Invoicing & Payments

Everything you need to know about creating invoices, deposits, credit notes, debit notes, collecting payments, sending invoices to customers, 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 completed jobs, send them to customers via WhatsApp, record manual payments (full or partial), manage payment links through Stripe Connect, 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
• Tracks overdue invoices automatically based on due dates

Here is what you can do:

• Create invoices from completed bookings using the invoice generator
• Create and manage deposits from the Deposits tab on the Invoices page
• Send invoices via WhatsApp with inline contact management
• Accept online payments using Stripe Connect payment links or a manually pasted payment URL
• Record partial and full payments with payment method tracking
• Filter and export invoices by status, account type, and date
• Manage invoice lifecycle with edit, void, and void + replacement workflows
• Track invoice version history with timeline navigation between original and replacement
• Use credit notes for paid/partially paid corrections instead of direct edits
• Use debit notes to bill additional amounts against an existing invoice without changing the original
• Configure invoice defaults including bank details, card-only payment charges, invoice number prefix, optional due days, invoice visibility toggles, advisor sign-off, company stamp behavior, and terms

---

How to Access

Invoices Page

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

The Invoices page has six tabs:

Tab	What it shows
Invoices	Work invoices only, with filtering, queue-focused status chips, and row actions
Needs Invoice	Completed bookings that do not yet have an invoice
Deposits	Create deposit invoices for bookings and manage existing deposit invoices
Credit Notes	Credits already issued, plus the workspace for creating a new credit note from a selected invoice
Debit Notes	Additional receivables issued against existing invoices without editing the original invoice
Settings	Default bank details, card-only payment charges, invoice number prefix, optional due days, invoice display defaults, shared company stamp, prepared-by defaults, terms, and the default invoice template for new invoices

From the garage sidebar, deposits, credit notes, and debit notes are all managed from the Invoices page.

---

Key Features at a Glance

Feature	What It Does
Invoices / Needs Invoice tabs	Split between work invoices already raised and completed bookings still waiting for invoice creation
Deposits tab	Create deposit invoices for bookings and view the deposit ledger with created date, deposit, job, requested, paid, used, available, and next-step columns
Credit Notes tab	Review issued credit notes and create a new credit note for a selected paid or partially paid invoice
Debit Notes tab	Review debit notes as separate receivables linked to their original invoices
Settings tab	Save default bank details, card-only payment charges, invoice prefix, optional due days, invoice display toggles, shared company stamp, prepared-by defaults, terms, and the default invoice template for new invoices
Invoice Generator	Build or update invoice items, tax, card-only payment charge, discount, discount reason, notes, due date
Status chip filters	Filter the work-invoice queue by Awaiting Payment, Partially Paid, Overdue, Draft, Paid, or Voided
Account type filter	Filter by business or individual customers
Row Actions	Status-aware next steps: Draft/Awaiting Payment show Send or Mark Paid, Overdue shows Send Reminder, Partially Paid shows Collect, Paid shows Download, and the more menu holds correction/history actions
Lifecycle Controls	Correct Invoice guides eligible edits, void + replacement, credit notes, and deposit-aware correction rules
Version Timeline	Navigate across original/replacement invoice chain
Payment Modal	Record full or partial payments with method selection and quick-amount buttons
Send Invoice Dialog	Send via WhatsApp with inline phone management
Payment Links	Create, copy, open, and cancel Stripe payment links (requires Stripe Connect)
CSV Export	Export filtered invoice list or selected invoices to CSV
Bulk selection	Select multiple invoices and export them together

---

Step-by-Step Guide

0. Configure Invoice Defaults (Recommended)

Before generating invoices, set your garage defaults once:

