QBO invoice numbering system jumps ahead, instead of "knowing" my last invoice number and automatically using the correct subsequent number. How do I correct this?

Thanks JenoP,

I think you gave me some insight into our issue, and I will take a closer look at this  and our process with our next invoice.

I appreciate the quick reply! :~)

I'm so glad that my colleague @JenoP was able to help you, susie-neu.

If you have any other questions or concerns about QuickBooks, don't hesitate to knock on our doors again. As always, it's our pleasure to help you.

Cheering you to continued success. Stay safe and healthy!

is it possible to totally turn off the auto numbering function in invoices and credit memos, etc?

Hello @bow1hunting,

You can remove the Transaction number field of your sales transaction by customizing their corresponding template. Let me show you how.

1. Go to the Gear icon.
2. Under YOUR COMPANY, select Custom Form Styles.
3. Select the template of your sales transaction.
4. Below the ACTION column, select Edit.
5. Click Content.
6. Choose the top portion of your sales template.
7. Remove the checkmark on the Form numbers option.
8. Click Done.

Learn more about customizing your sales transaction template with this article: Customize invoices, estimates, and sales receipts in QuickBooks Online.

You might also check out the steps outlined in this helpful article in creating a document for your customer showing all their transactions: Create and view customer statements.

If there's anything else that I can help you with aside from customizing your sales transaction template, please let me know in the comments. Stay safe!

Is it possible to keep the invoice number field on the invoice but turn off the auto numbering function? 

Once the Custom transaction numbers or the auto numbering function is off in QuickBooks Online, the field will also be removed @chris194.

QuickBooks automatically adds the invoice number in sequential order once saved. This detail and field will be hidden on the invoice page after you turned the feature off.

Customizing the sales forms in QBO is a great way to add and branding to your invoices, receipts, and estimates you send to your constituents. You can create multiple templates in the future and toggle between forms when invoicing a customer.

Should you have other questions about the invoice, just leave a message below. The Community team is always right here to help.

I don't have an "Action column" to select from all I have is a sample invoice to right and 3 options to left:

Design - Content - Emails 

to select from.

How do I find "Action" as I would like to the auto invoicing number system

Thank you for getting back to us, @bow1hunting.

The Action column stated by my colleague JonpriL above can be found on the Custom form styles page. I'll attach a screenshot below for your visual reference.

However, going back to your original concern, you can go to the Account and Settings to turn off the auto numbering function on your sales forms. Here's how:

1. Click the Gear icon, then select Account and Settings.
2. Select Sales from the left menu.
3. Go to the Sales form content section and toggle the Custom transaction numbers to turn off the automatic numbering.
4. Hit Save, then Done.

Also, the functionality of this option is discussed by my colleague MadelynC above.

Just in case you want to add custom fields to invoices, feel free to check out this article for the detailed steps and information: How to add custom fields to invoices.

Keep in touch if you need any more assistance with this, or there's something else I can do for you. I've got your back. Have a good day.

Our invoice numbers are based on specific corresponding project numbers, thus they are not created in a sequential manner.  We have custom transaction numbers turned on, however would like that field to be blank when creating a new invoice to help insure there is no mix-ups with the invoices and projects in case someone forgets to change the QB generated invoice number. 

That's a brilliant suggestion, @chris194.

Yes, you're correct. QuickBooks Online (QBO) will auto-generate an invoice number when you create a new transaction even if the Custom transaction numbers feature is turned on. 

I've come up with a workaround to get you back up and running. To prevent duplicates or invoice number mix-ups, you can run or print the Invoice List report. Then, manually edit the invoice number field and compare it with the said report.

There are two ways to achieve this depending on your preference. First, you can just run the said report by logging in to your account separately using an incognito or a different browser. 

On the first browser, you can create your invoices and edit the transaction numbers manually. Then, pull up the report on the other browser so you can compare it to the newly-created invoice entries.

Here's how:

1. Go to the Reports menu.
2. Select the Invoice List report from the Who owes you section.
3. Set the Report date to All Dates, and choose Transaction Type under the Group by drop-down.
4. Click the small Gear icon, and make sure that the Num box is checked.
5.  Tap Run report.
   

The second option is to print the said report to keep a hard copy. Then, compare it to the invoice numbers for the transactions you'll be creating. To do this, you can follow the steps above to run your report.

To print your report:

1. Click the Print icon at the top.
2. Select the Print button, and then make the needed modifications.
3. Click Print again to continue.
   

You can also customize your invoices to personalize them. Once you receive the payments from your customers, you can enter them in QBO to keep your record up-to-date and accurate.

I'm always around to help if you some follow-up questions about this. Have a good one.