QuickBooks HelpQuickBooksHelpIntuit

Create and send an invoice in QuickBooks

by Intuit•155• Updated 4 days ago

Learn how to create, send, and manage invoices for your customers. QuickBooks invoicing empowers you to generate professional invoices quickly, offer convenient online payment options, track invoice status, and process payments seamlessly with PayPal.

Note: This article is for customers who use QuickBooks Online (Simple Start, Essentials, or Plus), QuickBooks Online Advanced, and QuickBooks Sole Trader. If you're using QuickBooks Online Simple Start and want to create recurring invoices, you'll need to upgrade your plan.

This video will go over how to create an invoice in QuickBooks Online. We’ll also review all the customisation options you have to tailor the invoice to your business and show you how to let your customers pay your invoice online. Finally we’ll show you where you can review the status of your invoice once you send it.

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

Follow the steps below if you use QuickBooks Sole Trader:

Step 1: Create and send an invoice

  1. Select + New.
  2. Select Invoice.
  3. Select Add Customer and select a customer from the â–Ľ dropdown. Ensure their information is correct, especially their email address.
  4. Review and adjust the Invoice date, Due date, and Terms if needed.
    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 arrow icon. dropdown.
    Note: To add another product or service, select Add product or service.
  6. Enter the quantity (Qty) and Rate, if needed.
  7. To customise the invoice, select the gear icon âš™ and select the desired options. QuickBooks remembers your choices for future invoices.
  8. When you’re done, select from the following options:
    • Review and send: Email the invoice to your customer. Adjust the email if needed, then select Send invoice.
    • Save, or Save and close: Save the invoice for later.
    • Save and new: Save the current invoice and open a new one.
    • Print or download: Print a paper invoice.
    • Share link: Send a link to the invoice via text message.

Step 2: Review unpaid invoices

  1. Go to Get paid and select Invoices.
  2. Check the Status column to see where your invoices are in the sales process.
    • 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.

Step 3: Receive payments for invoices

Follow the steps below if you use QuickBooks Online:

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. Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., select Sales & Get Paid, then select Invoices (Take me there).
  2. Select Create invoice.
  3. Select the Add Customer Dropdown arrow icon. dropdown, then select a customer. Ensure their information is correct, especially their email address.
  4. Review and adjust the Invoice date, Due date, and Terms if needed.
    Note: 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 arrow icon. dropdown.
    • To add additional line items, select Add product or service.
    • To add a subtotal, select the Add product or service dropdown Dropdown arrow icon., then select Add subtotal.
    • To enter any text or leave a blank line as a divider, select the Add product or service dropdown Dropdown arrow icon., then select Add text.
      Note: This option is available only for Modern template.
    • To change the order of the line items, select the re-order icon Arrange icon., then move it to the desired location.
  6. Enter the quantity (Qty), Rate, or any other information as needed.
  7. To customise the invoice, select âš™ Manage. Then select the options from the side panel. QuickBooks will remember your choices for future invoices.
    • To add ​estimates​, billable time or expense, or delayed credits or charges, go to Suggestions, select Suggested transactions, then select Add to add the required transaction for the selected customer.
    • If you have multi-currency turned on and your customer is on a different currency than your home currency, you can edit the exchange rate:
      1. Go to Payment options and select Edit next to Exchange rate.
      2. Update the Custom rate.
      3. Select if you want to apply this rate to this transaction only or for all the transactions on that day.
      4. Select Save.
    • (Optional) To turn on online payments via PayPal:
      • Under Payment options, select Accept Card Payments with PayPal.
      • If you haven't already connected your PayPal account, select Launch PayPal and follow the prompts to connect.
      • Once connected, select the Accept Card Payment Online checkbox.
    • To set your default template to Modern, go to Design, select Modern, then select Make default.
    • To change it, select Remove default, then select the desired template.
    • To send/print the invoice later, go to Scheduling and select Print later or Send later, as appropriate.
  8. When you’re done, select from the following options:
    • Review and send: Email the invoice to your customer. Adjust the email if needed, then select Send invoice.
    • Save or Save and close: Save the invoice for later.
    • Save and new: Save the current invoice and open a new one.
    • Print or download: Print a paper invoice.
    • Share link: Send a link to the invoice via text message.
    • Save & Share (WhatsApp): Send the invoice via WhatsApp.
  1. Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., select Sales & Get Paid, then select Invoices (Take me there).
  2. Select Create invoice.
  3. Select the Customer Dropdown arrow icon. dropdown, then select a customer. Ensure their information is correct, especially their email address.
  4. Review and adjust the Invoice date, Due date, and Terms if needed.
    Note: 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 dropdown Dropdown arrow icon. under the Product/Service column. To add another, select Add lines.
  6. Enter the quantity (Qty), Rate, or any other information as needed.
  7. To customise the info or design of your invoices:
    1. Select Customise.
    2. Select another template, or follow the steps to create a New style or Edit current.
  8. (Optional) To turn on online payments via PayPal:
    • Under Payment options, select Accept Card Payments with PayPal.
    • If you haven't already connected your PayPal account, select Launch PayPal and follow the prompts to connect.
    • Once connected, select the Accept Card Payment Online checkbox.
  9. When you’re done, select from the following options:
    • Save and send: Email the invoice to your customer. Adjust the email if needed, then select Send and close.
    • Save or Save and close: Save the invoice for later.
    • Save and new: Save the current invoice and open a new one.
    • Print or Preview: Print a paper invoice.
    • Save and share link: Send a link to the invoice via text message.
    • Save & Share (WhatsApp): Send the invoice via WhatsApp.