1. Go to Invoices.
2. Open the Settings tab.
3. Fill in your default bank details:
   • company / account holder name
   • bank name and branch
   • account number
   • IBAN and SWIFT code
4. Set your invoice number prefix (optional). Leave blank to inherit the organization default. The prefix is shown in uppercase and applied to all new invoices.
5. Set the default payment due days if you want invoices to auto-fill a due date. Leave it blank if you do not want one added automatically.
6. Optional: enable a default card-only invoice surcharge as a percentage or fixed amount. It is copied onto new invoices and only affects the final invoice amount due when the invoice payment method is Card or Payment link. It does not change the booking final price or approved estimate total.
7. Choose your default invoice display:
   • show or hide currency, your garage tax registration number, tax breakdown, payment details, vehicle details, notes, and terms
   • optionally show a prepared-by block and company stamp
8. Choose the default invoice template for new invoices in this garage.
9. Add your default prepared by details if you want them prefilled:
   • name
   • title
10. If you need to upload or replace the shared company stamp, do it here in Invoices > Settings. Organization admins can manage the shared stamp for newly generated invoices across that organization.
11. Add your default terms and conditions text. A standard template is prefilled covering payment terms, warranty, authorization, vehicle collection, and tax compliance.
12. Click Save changes.

What happens:

• New invoices auto-populate these bank details, card-charge default, prefix, template, invoice display preferences, advisor defaults, any shared organization stamp, and terms.
• Card payment charges are frozen on the invoice when it is generated. Changing the default later does not rewrite older invoices.
• Card payment charges appear as a separate row above Final invoice amount due so the service price and payment surcharge are not mixed together.
• Due date is calculated from the issue date only when you set default due days, or when you choose a due date manually on the invoice.
• Terms and conditions are prefilled in every new invoice.
• You can still override invoice visibility toggles and advisor details in the invoice generator before saving. The company stamp image itself is managed from Invoices > Settings for organization admins.

---

1. Create an Invoice

1. Go to Invoices.
2. Open the Needs Invoice tab.
3. Find the completed booking you want to invoice. The table shows booking code, customer name, service name, vehicle, completion date, and amount.
4. Use the search bar to find specific bookings by customer name, service name, vehicle, or booking code.
5. Click Generate on the target booking row.
6. The invoice generator opens, pre-populated with:
   • line items from the booking's services and inventory
   • the approved estimate scope when the booking came from an approved or partially approved estimate
   • tax rate from your garage settings
   • your default bank details and terms
7. Review and edit line items, tax rate, card-only payment charge, discount, optional discount reason, due date, notes, and payment details.
8. If needed, use the Invoice display section inside the invoice generator to override visibility for that one invoice.
9. Use the separate Approval block section if you want to change the prepared-by name and title for that invoice.
10. If you enable Show company stamp but the garage does not have a shared stamp configured yet, the generator shows an inline warning telling you to add it in Invoices > Settings.
11. If you already have your own hosted checkout URL, set Payment method to Payment link and paste it into the Payment link field inside Payment info.
12. Save to create the invoice.

What you will see after saving:

• The work invoice appears in the Invoices tab.
• A confirmation banner at the top shows the invoice number and links you to the Invoices tab.
• The row is highlighted briefly so you can find it easily.

Tip: The Needs Invoice tab only shows completed bookings that do not already have an invoice. Once you generate an invoice for a booking, it disappears from this tab.

A booking created from a partially approved estimate follows the same rule: it appears in Bookings immediately, but it does not appear in Needs Invoice until the job is completed. When you generate the invoice, autoGMS uses only the estimate items the customer approved.

If a previous invoice for the booking was voided, the booking returns to Needs Invoice with a compact Replacement label and the previous invoice number for context.

Needs Invoice Troubleshooting

If Needs Invoice says everything is caught up, autoGMS did not find any completed bookings that still need a work invoice.

Common reasons:

• the booking is not completed yet
• the booking already has a work invoice
• a previous invoice was voided and already replaced
• your search text or page filters are hiding the row

You do not cancel an item directly from Needs Invoice because it is a completed booking waiting for invoice generation, not an invoice record. To remove it from the queue, either generate the invoice, fix the booking status if it was completed by mistake, or void the existing unpaid invoice so the correct replacement flow is used.

