Create an invoice in Thryv Business Center™ to give customers a clear breakdown of your products, services, and payment terms. Customers can review the invoice online, download a PDF, and use the payment options you enable.

This article covers creating an invoice, adding items and customer-facing notes, selecting payment options, and sending the invoice. The article also explains the restrictions on editing sent invoices in Australia and New Zealand. Detailed credit-note creation and payment-processor refunds are separate workflows.

Australian and New Zealand accounts: Sent invoices are locked and cannot be edited directly, including invoices sent before the credit-note update. Draft invoices remain editable. Use credit notes to record adjustments to sent invoices.

Table of Contents

• How to Create an Invoice
• How to Edit the Invoice Header
• How to Add and Edit Invoice Items
• How to Add Terms and Customer-Facing Notes
• How to Select Payment Options
• How to Review and Send an Invoice
• What Customers See When Receiving an Invoice
• Limitations and Frequently Asked Questions

How to Create an Invoice

You can begin creating an invoice from several places:

• Use the New Invoice quick action.
• Open a customer’s contact card and select New Invoice.
• Click Sales in the left-hand navigation. Click New, then select Invoice.

The animation demonstrates opening the invoice-creation workflow. To begin from Sales, click New, then select Invoice. The next screen asks you to select the customer or record associated with the invoice.

Select the customer, individual, or item associated with the invoice. Depending on your account’s configuration, the selection may represent a client, patient, student, pet, job, project, or opportunity. If the customer is new, select + New Client to create a customer record.

The selection screen identifies the recipient or record associated with the invoice. Choose the intended record before entering billing details. Use + New Client when the customer does not already have a record.

How to Edit the Invoice Header

After selecting the recipient, the invoice editor opens. Expand the header using the arrow control to review the invoice’s billing details.

The invoice editor contains the header, line items, terms, notes, and payment options. Expand the header to review the business and recipient information. Complete and check the invoice sections before sending.

In the expanded header, you can:

• Click the pencil icon beside your business information to edit the information displayed on the invoice.
• Add additional email recipients.
• Change the invoice label to match your business terminology.
• Adjust the due date.

The expanded header displays the business information, recipient information, invoice label, and due date. Header changes apply to the invoice you are preparing. To manage default payment terms or the fields displayed in Bill To, open Settings, then Payments, and select Invoices & Estimates.

How to Add and Edit Invoice Items

Add the products or services you are billing for. Choose existing services or create new invoice items as needed.

The line-item section lists the products or services included in the invoice. Review each item’s description, quantity, and price. Add all required items before checking the invoice total.

To edit an item, hover over the line item and click the pencil icon.

The pencil control opens the item editor. Use the item editor to change the item’s details, price, discount, or tax. Writing a price adjustment only in the customer-facing note does not change the invoice amount.

The item editor allows you to change the name, description, quantity, and price. You can also apply a percentage or fixed-amount discount and add applicable taxes.

The item-editing window contains the item details and controls for discounts and taxes. Enter the required changes and review the resulting amounts before saving. Changes to line items affect the invoice total.

To reorder items, click and hold the handle on the left of an item, then drag the item to the desired position.

The animation demonstrates moving an invoice item using its drag handle. Drag the item to change the sequence displayed on the invoice. Reordering does not change the item’s quantity or price.

How to Add Terms and Customer-Facing Notes

Edit the Terms for an Invoice

Expand Terms & notes, then click Edit to change the terms and conditions.

The invoice initially uses the terms saved in your settings. Editing the terms in the invoice editor changes the terms for that invoice.

The Terms & notes section contains the invoice’s terms and conditions and the customer-facing note field. Expand the section to review the text. Use Edit to change the terms for the invoice you are preparing.

Add a Customer-Facing Note

Enter your message in the note field beneath Terms & Conditions.

Use the note for payment instructions, service details, or other information relevant to the customer. An invoice note does not change charges, discounts, taxes, or the amount owed.

The customer-note area includes a text field and the Save Notes for Future Invoices checkbox. Enter a message for the invoice you are preparing. Select the checkbox only when you want the same message carried forward to future invoices.

Save or Change a Default Invoice Note

To use a note on future invoices, enter the note and select Save Notes for Future Invoices.

To remove a saved note:

1. Delete the text from the note field.
2. Select Save Notes for Future Invoices.
3. Click Save Draft.
4. Reopen the draft to verify that the note field is blank.

To replace a saved note, enter the replacement text and select Save Notes for Future Invoices.

Understand the Difference Between Notes and Credit Notes

A customer-facing invoice note adds a message. A credit note records an adjustment to an issued invoice.

For Australian and New Zealand accounts, sent invoices are locked. Use credit notes to adjust sent invoices. Creating a credit note does not issue a refund through your payment processor.

