Creating and Managing Invoices

Who this is for: Business owners and office staff handling billing and accounts receivable
Time to learn: 10 minutes
What you'll master: Create invoices, calculate taxes, manage payment status, send to customers, track outstanding balances

Why Invoicing Matters

Professional invoicing gets you paid faster and builds customer trust. Crewdex invoices automatically:

• Pull job details and line items
• Calculate taxes based on your rate
• Track payment status
• Send formatted PDFs to customers
• Record payment history

Real example: You complete an AC repair for $450 in labor plus $82.50 in parts. Create invoice in 2 minutes with auto-calculated tax ($43.83 at 8.25%), send to customer via email, receive payment within 3 days.

Creating an Invoice from a Completed Job

Step 1: Navigate to Completed Job

Desktop:

1. Click Jobs in left sidebar
2. Filter by Status: Completed
3. Click job you want to invoice

Mobile:

1. Tap Jobs (bottom navigation)
2. Swipe to Completed tab
3. Tap job card

Step 2: Review Job Details

Verify before invoicing:

• Customer name and address correct
• Job date matches service date
• All labor line items recorded
• All parts used are listed
• Technician notes captured

Step 3: Click "Create Invoice"

Desktop: Click blue Create Invoice button (top right of job detail page)
Mobile: Tap Create Invoice button (bottom of screen)

What happens automatically:

1. Invoice number generated (format: INV-2026-0045)
2. Customer information copied from job
3. Labor line items copied with rates
4. Parts copied with costs
5. Invoice status set to "Draft"

Understanding Invoice Line Items

Labor Line Items

Automatically included from job:

• Service description (e.g., "AC Repair - Compressor Replacement")
• Hours worked (e.g., 3.5 hours)
• Labor rate (from job template or custom)
• Line item total (hours × rate)

AC Repair - Compressor Replacement
3.5 hours @ $125/hr = $437.50

Editing labor:

• Click Edit icon next to line item
• Adjust hours or rate
• Change description
• Click Save

Parts Line Items

Automatically included from job:

• Part name (e.g., "Compressor - Goodman 3-ton")
• Quantity used (e.g., 1)
• Unit cost (from inventory or entered manually)
• Markup (if configured)
• Line item total

Compressor - Goodman 3-ton
Qty: 1 @ $275.00 = $275.00
(Cost: $220.00, Markup: 25%)

Adding parts not tracked:

1. Click + Add Part below line items
2. Enter part name and cost
3. Quantity defaults to 1
4. Click Add

Custom Line Items

When to add:

• Service charges not in job (trip fees, after-hours premiums)
• Materials purchased on-site
• Permits or disposal fees
• Discounts (enter as negative amount)

To add:

1. Click + Add Line Item
2. Enter description
3. Enter amount
4. Click Add

Calculating Taxes

Automatic Tax Calculation

Tax rate setting:

1. Go to Settings → Company → Tax Rate
2. Enter your local sales tax rate (e.g., 8.25%)
3. Click Save

On invoices:

• Tax automatically calculates on subtotal
• Formula: Subtotal × Tax Rate = Tax
• Total: Subtotal + Tax

Subtotal (Labor + Parts): $712.50
Tax (8.25%): $58.78
Total: $771.28

Tax-Exempt Customers

For commercial/tax-exempt customers:

1. Edit customer record
2. Add Tax ID field
3. Check Tax Exempt box
4. Save customer

On their invoices:

• Tax line shows: $0.00 (Tax Exempt)
• Total equals subtotal
• Tax ID displays on invoice PDF

Multiple Tax Rates

If you serve multiple cities with different rates:

• Set default rate in Settings (most common rate)
• Override on individual invoices:
  1. Edit invoice
  2. Click Override Tax Rate
  3. Enter specific rate for that job location
  4. Tax recalculates automatically

Invoice Status Workflow

Draft Status

What it means: Invoice created but not sent to customer yet.

What you can do:

• Edit any line items
• Add/remove parts
• Adjust tax rate
• Delete invoice entirely
• Preview PDF

What customer sees: Nothing (draft invoices not visible to customers).

Best practice: Review draft invoices within same business day. Don't let drafts sit for days.

Sent Status

What it means: Invoice sent to customer via email (PDF attached).

What you can do:

• View invoice (read-only)
• Resend invoice email
• Record manual payment
• Mark as paid
• Download PDF copy

What you CANNOT do:

• Edit line items
• Change amounts
• Adjust tax

What customer sees:

• Email with invoice PDF attachment
• Link to pay online (if Stripe connected)
• Payment instructions

Paid Status

What it means: Customer paid in full (online or manual entry).