---

2. View and Manage Invoices

On the Invoices tab you will see work invoices only. Deposit invoices stay on the Deposits tab so the main collections list stays focused on actual job invoices.

On a clean landing into the Invoices tab, autoGMS automatically opens the first non-empty workflow queue instead of showing an unfiltered mixed table. The default order is:

1. Awaiting Payment
2. Partially Paid
3. Overdue
4. Draft
5. Paid
6. Voided

This default queue uses the same status counts shown in the chips, so partially paid invoices still take priority before overdue when that chip has work in it.

Table columns (in display order):

Column	What it shows
Invoice number	Invoice number plus any non-standard invoice type badge
Customer	Customer name for the invoice. Click the name to open that customer's profile
Service	Service/job label, with the booking suffix shown underneath and linked to the booking when there is one clear match
Job completed	Booking completion date when available
Generated	Invoice creation date
Status	Status with color-coded indicator
Adjustments	One operational adjustment state such as Deposit applied, Credit used, Credit ready, Review needed, Deposit ready, or Deposit unpaid
Balance	The current amount still due; draft, paid, voided, and uncollectible rows show no collectible balance

Review Needed, Reissue, and Deposit Scenarios

When Review needed appears in the Adjustments column, hover the info icon to see why autoGMS is holding the invoice before it is sent or settled. The note can show the approved estimate total, the invoice total, and the line item causing the mismatch when that detail is available.

Use this table to decide the next step:

What you see	What it usually means	What to do
Review needed and the invoice is lower than the approved estimate	The invoice may have excluded an approved job, applied an approved discount, removed a job the customer no longer wants, or used a goodwill reduction	If the lower amount is intentional and the customer accepts it, click Mark Paid, confirm that the lower total is intentional, and select a reason. autoGMS saves that confirmation in the invoice audit trail.
Review needed and the lower amount is a mistake	An approved job or amount may have been left out during invoice generation	Use Correct Invoice or Void & Reissue before sending or recording payment.
Review needed and the invoice is higher than the approved estimate	A line item, tax, fee, or quantity may no longer match the approved estimate	Review the invoice before sending. Correct the invoice or reissue it from the approved scope if the customer has not approved the higher amount.
The invoice was generated from an older approved estimate version	The booking has a newer approved estimate than the one used by this invoice	Use Void & Reissue so the replacement invoice is generated from the latest approved booking scope. Version-stale invoices block sending, public links, Stripe payment links, Mark Paid, and deposit application.
Deposit available appears while Review needed is also shown	A paid deposit exists, but autoGMS is waiting for the invoice total to be checked first	Resolve the review first. The deposit remains available, but it is applied only after the invoice total is accepted or the invoice is reissued.
Replacement context appears for a reversed paid invoice	The invoice is part of a correction chain for a previously paid invoice	Use the current replacement invoice for the next customer-facing action, and use View Version Timeline or the invoice audit tab to see the original and replacement history.

Filtering and searching:

• Search bar -- Free text search across invoice number, customer name, email, and booking reference.
• Date range picker -- Available in the page header on the Invoices tab. Filters the work-invoice list by invoice creation date and also applies to CSV export from that tab.
• Status chips -- Click a status to filter. Each chip shows a count. Click the same chip again to clear. Available statuses: Awaiting Payment, Partially Paid, Overdue, Draft, Paid, and Voided.
• Deposit filter -- Filter work invoices by Has deposit or No deposit.
• Account type -- Filter by Business or Individual customers using the dropdown.
• Reset -- Click the reset button to clear all filters.

Sorting:

Click any sortable column header to sort ascending or descending. The default sort is by creation date, newest first.