Step 2: Review unpaid invoices

  1. Go to All apps A bunch of numbers and letters on a tile wall., select Sales & Get Paid, then select Invoices (Take me there).
  2. Check the Status column to see where your invoices are in the sales process.
    • 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.

Step 3: Receive payments for invoices

In QuickBooks Online Essentials, Plus, and Advanced

In QuickBooks Online Essentials, Plus, and Advanced if you need to send the same invoice to different customers, you can use unscheduled recurring invoices. This is helpful when you charge different customers for the same items or services on different dates. If you have customers you invoice regularly, create a scheduled recurring invoice instead.

Note: If you use QuickBooks Online Simple Start, you can upgrade your plan if you're ready to set up recurring invoices.

Follow the steps below if you use QuickBooks Time:

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that you are in QuickBooks Time. For that, go to Time, select the Overview tab, then select Go to classic QuickBooks Time.

Step 1: Set up invoicing

  1. Go to Feature Add-ons and select Manage Add-ons.
  2. Go to Invoicing and select Install.
  3. In the Invoicing Preferences window, enter the information you want to appear on the printed invoices, and select Save.

Step 2: Set billable rates

  1. Go to Jobs.
    Note: You may see Customers in place of Jobs.
  2. Next to the job, select pencil icon Edit.
  3. Select the Billable checkbox, enter a per-hour amount, and select Save.

Step 3: Create an invoice

  1. Go to Invoice.
  2. In the Generate Invoice window, make your selections:
    • Select a client and a sub-job, if applicable.
    • (Optional) Select a start date (Start Date) and stop date (End Date). If dates aren't filled out, the invoice will include all uninvoiced time.
    • Pick an Invoice Type:
      • Detailed: Team member, notes, quantity of hours worked per timesheet.
      • Grouped: Quantity of hours worked grouped together by job.
      • Single Line: All entries merged into a single line item.
    • (Optional) Include already invoiced time.
  3. Select Preview Invoice.
  4. Select Add Invoice To Info if you want to add the billing name and address, then select Save.
  5. If the invoice is correct, select Finalise Invoice & Generate PDF. Note: When this is chosen, the timesheets that make up the invoice are locked. To unlock them, go to Time Entries, then Timesheets, and select the lock icon.
  6. Select View Invoice PDF to open a new tab with the PDF that you can save or print.

How to uninstall invoicing

  1. Select Feature Add-ons and then Manage Add-ons.
  2. Go to Invoicing and select Uninstall. The Billable field is no longer available in the job editor window.
  3. If invoicing is installed again, the jobs will retain their previous billable rates.


Frequently asked questions

Can I make changes to an invoice once I have created it?

Yes, you can make changes to an invoice after you have created it. However, be aware that changes may impact reconciliation. If you're unsure, please reach out to an accountant. 

Note: If you have already sent the invoice to a customer, they will be notified of any edits made to the invoice.

Can you batch change VAT codes, classes, or locations on invoices?

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



What's next?

Having issues with invoicing? See our guide on how to troubleshoot common issues with invoices and payments in QuickBooks.

QuickBooks Online EssentialsQuickBooks Online PlusQuickBooks Online Simple Start