What you can do:

• View invoice and payment details
• Download PDF receipt
• Download invoice PDF
• Export to accounting software

What you CANNOT do:

• Edit invoice
• Change payment amount
• Delete invoice

What customer sees:

• "Paid" stamp on PDF
• Payment confirmation email
• Receipt download link (if paid online)

Sending Invoices to Customers

Email Delivery (Recommended)

Requirements:

• Customer has email address on file
• Customer communication preference allows email

To send:

1. Open invoice (Draft status)
2. Review line items and total
3. Click Send Invoice button
4. Confirm customer email address
5. Click Send

What customer receives:

Subject: Invoice INV-2026-0045 from [Your Company]

Hello Sarah,

Thank you for choosing [Your Company]!

Your invoice for AC Repair service on Jan 15, 2026 is attached.

Amount Due: $771.28
Due Date: Jan 30, 2026

Pay online: [Payment Link]

Questions? Reply to this email or call (555) 123-4567.

Best regards,
[Your Company]

Email includes:

• PDF invoice attachment
• Payment link (if Stripe connected)
• Your company contact info
• Due date (default: 15 days from invoice date)

Download and Print

For customers who prefer paper invoices:

1. Open invoice
2. Click Download PDF
3. Print invoice
4. Mail or hand-deliver to customer

PDF includes:

• Professional formatting with your logo
• All line items with prices
• Tax calculation
• Payment instructions
• Your company details
• Customer address

Portal Access

If customer has portal account:

• Invoice appears automatically in their dashboard
• They can download PDF anytime
• They can pay online
• Payment status updates in real-time

Filtering Invoices

Status Filter (Multi-Select)

How to use:

1. Navigate to Invoices page
2. Click Status dropdown
3. Check/uncheck status types:
   • Draft (gray badge) - Not sent yet
   • Sent (blue badge) - Awaiting payment
   • Paid (green badge) - Payment received
   • Overdue (red badge) - Past due date
   • Cancelled (gray badge) - Voided invoices
4. Filter applies immediately

Select multiple statuses to see combined results (e.g., "Sent + Overdue" shows all unpaid invoices requiring follow-up).

Clear filters: Click X on individual badges or Clear Filters button.

Mobile: Tap Filters button to expand/collapse filter panel.

URL Bookmarking

Filter selections are saved in the URL for easy bookmarking:

• /dashboard/invoices?status=SENT - Only sent invoices
• /dashboard/invoices?status=SENT,OVERDUE - Unpaid invoices
• Share filtered views with team members

Dashboard Links:

• Clicking "Outstanding" on dashboard → Pre-filters to SENT status
• Clicking "Unpaid Invoices" card → Shows all unpaid (SENT + OVERDUE)

Tracking Payment Status

Outstanding Invoices View

To see all unpaid invoices:

1. Navigate to Invoices
2. Use Status filter and select Sent and Overdue
3. Sort by Date (oldest first to prioritize follow-ups)

Desktop view shows:

• Invoice number
• Customer name
• Amount due
• Days outstanding (e.g., "15 days ago")
• Payment link

Mobile view shows:

• Customer name (bold)
• Invoice number + amount
• Status badge
• Days since sent

Aging Report

To see how long invoices are outstanding:

1. Navigate to Invoices
2. Click Aging Report tab

Buckets:

• Current: 0-15 days (within payment terms)
• 16-30 days: Slightly overdue (send reminder)
• 31-60 days: Overdue (follow up by phone)
• 61-90 days: Seriously overdue (consider collection)
• 90+ days: Very overdue (collection agency?)

Recording Manual Payments

When customer pays by check or cash:

1. Open invoice
2. Click Record Payment button
3. Enter details:
   • Payment Method: Check, Cash, Other
   • Amount: Full amount or partial payment
   • Payment Date: Date you received payment
   • Check Number: (if applicable)
   • Notes: Any additional details
4. Click Save Payment

What happens:

• Invoice status changes to "Paid"
• Payment recorded in customer history
• Amount updates in financial reports
• Customer receives payment confirmation email (optional)

Common Scenarios

Partial Payments

Customer wants to pay $400 now, $371.28 later:

1. Open invoice
2. Click Record Payment
3. Enter Amount: $400.00
4. Select Payment Method: Check
5. Add Note: "Partial payment 1 of 2"
6. Click Save

Result:

• Invoice shows: Partially Paid: $400.00 of $771.28
• Remaining balance: $371.28
• Invoice stays in "Sent" status (not fully paid yet)
• You can record second payment when received

Payment Plans

Customer needs to pay over 3 months:

Option 1 (Recommended): Create 3 separate invoices

• Invoice 1: Due Jan 30 ($257.09)
• Invoice 2: Due Feb 28 ($257.09)
• Invoice 3: Due Mar 30 ($257.10)

Why: Each invoice tracked separately, customer gets reminders on due dates, cleaner accounting.

