.

Follow the steps below based on the product you are using.

Step 1: Create and send an invoice

There’s more than one way to create an invoice in QuickBooks. If you send an estimate and the customer approves it, you can convert your estimate to an invoice. You can also create a new invoice from scratch.

  1. Select + New.
  2. Select Invoice.
  3. Select Add customer and select a customer from the ▼ dropdown. Make sure all of their info is correct, especially their email address.
  4. Review the Invoice date, Due date, and Terms. Enter new dates or terms, if you need to. Tip: In the Terms field, Net refers to the number of days until the payment is due. 
  5. To add a product or service, select one from the Product/service ▼ dropdown.
    Note: To add another product or service, select Image Alt Text Add product or service.
  6. Enter a quantity and rate, if needed.
  7. To customise the info or design of your invoices, select ⚙ Manage. Then select the options from the side panel. QuickBooks remembers your choices and applies them to all existing and future invoices. 
  8. When you’re done, there are several options for saving or sharing the invoice:
    • If you're ready to send the invoice, select Review and send to email the invoice to your customer. Adjust the email if needed, then select Send invoice. 
    • To send the invoice later, select Save or Save and close.
    • To close the current invoice and open a new one, select Save and new.
    • To print a paper invoice, select Print and download. 
    • To send your customer a link to their invoice through text message, select Share link.
  1. Select + New.
  2. Select Invoice.
  3. From the Customer ▼ dropdown, select a customer. Make sure all of their info is correct, especially their email address.
  4. Review the Invoice date.
  5. If you need to, change the Due date. You can also change it by changing the value in the Terms ▼ dropdown.
    Tip: Net refers to the number of days until the payment is due. The default is 30 days, but you can change the due date if needed.
  6. From the Product/Service column, select a product or service. You can also select + Add new to create a new product or service right from the invoice.
  7. Enter a Quantity, Rate, and Amount if needed.
  8. Select a VAT rate. If you are unable to see VAT, make sure you have set up VAT.
  9. When you’re done, there are several options for saving or sharing the invoice:
    • If you're ready to send the invoice, select Save and send to email the invoice to your customer. 
    • To send the invoice later, select Save and close.
    • To close the current invoice and open a new one, select Save and new.
    • To send your customer a link to their invoice through text message, select Save and share link.
    • Select Save & Share (WhatsApp) and follow the steps to save and send your invoice to your customer using WhatsApp.
    • To print a paper invoice, select Save. Then select Print or Preview and follow the steps to print the invoice. 

Note: If you're using QuickBooks Simple Start, select Send.

Want to change up the look of your invoice? Learn how to customise your invoices using templates. 

Step 2: Review unpaid invoices

QuickBooks puts unpaid invoices into your accounts receivable account. You'll see this account on your Balance Sheet and other financial reports.

Any time you wish to review your invoices, go to Sales and select Invoices (Take me there). Check the Status column to see where your invoices are in the sales process.

Here are a few common statuses that you might see:

  • Due in [days]: You haven’t emailed the invoice yet.
  • Due in [days] Sent: You’ve emailed the invoice to the customer.
  • Due in [days] Viewed: Your customer opened the invoice. 
  • Deposited: Your customer paid the invoice.
  • Overdue [days]: The invoice is past due and unpaid.
  • Overdue [days] Viewed: Your customer opened but didn’t pay the past due invoice.
  • Delivery issue: Invoice was undelivered. Check the email address and resend. 
  • Voided: The invoice was voided in QuickBooks.

Need to notify customers about upcoming invoice due dates? You can send them a reminder message.

Step 3: Receive payments for invoices

If you use GoCardless, customers can pay their invoices directly by direct debit. We process and handle everything for you. When you get paid, QuickBooks puts transactions into the correct accounts.

If you use an external platform to process payments, you can keep track of those payments in QuickBooks. Learn more about how to record invoice payments manually.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can make changes to an invoice after you have created it. However, you may encounter exceptions and errors during reconciliation especially if the invoice has been filed.

Before you make any changes to the invoice (such as the amounts, dates and VAT), make sure you understand the impact that this may have. If you're unsure, please reach out to an accountant.

No. Only an accountant has the option to batch change VAT codes on invoices.

Step 1: Create and send an invoice

There’s more than one way to create an invoice in QuickBooks. If you send an estimate and the customer approves it, you can convert your estimate to an invoice. You can also create a new invoice from scratch.

  1. Select + New.
  2. Select Invoice.
  3. Select Add customer and select a customer from the ▼ dropdown. Make sure all of their info is correct, especially their email address.
  4. Review the Invoice date, Due date, and Terms. Enter new dates or terms, if you need to. Tip: In the Terms field, Net refers to the number of days until the payment is due. 
  5. To add a product or service, select one from the Product or service ▼ dropdown.
    Note: To add another product or service, select Image Alt Text Add new.
  6. Enter the quantity (Qty) and Rate, if needed.
  7. To customise the info or design of your invoices, select ⚙ Manage. Then select the options from the side panel. QuickBooks remembers your choices and applies them to all existing and future invoices. 
  8. When you’re done, there are several options for saving or sharing the invoice:
    • If you're ready to send the invoice, select Review and send to email the invoice to your customer. Adjust the email if needed, then select Send invoice. 
    • To send the invoice later, select Save or Save and close.
    • To close the current invoice and open a new one, select Save and new.
    • To print a paper invoice, select Print and download. 
    • To send your customer a link to their invoice through text message, select Share link.

Step 2: Review unpaid invoices

QuickBooks puts unpaid invoices into your accounts receivable account. You'll see this account on your Balance Sheet and other financial reports.

Any time you wish to review your invoices, go to Get paid and select Invoices. Check the Status column to see where your invoices are in the sales process.

Here are a few common statuses that you might see:

  • Due in [days]: You haven’t emailed the invoice yet.
  • Due in [days] Sent: You’ve emailed the invoice to the customer.
  • Due in [days] Viewed: Your customer opened the invoice. 
  • Deposited: Your customer paid the invoice.
  • Overdue [days]: The invoice is past due and unpaid.
  • Overdue [days] Viewed: Your customer opened but didn’t pay the past due invoice.
  • Delivery issue: Invoice was undelivered. Check the email address and resend. 
  • Voided: The invoice was voided in QuickBooks.

You can also go to Customers and goals and select Customers and open a customer's profile to see their invoices.

Need to notify customers about upcoming invoice due dates? You can send them a reminder message.

Step 3: Receive payments for invoices

If you use GoCardless, customers can pay their invoices directly by direct debit. We process and handle everything for you. When you get paid, QuickBooks puts transactions into the correct accounts.

If you use an external platform to process payments, you can keep track of those payments in QuickBooks. Learn more about how to record invoice payments manually.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can make changes to an invoice after you have created it.

Before you make any changes to the invoice (such as the amounts and dates), make sure you understand the impact that this may have. If you're unsure, please reach out to an accountant.

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