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Invoicing & Payments

Everything you need to know about creating invoices, collecting payments, managing invoice versions, and handling corrections in autoGMS.

Overview​

autoGMS gives you a complete invoicing and payment workflow in one place. You can generate invoices from jobs, send them to customers, record manual or online payments, and keep a clean audit trail when invoices need correction.

Why it matters:

  • Keeps your cash collection process consistent across advisors
  • Prevents accounting drift when invoices need correction
  • Preserves full financial history for every version and payment event
  • Reduces disputes by showing clear paid/due state and document lineage

Here is what you can do:

  • Create invoices from bookings and stage/project workflows
  • Send invoices via email and WhatsApp
  • Accept online payments (with Stripe Connect)
  • Record partial/manual payments and keep payment ledger history
  • Manage invoice lifecycle with edit, void, and void + replacement workflows
  • Track invoice version history with timeline links between original and replacement
  • Use credit notes for paid/partially paid corrections instead of direct edits

How to Access​

Invoices Page​

  1. Log in to your autoGMS dashboard.
  2. Select your garage.
  3. Click Invoices in the garage navigation.

Payment Dashboard​

  1. Open Payments from garage navigation.
  2. Review collections, trends, and transaction activity.

Key Features at a Glance​

FeatureWhat It Does
Generated / Ungenerated tabsSplit between existing invoices and invoice-ready jobs
Settings tabSave default bank details, due days, and terms for new invoices
Invoice GeneratorBuild or update invoice items, tax, discount, notes, due date
Row ActionsSend, download, payment link, mark paid, lifecycle actions
Lifecycle ControlsEdit eligible invoices, void, and void + replacement
Version TimelineJump across original/replacement invoice chain
Payment LedgerTrack split payments and applied amounts over time
Status Chipspaid, partially_paid, open/pending, draft, void

Step-by-Step Guide​

Before generating invoices, set your garage defaults once:

  1. Go to Invoices.
  2. Open the Settings tab.
  3. Fill your default payment details:
    • company/account holder name
    • bank name and branch
    • account number
    • IBAN and SWIFT code
  4. Set default due days (for example 30).
  5. Add your default terms and conditions text.
  6. Click Save defaults.

What happens:

  • New invoices auto-populate these payment details.
  • Due date is calculated using your default due days.
  • Terms and conditions are prefilled in new invoices.

1. Create an Invoice​

  1. Go to Invoices.
  2. Open Ungenerated.
  3. Click Generate Invoice for the target booking.
  4. Review and edit:
    • line items
    • tax rate
    • discount
    • due date
    • notes
  5. Save to create the invoice.

What you will see:

  • invoice editor with line items, tax, discount, and due date
  • preview-ready totals that drive invoice status and payment behavior

Tip: Item/totals and status behavior are amount-driven. Keep subtotal/tax/discount inputs accurate to avoid status confusion later.

2. View and Manage Invoices​

On Generated:

  • Use search for invoice number/customer/email/booking
  • Use status filters (paid, partially_paid, etc.)
  • Open row actions for send/download/payment/lifecycle

Common status meanings:

StatusMeaning
PaidFully settled
Partially PaidSome payment received, balance remaining
Open/PendingNot fully paid
DraftNot finalized
VoidCancelled and closed

3. Record Payments​

  1. Open row actions on an invoice.
  2. Select payment action (for manual settlement).
  3. Enter full or partial amount.
  4. Save.

What happens:

  • Full settlement -> paid
  • Partial settlement -> partially_paid
  • Payment entries are kept in the invoice ledger

Good to know: Fully paid and partially paid are separated by amounts, not by a single timestamp field.

4. Send and Download​

From row actions:

  • Send Invoice (email/WhatsApp)
  • Download PDF
  • Create/Copy/Open Payment Link (if enabled)

Invoice Lifecycle Rules​

Direct Edit​

  • Allowed for non-terminal invoices (typically draft/open).
  • Blocked for terminal invoices (paid, void, uncollectible).

Void​

  • Allowed only when invoice has no recorded payments/deposit applications.
  • Marks invoice as cancelled/closed for audit clarity.

Void + Replacement​

Use this when the invoice is still unpaid but needs correction.

Result:

  • Original invoice is voided
  • New replacement invoice is created
  • Both invoices keep version links

Version Timeline​

Use View Version Timeline to navigate original and replacement versions without manual searching.

Corrections: Credit Note vs Direct Edit​

For paid or partially paid invoices:

  • Do not directly edit
  • Use Credit Notes from Deposits & Credits

Why:

  • preserves accounting integrity
  • keeps clear financial audit history

Best Practices​

  • Use void + replacement for pre-payment fixes.
  • Use credit notes for post-payment fixes.
  • Always include a clear reason/note on lifecycle actions.
  • Use invoice deep-links (?invoice=<id>) when moving between finance pages.

Troubleshooting​

I can’t edit an invoice.
It is likely terminal (paid, void, uncollectible). Use credit note or replacement flow.

I voided + replaced but cannot find one version.
Open View Version Timeline from invoice actions.

Paid/Partially Paid looks incorrect.
Re-check invoice totals and applied amounts. Status is based on amounts, not only timestamps.