Skip to main content

🔄 Converting an Estimate to Invoice

When you're ready to bill a customer for a quote, use the Generate Invoice action on the estimate — its customer and line items are carried into a new invoice form, ready to review and save.

✅ When You Can Generate an Invoice​

The Generate Invoice action is available on any estimate that hasn't already been converted. It's typically used after the customer accepts, but the app doesn't force the estimate into Accepted status first.

StatusCan Generate Invoice?
Draft✅ Yes (usually you'd send/accept first)
Sent✅ Yes
Accepted✅ Yes — the normal case
Rejected✅ Yes
Expired✅ Yes
Invoice Generated (already converted)❌ No — action is hidden
tip

Best practice is still to mark the estimate Accepted before generating the invoice, so your records show the customer approved the quote.

🔄 Steps to Generate the Invoice​

  1. In the Estimates list, find the estimate
  2. Click the Generate Invoice action (receipt icon) on its row — or pick ⚡ Invoice Generated from the row's status dropdown
  3. The New Invoice form opens pre-filled with the estimate's customer and line items
  4. Review everything — customer, items, tax rates, shipping
  5. Add the payment details / dates as needed
  6. Click Save Invoice to create the invoice
info

Generating an invoice opens the invoice create form with the data pre-filled; the invoice isn't saved until you click Save Invoice. Review the amounts and taxes before saving.

📋 What Gets Carried Over​

FieldCopied to the invoice form?
Customer (name, email, phone)✅ Yes
All line items (product, qty, rate, discount, tax)✅ Yes
Shipping charges✅ Yes
A link back to the source estimate (number & id)✅ Yes
Customer notes❌ No — re-enter on the invoice if needed
Terms & conditions❌ No — re-enter on the invoice if needed
Subtotal, taxes, and total✅ Recalculated from the line items
Estimate number❌ No — a new invoice number is assigned on save
Estimate date / valid-until❌ No — set the invoice date and due date

🔗 Estimate & Invoice Link​

Once you save the generated invoice, the source estimate is marked Invoice Generated and shows a fixed badge (no status dropdown), and its Edit, Generate Invoice and Delete actions are hidden — only View and Print remain.

warning

Once an estimate is in Invoice Generated status it cannot be converted again. To bill the same customer again:

  • Create a new estimate, or
  • Create a new invoice manually

✍️ After Generating — What to Do Next​

  1. Review the pre-filled invoice — customer, items, tax rates, shipping
  2. Set the invoice/payment dates as needed
  3. Confirm GST/tax slabs are correct for each item
  4. Save Invoice to create it
  5. Print/share the invoice PDF with the customer
tip

The invoice isn't created until you Save Invoice — review the amounts, dates and tax calculations first. Notes and terms are not carried from the estimate, so re-enter them on the invoice if you need them.

📊 Before vs. After Conversion​

EstimateGenerated Invoice
NumberEST-0001INV-0052 (auto-assigned)
StatusInvoice GeneratedDraft → Sent → Paid
DatesEstimate date + Valid untilInvoice date + Due date
PurposeQuotation — non-bindingLegal billing document
ActionWaiting for approvalAwaiting payment

❓ Common Scenarios​

Customer accepted but wants changes​

  1. Do not generate an invoice from the original estimate yet
  2. Create a new estimate (or duplicate the original)
  3. Make the requested changes
  4. Mark the new estimate Accepted
  5. Use Generate Invoice on the revised estimate

Need to issue invoice quickly after verbal acceptance​

  1. On the estimate's row, set status to Accepted
  2. Click the Generate Invoice action
  3. On the pre-filled invoice, set the invoice date and save
  4. Print/share the invoice

Customer accepted part of the estimate​

  1. Do not generate an invoice from the original estimate
  2. Create a new estimate with only the accepted items
  3. Mark it Accepted
  4. Use Generate Invoice on the partial-scope estimate

📂 Related Topics​