Your First Invoice

Step-by-step guide to creating and sending your first invoice.

This walkthrough takes you from a blank invoice to a sent invoice in just a few minutes.

Create the Invoice

1. Click New Invoice on the dashboard, or go to Invoices in the sidebar and click Create Invoice.

2. Select a customer. Choose an existing customer from the dropdown, or click New Customer to add one inline.

3. Select a job (optional). If this invoice is for a specific job, choose it from the dropdown. You can also create a new job inline.

4. Choose an invoice mode. The default is Line Items — you’ll add individual line items with descriptions, quantities, and prices. See Invoice Modes for other options.

5. Add line items. For each line item, enter:

   • Description — what you’re billing for (e.g., “Weekly lawn mowing”)
   • Quantity — how many units (defaults to 1)
   • Unit Price — price per unit (e.g., $50.00)
   • Taxable — checkbox, checked by default

   Click Add Item to add more rows.

6. Set dates.

   • Issue Date — defaults to today
   • Due Date — when payment is expected (required)

7. Review the total. The calculation preview on the right shows your subtotal, any discount, tax, and total in real time as you fill in the form.

8. Click Save to create the invoice as a draft.

Send the Invoice

Once your invoice is saved, you can share it with your customer:

1. Open the invoice and click Share.
2. In the Link tab, click Copy Link to get a shareable portal link. Send this link to your customer via text, email, or however you prefer.
3. Or switch to the Email tab to send the invoice directly from Service Invoice Pro. Select the customer, review the subject line, add an optional message, and click Send.

See Sending Invoices for full details on sharing options and email requirements.

What Your Customer Sees

Your customer opens the link and sees the invoice in the customer portal — a clean, branded page with your logo, business info, and invoice details. They can download a PDF copy. If you’re on the Pro plan with online payments enabled, they’ll also see a Pay Now button.

Mark as Paid

When you receive payment (cash, check, Zelle, or other), click Mark as Paid on the invoice detail page. Select the payment method and optionally add a note like “Check #1234.” See Marking as Paid for details.

Tips

• Your invoice number is assigned automatically (e.g., “INV-00001”). You can customize the prefix and starting number in Invoice Settings.
• Add Notes (visible to the customer) for project details or Terms for payment terms.
• The invoice is saved as a Draft until you share or send it. You can edit drafts freely.

Next Steps

• Understanding the Dashboard — track revenue and payment metrics
• Invoice Modes — learn about fixed amount and percent-of-job modes
• Tax & Discounts — apply tax rates and discounts