Invoice templates
A template defines a client's billing rhythm and who looks after it: which days the invoice period runs between, who verifies and approves, and whether invoices appear on their own.
Where: Invoices › Templates You need: the invoicing settings right
What a template sets
| Setting | Decides |
|---|---|
| Invoice start day | The first day of the billing period |
| Invoice end day | The last day |
| Mid-period day | The split point, where a period is billed in two parts |
| AR specialist | Who owns collecting on it |
| Account manager | Who owns the commercial relationship |
| Auto-create invoice | Whether invoices are raised automatically each period |
The period days are the important part
Start and end day define the billing period, and they do not have to match a calendar month. A client billed from the 26th to the 25th has a template that says so, and every invoice for them follows it.
Mid-period day matters where a period is split — an advance billed at the start and the balance later, or a client who wants two invoices a month.
⚠️ Get these from the contract before the first invoice. Changing the billing period later leaves a gap or an overlap between the old cycle and the new one, and reconciling that with a client is far harder than agreeing it up front.
Auto-create
With auto-create invoice on, invoices are raised for the client each period without anyone remembering.
That is worth having — invoices missed because nobody raised them are pure lost revenue — but it means invoices appear whether or not the underlying data is ready. Treat the auto-created invoice as a draft to be checked, not as a finished document. It still needs verifying and approving before anything is issued.
AR specialist and account manager
These name the two people who matter when something goes wrong:
- The AR specialist chases payment.
- The account manager handles the commercial conversation.
Filling them in is what makes an aging report actionable. A list of overdue invoices with no owner is a report; the same list with names is a task.
How to set up a template
- Open Invoices › Templates.
- Set the start, end and mid-period days from the contract.
- Assign the AR specialist and account manager.
- Decide whether to auto-create invoices.
- Set the verifiers and approvers for the client's invoices.
- Produce one invoice and check the period matches what the client expects.
What Happens Next
- Invoices for that client are produced on the template's period.
- Auto-created invoices appear each period as drafts, needing review.
- Changing verifiers or approvers resets any in-flight invoice's review — see Reviewing, approving and issuing.
Tips
- Match the template to the contract, not to the calendar. A month-end default on a client who bills to the 25th produces four days of dispute every period.
- Turn on auto-create for steady clients and check them as a batch. Missed invoices cost more than unnecessary drafts.
- Always name an AR specialist. Unowned receivables age.
- Change verifiers and approvers between periods, not mid-invoice, so you do not reset a review that is nearly done.
- Review templates at contract renewal. Billing periods change more often than people expect.
Troubleshooting / FAQ
Q: The invoice period is wrong. Check the template's start and end days.
Q: No invoice was created this period. Check auto-create is on, or raise it manually.
Q: An invoice went back to needing review. Its verifiers or approvers changed, which resets the review.
Q: The client wants two invoices a month. Use the mid-period day to split the period.
Q: Who should chase an overdue invoice? The AR specialist named on the template.