Invoices and estimates

This guide shows you how to bill a customer for a set amount and check that they paid. It also covers estimates (quotes), deposits and installments, reminders and payments you receive offline. It is for anyone who sends invoices from Payments.

Before you begin

• Complete Invoice identity in Payments → Settings. You cannot issue an invoice until the required business details are saved.
• For online payment, connect a payment account that shows Ready. See Set up payment accounts.
• Know the customer's name and email. If they already exist in the CRM, you can pick them and their details fill in automatically.
• For your first try, invoice yourself or a colleague for a small amount.

Where to find it

• Invoices: Payments → Invoices, then New invoice.
• Estimates: Payments → Estimates, then New estimate.

Create an invoice

1. Open Payments → Invoices and choose New invoice.
2. Under Customer and terms, choose a CRM customer (optional) or type the Customer name and Customer email. Add Company (optional), Tax ID (optional) and the billing address if needed.
3. Set the Issue date, Due date and Currency.
4. Choose the Payment account. Only ready accounts are listed.
5. Add a Memo if the customer needs context, such as a project name.
6. Under line items, choose Add line. Pick a Product (optional) or keep Custom line, then enter Description, Qty and Unit price.
7. Add a Discount or Tax if needed. Both are fixed amounts. Spacebrain does not calculate tax for you.
8. Choose Save draft.

A draft stays fully editable. Nothing is sent to the customer yet.

Add a deposit or installments

Use Payment schedule when the customer should pay in parts.

1. Choose Add installment. The first row is named Deposit, the next Installment 2, and so on. You can add up to 12.
2. For each row, set a Label, Amount and Due date.
3. Make sure the amounts add up to the invoice total exactly.

Leave the schedule empty to collect the full balance in one checkout.

Issue and share the invoice

1. Open the saved draft. Check the customer, line items and totals.
2. Choose Issue & get link. Confirm in the Issue invoice? dialog. After issuing, customer details, dates, amounts and line items are locked.
3. Share the invoice in one of two ways:
   • Choose Send invoice, check the Recipient and send. The message "Invoice email accepted by the provider. Delivery is not guaranteed yet." means the email left Spacebrain.
   • Or copy the payment link with Copy and share it yourself.
4. Use Download PDF if you also need a file.

Your customer opens a secure page with the amount due, the due date and a Pay button. If there is a schedule, they pay the next installment due.

What the invoice statuses mean

Check that you were paid

Open the invoice. Look at Paid and Balance due in the totals, the Payment schedule and the Payment history table. The invoice changes to Paid only after the payment provider confirms the payment. A customer reaching a "thank you" page is not enough on its own.

Use Download receipt to give the customer a receipt.

Record a payment you received offline

If a customer pays by bank transfer, cash or cheque:

1. Open the issued invoice and choose Record payment.
2. In Record offline payment, pick the method: Bank transfer, Cash, Check, External card terminal or Other.
3. Set Received at and add an External reference (optional), such as the bank reference.
4. Choose Record payment.

If you record one by mistake, open the payment in Transactions and use Reverse payment. The invoice balance reopens.

Reminders

Each invoice has an Automatic reminders switch. It starts with the defaults from Payments → Settings. Turn it off on a single invoice if you are handling that customer personally. The invoice also shows Email history, so you can see what was sent and whether it failed.

Use an estimate first

An estimate is a quote the customer can accept or decline before you bill them.

1. Open Payments → Estimates and choose New estimate.
2. Fill it in like an invoice. Instead of a due date, set Valid until.
3. Choose Issue estimate, then Send estimate or Copy link.
4. The customer sees Accept estimate and Decline.
5. When the status is Accepted, choose Create invoice. Set the Invoice due date and confirm. The customer, items, prices, tax, discount and payment schedule are copied exactly.
6. Open the new draft invoice, check it, then issue it.

An estimate past its Valid until date shows Expired and can no longer be accepted. Create a new one if the customer still wants to go ahead.

Worked example: a website project with a deposit

Sam builds websites. A client agrees to a project with half paid up front.

1. Sam sends an estimate with three lines: design, build and launch support.
2. The client chooses Accept estimate.
3. Sam chooses Create invoice and adds a schedule: Deposit due today for half, and Installment 2 due at launch for the rest.
4. Sam issues the invoice and sends it. The client pays the deposit.
5. The invoice shows the deposit as paid and a balance due for installment 2. Reminders go out before the launch date.

If something goes wrong

• "Before you issue an invoice, add: …" Complete the listed details in Payments → Settings.
• No payment account to choose. Finish provider setup. The list only shows ready accounts.
• Customer paid but the invoice is still open. Refresh after a minute. Then check Transactions for the payment. Do not charge again.
• Wrong amount on an issued invoice. You cannot edit an issued invoice. Choose Void, then create a new one. Tell the customer to ignore the old link.
• The email failed. Check Email history, correct the email address and send again, or share the link directly.

FAQ

Can the customer pay part of an invoice?

Use a payment schedule to set the parts in advance. Each checkout collects the next amount due.

Can I change an invoice after I issue it?

No. Issued invoices are locked so the customer always sees what you agreed. Void it and create a new one.

Do estimates collect payment?

No. An estimate records the customer's decision. You collect money on the invoice you create from it.

Next step

Set up payment links and subscriptions for repeat or self-serve billing.