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Create an Invoice (End-to-End)

The full path from quote to paid invoice: write a quote, send it for acceptance, convert it to an invoice, send the invoice, record the customer's payment. If you don't use quotes, jump to Step 3.

Step 1 — Add the customer (if new)

  1. Open SolaBooks and go to AR (Sales) → All Customers.
  2. Click Add Customer.
  3. Fill in:
    • Name — display and document name.
    • Email — used for sending documents and portal access.
    • Billing Address — appears on documents.
    • Tax ID — if applicable.
    • Currency — defaults to your base currency.
  4. Save.

Step 2 — Write a quote (optional)

  1. Go to AR (Sales) → Quotes and click New Quote.
  2. Choose the Customer, the quote date, and the expiry date.
  3. Add line items: pick an item, set quantity and price, and (if VAT applies) the tax rate.
  4. Save as a draft, then Send.

The customer receives an email with the quote and a secure link where they can accept or decline — the result shows on the quote as Customer Accepted or Customer Declined. See Public quote links.

When accepted, click Convert to Invoice — a draft invoice is created with the same lines and prices. Skip Step 3.

Step 3 — Create the invoice directly

  1. Go to AR (Sales) → Invoices and click New Invoice.
  2. Choose the Customer, Invoice Date, and due date.
  3. Add line items. If an item doesn't exist yet, you don't have to leave the form: type its name in the item search and use the Create «typed text» footer — a small New item window creates it and drops it straight into the line.
  4. Review the totals and click Save Draft (or Save & Post to post in one step).

A draft invoice exists and is visible in lists, but does not affect your books yet.

Step 4 — Post the invoice

Posting writes the invoice into your accounting ledger.

  1. Open the invoice and click Post. (If the button is missing, your role doesn't allow posting — ask your workspace administrator.)
  2. The invoice number is finalised and the status changes to Posted.

How the journal looks:

Account Debit Credit
Accounts Receivable 105.00
Sales Revenue 100.00
Output VAT 5.00

Once posted, the accounting fields (date, customer, currency, line items and so on) are locked — the page shows a locked banner. To change them: Unpost, edit the draft, and post again. Notes and attachments stay editable.

If posting fails — a missing default account, a locked period, an archived customer, or a missing exchange rate — see Troubleshooting.

Step 5 — Send the invoice

  1. From the posted invoice, click Send.
  2. The customer receives the invoice PDF and a secure link that opens it in the Customer Portal — one tap, no password.

Step 6 — Record the payment

  1. Open the posted invoice and click Record a payment (or go to Payments → Make Payment).
  2. Set the payment date, the account the money landed in, and the method (Cash, Cheque, or Bank Transfer).
  3. Allocate the amount against the invoice — edit the allocation for partial payments.
  4. Post the payment.

The invoice's outstanding balance drops; a fully paid invoice moves to Paid. Details in Record a payment.

Fixing a posted invoice

  • Unpost — returns the invoice to draft so you can edit and re-post. Not available once a payment is allocated.
  • Credit Note — for corrections after payment, issue a credit note (AR (Sales) → Credit Notes) instead of unposting.
  • Void — cancels the document while keeping it in the audit trail. Voiding cannot be undone.

Related

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