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Send an Invoice to Customer

Difficulty:beginner

Learn how to deliver invoices to customers so they can pay you quickly.

When You'd Send an Invoice

  • Just created new invoice (ready to bill)
  • Customer requests invoice resent (lost original email)
  • Following up on unpaid invoice
  • Customer changed email address (send to new email)
  • Sending reminder before due date

How to Send an Invoice

Sending New Invoice

Option 1: Send While Creating

  1. Create invoice (see Create Invoice)
  2. At final step, click Save & Send
  3. Invoice saves and sends in one action
  4. Customer receives email immediately

Option 2: Save Draft, Send Later

  1. Create invoice
  2. Click Save Draft (not sent yet)
  3. Review/edit if needed
  4. When ready, open invoice
  5. Click Send Invoice button
  6. Customer receives email

Why save as draft first:

  • Need manager approval
  • Want to double-check amounts
  • Waiting for customer confirmation
  • Creating end-of-day batch invoices

Resending Existing Invoice

Customer says: "I never got the invoice"

Steps:

  1. Navigate to Invoices
  2. Find the invoice (search by customer or invoice #)
  3. Click invoice to open
  4. Click Resend button
  5. Confirm email address
  6. Click Send

System tracks:

  • ✅ Original send date

  • ✅ Resend date(s)

  • ✅ How many times sent

  • Shows in invoice history

What Customer Receives

Email Content

Subject Line:

Invoice #INV-2026-0042 from [Your Company Name]

Email Body:

Hi [Customer Name],

Thank you for choosing [Your Company]!

Your invoice is attached. Payment is due by [Due Date].

Invoice Details:
• Invoice #: INV-2026-0042
• Amount Due: $280.88
• Due Date: January 30, 2026

[Pay Online Button] [View Invoice Button]

Questions? Contact us:
Phone: (555) 123-4567
Email: [email protected]

Thank you for your business!
[Your Company Name]

Attachments:

  • PDF invoice (formatted, printable)
  • Payment link (if online payment enabled)

PDF Invoice Appearance

Header:

  • Your company logo
  • Company name & contact info
  • "INVOICE" title
  • Invoice number & date

Customer Section:

  • Bill To: Customer name & address
  • Service Location: (if different)

Line Items:

  • Description, Quantity, Unit Price, Total
  • Subtotal
  • Tax (if applicable)
  • Total Due (bold, large)

Footer:

  • Payment terms (Net 15, Net 30, etc.)
  • Payment methods accepted
  • Thank you message
  • Company license numbers (if required)

Sending Methods

Email (Standard)

Default method:

  • Sent to customer's email address
  • PDF attached
  • Payment link included
  • Delivered in seconds

Best for:

  • Customers who check email regularly
  • Faster payment (online payment link)
  • Professional appearance
  • Tracking (see when opened)

Text/SMS

If customer prefers texts:

Steps:

  1. Open invoice
  2. Click Send dropdown
  3. Select Send via Text
  4. System sends SMS with:
    • Invoice amount
    • Due date
    • Link to view/pay online

Example text:

[Your Company]: Invoice #1234 for $280.88
is ready. Due Jan 30. View & pay:
https://pay.crewdex.com/inv/abc123

Best for:

  • Customers who prefer text
  • Quick reminders
  • Mobile-first customers

Note: Text must include link (can't attach PDF). Customer clicks link to view full invoice.

Print & Hand Deliver

For customers without email:

Steps:

  1. Open invoice
  2. Click Print button
  3. System opens print dialog
  4. Print on paper
  5. Hand to customer or mail

Best for:

  • Elderly customers without email
  • Completed job with payment on site
  • Government/businesses requiring paper invoices

Customer Portal

Customer can access themselves:

Setup (one-time):

  1. Settings → Customer Portal → Enable
  2. Customer receives portal login
  3. They can log in anytime

Customer accesses:

  1. Logs into customer portal
  2. Navigates to Invoices
  3. Sees all their invoices
  4. Can download PDF or pay online

Best for:

  • Tech-savvy customers
  • Property managers (multiple properties)
  • Customers who want self-service

Tracking Invoice Delivery

Delivery Status

In Crewdex, invoice shows:

  • 📧 Sent: Email delivered successfully
  • 📬 Opened: Customer opened the email (tracked)
  • 📄 Viewed: Customer viewed the PDF
  • 💰 Paid: Customer paid online
  • ⚠️ Bounced: Email failed to deliver

Timeline view:

Jan 15, 2:30 PM - Invoice created
Jan 15, 2:31 PM - Email sent
Jan 15, 4:15 PM - Customer opened email
Jan 15, 4:20 PM - Customer viewed PDF
Jan 16, 10:00 AM - Payment received

Email Open Tracking

How it works:

  • System embeds tracking pixel in email
  • When customer opens email, pixel loads
  • You get notification: "[Customer] opened invoice"

Why useful:

  • Know they received it (not stuck in spam)
  • Time follow-ups appropriately
  • If not opened after 3 days → resend or call

Privacy note: Some email clients block tracking. If "Opened" doesn't show, doesn't mean they didn't see it.

Customizing Invoice Emails

Email Template

Customize in Settings:

Step 1: Navigate to Settings → Email Templates

Step 2: Edit Invoice Email Template

  • Subject line
  • Body text
  • Logo placement
  • Button colors
  • Footer content

Step 3: Preview

  • Click Preview
  • See how customer sees it
  • Send test email to yourself

Step 4: Save Template

  • Click Save
  • All future invoices use new template

Personalization Variables

Dynamic fields you can use:

{{customer_name}} → "Sarah Johnson"
{{invoice_number}} → "INV-2026-0042"
{{amount_due}} → "$280.88"
{{due_date}} → "January 30, 2026"
{{company_name}} → "ACME HVAC"
{{technician_name}} → "Mike"
{{job_description}} → "AC Repair"

Example personalized email:

Hi {{customer_name}},

{{technician_name}} completed your {{job_description}}
on {{job_date}}. Your invoice is attached.

