This page explains each field on an invoice. Most fields are filled in for you from your settings and the customer's record, so often you only add the lines and check the dates.

To start an invoice, go to Invoices, click Create Invoice and choose the customer (see getting started with invoices). Only Administrators and Finance Managers can create and edit invoices.

The Edit Invoice page for a Fernleaf Media invoice: invoice number, dates, currency, purchase order, contact, template, tax setting, default discount, subject and the first line

Invoice details

  • Invoice Number: Avaza suggests the next number after the highest one with your current prefix (shown in front, for example INV). You can type another number, up to 30 characters, but each number can only be used once. To start again from 1, set a new Invoice Prefix in Settings › Invoice & Bill Settings. See changing the starting invoice number.
  • Issue Date: today's date. Change it if you need to.
  • Due Date: choose a trading term, such as Upon Receipt or 30 Days, and Avaza counts the due date from the issue date. Choose Custom to pick the date yourself.
  • Currency: the customer's currency. You can't change it on the invoice. If it isn't your account's currency, the exchange rate shows underneath; click Edit Rate to change it. See multiple currencies.
  • Purchase Order #: your customer's PO number, up to 100 characters. If the customer's company requires one, you can't send the invoice as an e-invoice without it.
  • Customer Contact: the person at the customer's company you address the invoice to. Avaza picks their only contact, or the one on their last invoice. This person is also already chosen as the recipient when you email the invoice. The name prints on the invoice when the template's Show Customer Contact option is on.
  • Invoice Template: sets the look and layout, such as logo, colours, columns and labels. Choosing another template also brings in its default notes. See invoice templates.
  • Amounts are: Tax Exclusive if your unit prices don't include tax, Tax Inclusive if they do. See tax inclusive or exclusive.
  • Default Discount: a percentage applied to every line you add after entering it, including lines from Add Time, Add Expense and Add Fixed Amount. Enter it before you add lines. You can still change each line's discount.
  • Subject: a short description, up to 255 characters. It shows on the invoice if the template shows it, appears in the message of the standard invoice email (the [Invoice Subject] placeholder; the standard subject line doesn't use it), and becomes the project title if you convert the invoice to a project.

The customer's currency, trading term and invoice template come from their company record: go to Contacts › Companies, open the company, and click Edit under Financial Details. Without a trading term there, the invoice uses Default Invoice Trading Term from Invoice & Bill Settings. A customer's currency can only be changed while they have no invoices, payments, estimates or expenses yet.

Lines

Use Add Time, Add Expense and Add Fixed Amount at the top to bill work you've recorded (see invoicing time, expenses and fixed amounts), or click Add Row to type a line. Click the × at the end of a line to remove it.

  • Type: the inventory item you're billing for. Choose it first: the other fields open once it's set, and the item fills in the description, unit price and tax rate. Click Add Inventory Item under the box to create one. See inventory items.
  • Description: what the line is for, as your customer will read it.
  • Qty: the quantity, 1 by default. For time, the number of hours.
  • Unit Price: the price of one unit.
  • Disc %: a discount for this line.
  • Tax Rate: every line needs one. For a line without tax, choose a 0% rate such as No Tax. See setting up tax.
  • Amount: calculated for you: quantity × unit price, less the discount.

With Enable Project Invoice Link switched on in Invoice & Bill Settings, lines you type also have a Link project box, so they count in that project's reports. Lines from time, expenses and fixed amounts are always linked to their own project, and their Type can't be changed.

Totals, notes and saving

Under the lines are Total Discount, Subtotal, the tax (+ Tax of when amounts are tax exclusive, Includes Tax of when inclusive) and Total Amount. Notes start with the template's default payment instructions and notes. Edit them for this invoice if you need to.

Click Save Invoice. The invoice is saved as a Draft until you send it or mark it as sent, and you can change it later with Edit unless it's void.

On the saved invoice, Edit next to Customer Address corrects the customer's name and billing address on their company record. Edit next to Invoice Template opens the template. A template change shows on every invoice that uses it, including invoices already sent.

If the invoice won't save

Avaza shows a message saying what's wrong. The usual reasons:

  • A line has no Type, quantity, unit price or Tax Rate.
  • Another invoice already uses the invoice number.
  • The due date is before the issue date.
  • The total is below zero. To give money back, use a credit note.
  • The new total is less than the payments and credit notes already applied to the invoice.
  • Your plan's monthly invoice limit is reached. The Invoices page shows a message; you can create invoices again next month or after upgrading.