How to Select Payment Options

Review the available payment options before sending:

• Allow payment from invoice: Enables supported online payment methods when a payment gateway is connected.
• Allow client to pay partial amount: Allows the customer to pay part of the invoice balance.

To manage minimum partial-payment requirements, click Settings, then Payments, and open Invoices & Estimates.

A partial payment and a credit note serve different purposes. A partial payment records money received toward the balance. A credit note records an adjustment to the invoice.

How to Review and Send an Invoice

Review the recipient, line items, amounts, due date, terms, note, and payment options. Then click Send.

The Send control delivers the invoice to the customer. Check the invoice details before sending. If the invoice is not ready, save a draft and return to the invoice later.

After sending, the invoice details screen displays the issued invoice.

The invoice details screen displays the issued invoice and its information. Available actions depend on the invoice’s payment status and the account’s region. Australian and New Zealand accounts use credit notes to adjust sent invoices.

Australian and New Zealand accounts: Sending locks the invoice. Use a credit note to record an adjustment rather than editing the sent invoice directly. The restriction also applies to invoices sent before the credit-note update.

United States and Canada: Unpaid sent invoices can be edited. Once an invoice has been paid, issue a new invoice for additional items.

Credit Notes for Sent Invoices in Australia and New Zealand

Sent invoices in Australian and New Zealand accounts are locked and cannot be edited directly. Use a credit note to record an adjustment while preserving the original invoice. Creating a credit note does not issue a refund through your payment processor.

The Credit note window identifies the original invoice and customer and displays the Total credit and Max balance available for credit. Under Items to credit, the table contains Item, Quantity, Price, and Total columns. Controls let you remove individual lines, Add item, or Clear all lines.

The Note to client field lets you explain the adjustment and displays a character counter. The pictured credit-note field allows up to 200 characters. The credit-note message is separate from the ordinary invoice note entered through Terms & notes.

The totals panel displays the subtotal, applicable tax, and total credit. The window includes Cancel and Issue credit note controls. The generated credit-note PDFs include the required information for Australia and New Zealand.

Use View Credit Notes to open the credit-note PDF.

What Customers See When Receiving an Invoice

The customer receives an email containing the invoice. To customize the invoice email, click Settings, then Email Templates. Open Payments, then New Invoice.

The customer-email example shows the invoice notification and controls for opening or paying the invoice. The customer can use the email to access the invoice online. A customer-facing invoice note also appears in the invoice email.

The online invoice view allows the customer to review invoice details. Depending on the payment options enabled, the customer can pay the invoice, message your business, or download a PDF.

The PDF provides a downloadable copy of the invoice, including invoice details and the customer-facing note. A previously downloaded PDF does not automatically change when information elsewhere in the account changes.

Limitations and Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Edit an Invoice After Sending?

Australia and New Zealand: Sent invoices are locked and cannot be edited directly, including invoices sent before the credit-note update. Use a credit note to record an adjustment. Draft invoices remain editable.

United States and Canada: You can edit an unpaid invoice after sending. Once an invoice has been paid, issue a new invoice for additional items.

Is an Invoice Note the Same as a Credit Note?

No. An invoice note adds a customer-facing message through Terms & notes. An invoice note does not change the amount owed.

A credit note records an adjustment to an issued invoice. Australian and New Zealand accounts use credit notes to adjust locked sent invoices.

Does Creating a Credit Note Refund the Customer?

No. A credit note records an invoice adjustment but does not return money through your payment processor. Process a refund separately when money needs to be returned.

Do AU/NZ Credit-Note PDFs Include the Required Information?

Yes. The generated credit-note PDFs include the required information for Australia and New Zealand. Use View Credit Notes to open the credit-note PDF.

Is There a Character Limit for Invoice Item Descriptions or Notes?

Ordinary invoice item descriptions and customer-facing invoice notes have no character limit. The invoice editor may shorten the visible text to save space, but the customer’s invoice displays the full text.

The Note to client field in the credit-note window shown in this article allows up to 200 characters.

Can I Send an Invoice to Additional Email Recipients?

Yes. In Bill To, click + Add Recipients and enter the additional email addresses, separated by semicolons.

Additional recipients receive view-only access. The main contact remains the person who can pay or take action on the invoice.

The screenshot identifies + Add Recipients in the billing-recipient area. Use the control to add email recipients without changing the invoice’s main contact. Separate multiple addresses with semicolons.

Can Customers Make Partial Payments?

Yes, when you enable Allow client to pay partial amount. To manage the minimum partial-payment percentage, click Settings, then Payments, and open Invoices & Estimates.

Can I Schedule an Invoice to Send Later?

No. To prepare an invoice in advance, save a draft. Open the draft and send the invoice manually on the desired date.