---
key: create-an-invoice
title: Create an invoice
audience: staff
section: sales-billing/invoices
routes: ["/invoices", "/invoices/new"]
permissions: ["billing.invoices.create"]
features: ["billing.invoices"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Start a new invoice, choose the customer, set when payment is due, add the lines, then save it as a draft.
keywords: [bill, billing, new invoice, due date, payment terms, net]
related: [create-a-quote, convert-a-quote-to-an-invoice, record-a-payment]
---

In the sidebar, open **Sales & Billing**, then **Invoices**. The page address is `/invoices`. A new invoice opens at `/invoices/new`.

## Before you start

- The customer needs an account in Nova. You can create one from inside the invoice if your role can create accounts.
- Your role needs permission to create invoices. If you do not see **New invoice**, ask your admin.
- If the work was quoted first, do not start from scratch. See [[convert-a-quote-to-an-invoice]].

## Steps

1. Press **New invoice** at the top of the Invoices list. A blank invoice opens.
2. Under **Customer account**, type the customer's name in **Search accounts** and pick them from the list.
   If your organization has more than one branch, **Invoice branch** shows which branch the invoice belongs to. It follows your current branch, or the work order when you bill one; press **Change** to pick another.
3. Check **Invoice date**. Nova uses today unless you change it.
4. Under **Terms**, choose when payment is due. **Due on receipt** means the customer pays as soon as they get the invoice. The other choices give them a set number of days. Choose **Custom** to type your own **Due date**.
5. Press **Add line** and type what you are billing: a description, the quantity and the price. Repeat for every line.
6. To group lines into a package, open a line's menu and choose Add sub-item. That line becomes a **Package** and the new line sits under it.
7. Press **Save**. Nova saves the invoice as a draft and gives it an invoice number, which stays with it and is fixed once it leaves draft.

> **Note:** The arrow next to **Save** offers **Save and close**, **Close and new** and **Save and send**. **Save and send** saves first and then opens the send screen; nothing goes out until you press **Send invoice** there.

In Review and send, **Secure link only** is selected by default. Open **More options** and choose **Secure link and PDF** to attach the invoice by email or text. Text attachments use MMS; the secure link stays available because PDF support varies by carrier. **From** names the sender: a phone line's name and number for a text, or the email sender. Point at the sender, focus it with the keyboard or tap it on a phone to open its card, with the number or address, the line's branch and where customer replies land. For your usual sender the card says where it is decided ("From all customer messages" or "Set for Invoices"): **Change for all customer messages** opens that setting in Customer Messages, and the link below it sets a different sender for invoices only. When more than one sender is available, **Change** opens **Send this text from** or **Send this email from**: pick one and press **Use this sender**. That changes the sender for this message only.

## What you see

- Supporting attachments can be added after saving, including on a paid or closed invoice. Open **Attachments**, add files or web links, then press **Save attachments**. The invoice itself and its amounts stay as recorded.

- The status chip reads **Draft** until the invoice is sent or a payment is collected on it. Either one takes it out of draft by itself; there is no separate step in between. It then reads **Unpaid**, then **Partially paid** or **Paid** as payments come in. An unpaid invoice can still be edited.
- **Due date** follows **Terms**. Change the terms and the due date moves with them.
- The total updates as you add or change lines.

## Sending it

The send screen works the same way as for a quote, described in [[send-a-quote]], with two differences: the channel list is labelled for invoices, and the button reads **Send invoice**. The email includes a secure link where the customer can read the invoice and, when card payments are set up, pay by card.

## If something looks different

- **New invoice** is missing: your role cannot create invoices. Ask your admin.
- **Customer account** is already filled in and cannot be changed: you started the invoice from the customer's own account page.
- **Due date** will not accept a date: pick **Custom** under **Terms** first. With any other choice the date is worked out for you.
- **Send invoice** is greyed out: the invoice needs a customer and at least one line before it can be sent.
- The customer paid on the spot: press **Collect payment**. The draft leaves draft with the payment, without being sent. See [[record-a-payment]].

[[route:/invoices/new|Start a new invoice]]

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