Option 2: Single invoice with payment notes

• Add note: "Payment plan: $257/month for 3 months"
• Record each payment as received
• Manual tracking required

Voiding Invoices

When you need to cancel an invoice:

1. Open invoice
2. Click ⋯ (more actions)
3. Select Void Invoice
4. Enter reason: "Duplicate invoice" or "Services not completed"
5. Click Confirm

What happens:

• Invoice marked "Void"
• No longer appears in outstanding balances
• Kept in system for records
• If already sent, customer receives void notification email

Applying Discounts

Customer deserves discount (senior, veteran, repeat customer):

Method 1: Add negative line item

1. Edit invoice (Draft status only)
2. Click + Add Line Item
3. Description: "Senior Discount"
4. Amount: -$50.00 (negative number)
5. Click Add

Result:

Subtotal: $712.50
Discount: -$50.00
Taxable Amount: $662.50
Tax (8.25%): $54.66
Total: $717.16

Method 2: Reduce labor rate

1. Edit labor line item
2. Lower hourly rate: $125/hr → $110/hr
3. Save

Mobile App Tips

Quick Invoice from Job Card

Fastest way after job completion:

1. On job detail screen (still on-site with customer)
2. Tap Complete Job (marks job done)
3. Tap Create Invoice (appears immediately)
4. Review line items
5. Tap Send (customer receives invoice before you leave)

Voice-to-Text for Notes

Adding payment notes:

1. Tap Record Payment
2. Tap microphone icon on keyboard
3. Speak: "Customer paid with check number 1234 on January 15th"
4. Keyboard converts to text

Share PDF Directly

Customer asks for invoice on-site:

1. Open invoice
2. Tap Share icon
3. Select: Text Message, AirDrop, Email, etc.
4. Customer receives PDF instantly

Best Practices

Same-Day Invoicing

Why it matters: Customers pay faster when invoiced immediately after service.

Process:

1. Technician completes job on-site
2. Marks job "Complete" from mobile app
3. Office staff creates invoice same day
4. Invoice sent before end of business day

Result: Average payment time drops from 30 days to 15 days.

Clear Payment Terms

Set expectations upfront:

• Add payment terms to invoice: "Payment due within 15 days"
• Include late fee policy: "1.5% per month on overdue balances"
• Offer early payment discount: "2% discount if paid within 5 days"

Where to set: Settings → Invoicing → Payment Terms

Professional Formatting

Make invoices easy to read:

• Use clear line item descriptions (not "Service" – use "AC Compressor Replacement")
• Group similar items (all labor together, all parts together)
• Include itemized parts list (not "Materials: $500" – list each part)
• Add technician notes in description (helps customer remember what was done)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Invoicing Before Job Complete

Problem: Creating invoice while job still in progress, then more work happens.

Why it's bad: Invoice doesn't reflect actual work done, customer confused, you undercharge.

Solution: Always mark job "Complete" first, verify all labor and parts recorded, THEN create invoice.

❌ Forgetting Tax

Problem: Creating invoice with zero tax rate or forgetting to set tax rate in settings.

Why it's bad: You owe sales tax to state, but didn't collect from customer. You pay out of pocket.

Solution: Set tax rate in Settings immediately after account setup. Verify tax appears on every invoice before sending.

❌ Duplicate Invoices

Problem: Creating multiple invoices for same job because first wasn't marked sent.

Why it's bad: Customer receives 2 invoices, calls confused, looks unprofessional, accounting messy.

Solution: Check existing invoices before creating new one. Search by customer name or job number.

❌ Sent Invoice Errors

Problem: Sending invoice with wrong amount, customer calls to dispute.

Why it's bad: Can't edit sent invoices. Must void and resend, looks disorganized.

Solution: Always preview PDF before clicking Send. Double-check total matches what you quoted.

A: No. Sent invoices are locked to maintain financial accuracy. Void the incorrect invoice and create a new one.

Q: What happens if customer doesn't pay?
A: Invoice stays in "Sent" status. Track in aging report, send reminders, follow up by phone. Consider late fees or collection agency for very old invoices.

Q: Can I charge a deposit?
A: Yes. Create invoice before job starts with deposit amount. After job completion, create final invoice with remaining balance.

Q: Do invoices sync with QuickBooks?
A: Not yet. Currently, export invoices to CSV for manual import to accounting software. Direct integration planned for future update.

Q: Can customers pay invoices online?
A: Yes, if you connect Stripe in Settings. Customers click "Pay Now" link in invoice email, enter card details, pay instantly.

Q: What if I charge the wrong amount?
A: If invoice not yet sent, edit line items. If already sent, void invoice and create new one with correct amount.

Q: Can I customize invoice template?
A: Logo and company colors can be customized in Settings → Branding. Line item formatting is standard for consistency.

What's Next?

Now that you can create invoices:

1. Payment Processing - Accept online payments and process credit cards
2. Job Lifecycle Workflow - See how invoicing fits into complete business process
3. Customer Portal Setup - Let customers view and pay invoices online

Need more help? Search for specific topics using ⌘/ (Mac) or Ctrl+/ (Windows).