Amount Due: {{amount_due}}
Due Date: {{due_date}}

Thank you for choosing {{company_name}}!

Becomes:

Hi Sarah,

Mike completed your AC Repair on January 15, 2026.
Your invoice is attached.

Amount Due: $280.88
Due Date: January 30, 2026

Thank you for choosing ACME HVAC!

Sending Reminders

Automatic Reminders

Setup in Settings → Invoices → Reminders:

Reminder 1: 3 days before due date

Subject: Friendly Reminder: Invoice #1234 due soon
Body: Just a reminder your invoice of $280.88 is
due on January 30. [Pay Online] button included.

Reminder 2: Due date

Subject: Invoice #1234 is due today
Body: Your payment of $280.88 is due today.
[Pay Now] button included.

Reminder 3: 7 days after due date

Subject: Overdue: Invoice #1234
Body: Your payment of $280.88 is now 7 days overdue.
Please pay ASAP to avoid late fees.

Reminder 4: 14 days after due date

Subject: URGENT: Invoice #1234 overdue
Body: Your payment is now 14 days past due.
Please contact us immediately.

Manual Reminder

Send immediate reminder:

Steps:

  1. Navigate to Invoices → Overdue filter
  2. Find unpaid invoice
  3. Click Send Reminder
  4. Choose template:
    • Friendly reminder (before due date)
    • Overdue notice (after due date)
    • Final notice (30+ days overdue)
  5. Edit message if needed
  6. Click Send

When to use manual:

  • Custom message for VIP customer
  • Special circumstances (agreed payment plan)
  • One-off reminder outside automatic schedule

Common Sending Scenarios

Scenario 1: Customer Paid Cash But Wants Receipt

Situation: Paid on the spot, wants email confirmation

Steps:

  1. Create invoice normally
  2. Immediately record payment (Cash)
  3. Click Send Receipt (not "Send Invoice")
  4. Customer receives:
    • Marked as PAID
    • Shows $0 balance due
    • Serves as receipt

Scenario 2: Customer Changed Email

Situation: Invoice bounced, customer gave new email

Steps:

  1. Open customer profile
  2. Update email address
  3. Save customer
  4. Return to invoice
  5. Click Resend
  6. Confirm new email shows
  7. Send

System automatically:

  • Uses new email from customer profile
  • Doesn't need manual entry

Scenario 3: Sending to Billing Department

Situation: Commercial customer, invoice goes to [email protected] (not customer contact)

Option 1: Add Billing Email to Customer

  1. Customer profile → Billing Contact section
  2. Add billing email separate from customer email
  3. Invoice auto-sends to billing email

Option 2: Manual Send

  1. Open invoice
  2. Click Send
  3. Enter custom email address
  4. Check "Remember for this customer"
  5. Send

Scenario 4: Customer Has Multiple Properties

Situation: Property manager wants separate invoices for each property

Steps:

  1. Create invoice for Property A
  2. Send to customer email
  3. Create invoice for Property B
  4. Send to same email
  5. Each invoice shows different service address

Customer receives:

  • Two separate emails
  • Two separate PDFs
  • Can pay each separately

Best Practices

1. Send Immediately After Job

  • Create and send same day
  • Customer remembers the service
  • Faster payment

2. Include Payment Link

  • Enable online payment (Settings → Payments)
  • Link appears in email
  • One-click payment = faster collection

3. Professional Email Template

  • Clean design
  • Company branding
  • Clear call-to-action
  • Thank you message

4. Timing Matters

  • Send during business hours (9 AM - 5 PM)
  • Avoid Friday afternoon (gets lost in weekend)
  • Monday morning = good open rates

5. Follow Up Consistently

  • Don't assume they saw it
  • Resend if not opened in 3 days
  • Call if not paid by due date

A: Yes:

  • Add multiple emails separated by commas
  • Or set up billing contact + customer contact
  • Both receive invoice

Q: What if customer's email bounces?
A:

  • Verify email spelling
  • Call customer for correct email
  • Or print and mail paper invoice
  • Update customer profile with correct email

Q: Can customer pay directly from email?
A: Yes, if online payment enabled:

  • Click Pay Online button in email
  • Goes to secure payment portal
  • Enter card info
  • Payment processed immediately

Q: How do I know if they opened the invoice?
A: Check invoice status:

  • ✅ Opened: Shows date/time they opened email

  • ⏳ Sent: Delivered but not opened yet

  • ⚠️ Bounced: Failed to deliver

Q: Can I schedule invoice to send later?
A: Yes:

  • Save as Draft
  • Click Schedule Send
  • Choose date/time
  • Invoice auto-sends at scheduled time

Troubleshooting

Issue: "Email bounced - address doesn't exist"
Solution:

Issue: "Customer says they didn't get it"
Solution:

  1. Check spam/junk folder
  2. Check invoice shows "Sent" status
  3. Verify email address is correct
  4. Resend to different email (work vs personal)

Issue: "Can't attach PDF"
Solution:

  • PDF generates automatically
  • If missing: Refresh page, try again
  • Or use Download PDF then email manually

Issue: "Send button is greyed out"
Solution:

  • Customer must have valid email address
  • Fill in customer email field
  • Save customer profile
  • Return to invoice and send

Need More Help?

Related Guides

Create Invoice

Record Payment

Track Unpaid

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