July 26, 2018 11:26 AM - edited August 05, 2018 11:46 PM
What impression do you want your invoices to leave on your customers?
A customized invoice, even semi-stylized ones, is an opportunity to enhance the perception of your business. The Custom Form Styles module in QuickBooks Online lets you edit the layout, design, and data fields that appear on your invoices.
There’s nothing wrong with plain invoices. Customers aren’t going to abandon your brand because you use generic sales forms. Invoices do, however, make them think something.
Unlike other branding solutions, this one requires very little effort and has no added cost. You don’t need an MFA to create an eye-catching invoice template. Anyone with QuickBooks Online Essentials and QuickBooks Online Plus can use the Custom Form Styles module to create an attractive, professional-looking invoice.
Why do I need to customize my invoices (and other sales forms)?
Customizing invoices give your communications a bit of texture. Simple changes, such as layout and logo location, can make the difference between staying top-of-mind or getting lost in the noise of email inboxes.
As ProAdvisor and ParkWay Inc. CTO Matthew Fulton reminds us, “It can be easy to forget that to someone else, your invoice is no different than the other 9 forms in front of them.”
You also need to provide customers with the right information. Consider those on the receiving end of an invoice - at a minimum, customers deserve an invoice with relevant information presented in a clear format.
Get started creating customized invoices
To begin, click the Gear Icon (
) and then select Custom Form Styles. From the Custom Form Styles dashboard, you can manage and edit templates for Invoices, Estimates, and Sales Receipts.
While you can create multiple iterations of a form from a master, you can only apply one template at a time.
Let's create a new template from scratch. Click the New Style button and select “Invoice” from the drop-down.
There are four sections of the customization module: Design, Content, Emails, and Payments. You’ll spend the majority of your time in the Design and Content sections.
The Design Tab
The Content tab
The Emails tab
The Payments tab
When you’re done editing the template, you can click Preview PDF or Save and Exit to return to the Custom Form Styles dashboard.
The first invoice template you create will become your master default template. To change the default form, click the Arrow Icon (
) next to the form you want to designate and select “Make Default."
Designing Custom Invoice Templates
When designing your invoice, ask yourself the following:
Creating a custom logo
When you first create your QuickBooks Online company file, you can add your business logo. This same logo will appear on all of your invoices and sales forms, so take pride in its design and presentation.
Logo edits should be made outside the program before uploading the image. Note that square and circular logos with white backgrounds tend to look the best on invoices. Logos files have a few technical requirements:
Customizing data fields
You can add, remove, or rename certain data fields from the Content Tab. To edit a section, click on the pencil icon (
) on the preview form. Each section has its own set of customization features.
There are numerous available customization options. We won’t go over everything, but we will highlight a few important areas:
The “Products/service” line in the data table section includes item categories by default. You can turn these off, but product categories provide customers with more information and you get better data (learn more about item categories – Introduction to Categories in Products and Services).
Any other tips I should keep in mind to be successful?
What’s Next?
Check your Progress
I have created a non UK EC invoice style - it needs to have a default message but if I put on it amends the UK invoice as well - how do I just do for the relevant one?
It would be amazing to be able to change the appearance of a Custom Field - I want to use it to draw attention to the user that they are on AUTOPAY and it needs to be a BIG font with some COLOR.
i recently switched from desktop and was able to have certain info not appear on a printed estimate or invoice that i had visible on screen.
how do i that on online, or do i need to switch back???
@bigjay615, what kind of data fields are you looking for?
@Frank6, totally agree. For now, the only option is to do all caps, but that in and of itself doesn't look as clean as what I think you're envisioning. I will funnel this information upward!
My company is charging an extra amount for credit cards payment. Is there a way to customize the bottom portion of the Invoice like probably inserting "Credit Card Fee" before the "Totals"?
The Credit Card Fee will be based on the Gross Sales + Vat.
Hello
I'm using QBO International version; I created two Inovice Style but the "Standard Users" can not see it
when trying to Invoice a customer? they can only use the default Invoice.
I can see an option at the bottom of the Invoice' screen that says "Personalisar" where I change the invoice style but the standar users can't see it. Why? is this an error from the app? is there a way to allow standar users to see this option? and change invoice style while making a new invoice?
I am a wine distributor and need to print liquor permit numbers on each invoice. I can save the permit number for each customer in the customer record "Notes" or "Additional Info" fields, but how do I get that to print on the invoice? Alternatively, how do I add a custom field (e.g., "Permits") to the customer record and have THAT print on the invoice?
I was trying to add more custom fields on header
There were no options to do that
My invoice format has the data field ENCLOSED. I want to change that to Purchase Order #. How do I do that? It says to click on the "pencil" on the right side but when I do that it does not allow me to change anything. I am using QB Online. TY.
Hi, We're a company that facilitates instant EFT - how do we add a button for the customer to click to Pay with us? This needs to be a link to our site with a querystring embedded.
Many thanks
Michael Watson
If I have 5 different Services that I invoice a hundred companies for once a year, can I create a template or draft invoice that could then be queued up for each of those clients and individual details (such as units sold) be adjusted before sending? I do not want a "recurring invoice".
Hi, I would like to placed a business message under the amount section. In this business, there are additional monies due after the job begins. This message is critical and customers only see the amount due. Even a message to the left of the amount may not be read. The critical message under the amount is the appropriate place.
Okay for invoices but what about custom credit memos, refund receipts, etc. There is no function to customize these.
I sell 3000 different products. How can I make an invoice with random products, then get it in alphabetical order to my customer?
It's very disappointing that I can't have two different invoices that each carry a different contact address. I have a mailing address and a business address. I don't want all my clients to see my business address because it is my home. I want some to see the business address, and some to see a mailing address I have. Yet, your custom forms only allow the use of one address that exists in the company profile information as the business address. This is very irritating and causes a lot of excess work because I have to now customize every single invoice as it goes out. Do better please!
Dear Quickbooks,
Under payment details on my invoice for a customer has the label "transfer to business account below". I would like to add the word "please" before it and unable to edit or customize or remove it all together. I have been unsuccessful in finding where I can make the changes. Can you please assist?
How can I change the account set up in this Shipping? I want to change this to other Shipping Account