Invoices

Invoices are used to bill customers for completed work. Colo supports one-time and recurring invoices, multiple payment methods, and PDF generation.

1. Viewing the Invoice List

1. Click Invoices in the left sidebar.
2. The list shows invoice number, customer, total, due date, and payment status.
3. Filter by:
   • Status — Unpaid, Paid, Partial, Overdue
   • Type — One-time or Recurring
   • Customer
   • Date range

2. Creating a New Invoice

1. Click + Add Invoice.
2. Fill in the header:
   • Customer (required)
   • Project — optionally link to a project
   • Invoice Date (required)
   • Due Date (required)
   • Currency — defaults to the customer's assigned currency
   • Billing Type — One-time or Recurring
   • Recurring Frequency — (if recurring) Weekly, Monthly, etc.
3. Add line items:
   • Click + Add Item.
   • Choose a Service from your catalog or type a custom description.
   • Enter Quantity, Unit Price, and Tax (optional).
   • Repeat for each line.
4. Apply a Discount (percentage or fixed) if applicable.
5. Add Notes for the client and Terms & Conditions.
6. Click Save.

3. Using an Invoice Template

1. When creating an invoice, click Load Template.
2. Select a template.
3. Adjust items and amounts, then save.

Save current invoice as a template:

• Click Save as Template, give it a name, and save.

4. Sending an Invoice to a Client

1. Open the invoice.
2. Click Send Email.
3. Review the email preview and edit the subject/body if needed.
4. Click Send.
5. The invoice status updates to Sent.
6. The client receives an email with a link to view and pay the invoice online.

5. Recording a Payment

When a client pays by cash, bank transfer, or cheque:

1. Open the invoice.
2. Click + Record Payment.
3. Fill in:
   • Amount Paid
   • Payment Date
   • Payment Mode — Cash, Bank Transfer, Cheque, etc.
   • Transaction ID / Reference (optional)
   • Notes (optional)
4. Click Save.
5. The invoice status updates to Paid (or Partial if the amount is less than the total).

6. Marking an Invoice as Paid

If you don't need to record payment details:

1. Open the invoice.
2. Click Mark as Paid.
3. The invoice status changes to Paid immediately.

7. Recurring Invoices

Recurring invoices are automatically regenerated on a schedule.

Setting up a recurring invoice:

1. Create a new invoice as normal.
2. Set Billing Type to Recurring.
3. Set the Frequency (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, etc.).
4. Set Start Date and optionally an End Date.
5. Save.

The system will automatically generate the next invoice in the cycle on the scheduled date.

8. Downloading an Invoice as PDF

1. Open the invoice.
2. Click Download PDF.
3. The formatted invoice is downloaded.

9. Adding Comments / Attachments

• Comments: Open the invoice → Comments section → type and click Add.
• Attachments: Open the invoice → Attachments → Upload File.

10. Electronic Signatures on Invoices

1. Open the invoice.
2. Click the Signature section.
3. Upload a signature image or draw one with your mouse.
4. Click Save Signature.

11. Editing an Invoice

1. Open the invoice and click Edit.
2. Make changes.
3. Click Save.

Editing a paid invoice will not reverse the payment. Adjust the invoice carefully.

12. Deleting an Invoice

• Delete icon on the list row → confirm.
• Bulk delete: check items → Delete Selected → confirm.

Invoice Statuses

Online Payment Methods (Client Portal)

Clients can pay invoices online using:

• Stripe — credit/debit card
• PayPal — PayPal account or guest checkout

To enable these, configure the payment gateways under Finance → Payment Gateways.

Tips

• Set Due Date carefully — overdue invoices appear highlighted in red on the dashboard.
• Use Recurring Invoices for retainer clients to avoid recreating the same invoice each month.
• Attach a signed contract or timesheet summary to invoices for transparency.