---

3. Understanding Invoice Statuses

Statuses are calculated automatically based on amounts and due dates:

Status	Meaning
Draft	Invoice created but not yet sent
Awaiting Payment	Invoice is active and waiting for payment
Partially Paid	Some payment received, balance remaining
Paid	Invoice fully settled
Overdue	Past the due date with outstanding balance
Overdue (Partially Paid)	Past due date, some payment received but balance remaining
Voided	Cancelled and closed
Uncollectible	Marked as unrecoverable

Good to know: Status is derived from amounts, not set manually. If the amount paid matches or exceeds the effective total (total minus credit notes), the invoice shows as Paid regardless of the raw status field.

---

4. Record Payments

1. Click Mark Paid on an Awaiting Payment invoice row, or Collect on a partially paid invoice row.
2. The payment modal opens showing:
   • total amount and remaining balance
   • a progress bar if partial payments have already been made
   • the percentage paid so far
3. Select a payment method: Payment link, Card, Cash, or Cheque.
4. Enter the payment amount. Quick-amount buttons are available:
   • Full -- fills in the entire remaining balance
   • 50% -- fills in half the remaining balance (shown if balance > 2)
   • 25% -- fills in a quarter of the remaining balance (shown if balance > 4)
5. If the modal says the invoice is lower than the approved estimate, confirm the lower amount is intentional and select the reason: approved discount, job removed, goodwill adjustment, or other.
6. Click Confirm Payment.

What happens:

• Full settlement changes status to Paid.
• Partial settlement changes status to Partially Paid.
• If a lower invoice amount was confirmed, the reason is saved in the invoice audit trail.
• Payment entries are appended to the invoice payment ledger with amount, date, and method.
• When you open a paid or partially paid invoice, the invoice viewer includes a Payments tab showing the payment history, including each payment amount, method, date, collector when available, reference, and notes.
• When a work invoice becomes fully paid, autoGMS generates a separate Payment Receipt PDF linked back to that invoice.
• That receipt is stored automatically in the customer's Attachments/Documents area and appears there as a Receipt.
• On the Invoices page, that final-payment receipt also downloads automatically to the advisor's device.
• While that receipt is being created and fetched, the page shows a single progress toast that updates through messages such as Payment recorded. Preparing receipt... and Downloading receipt... so staff can see that the file is on the way.
• If the stored customer-document copy is still finishing in the background, autoGMS can still download the advisor's receipt locally first and let the customer attachment appear a moment later.
• The table updates immediately (optimistic update) and refreshes from the server.

Good to know: The modal re-fetches the latest invoice data when it opens and again before confirming, preventing double-payment issues if someone else has already paid.

---

5. Create, Collect, and Apply Deposits

Use deposits when a customer pays money before the final work invoice is ready. autoGMS keeps the deposit as its own deposit invoice, records payment against it, then applies the paid balance to the final invoice when the job is invoiced.

This keeps three things clear:

• what the customer was asked to pay upfront
• whether the customer has actually paid it
• where that paid deposit was used later

There are two ways to create a deposit invoice:

Option A - Directly from the Deposits tab

1. Go to Invoices → Deposits tab.
2. In the Deposits card, select a Booking from the Select booking picker.
3. Enter the deposit Amount.
4. Click Create deposit.

Bookings that already have an active deposit are filtered out automatically.

You can also click Start from estimate in the same card to open the estimate workflow for the selected booking.

Option B - Automatically from an approved estimate

1. Add an upfront payment rule to the estimate.
2. Send or approve the estimate.
3. When the estimate becomes fully approved, autoGMS creates the deposit invoice automatically with Awaiting Payment status.
4. The deposit appears in Invoices -> Deposits without needing to click Create deposit.

The manual Create deposit action in the estimate workspace is only a fallback for older records or cases where staff intentionally need to create or refresh an unpaid estimate-backed deposit by hand.

What happens next:

• A separate Awaiting Payment deposit invoice is created for that booking.
• The deposit appears in Invoices -> Deposits.
• The deposit always uses the garage's configured currency automatically.
• The Source column shows Estimate deposit for estimate-backed deposits and Manual deposit with No estimate linked when the deposit was created without an estimate. Estimate-backed deposits link back to the booking's estimate workspace.
• The deposit PDF is saved to the customer record.
• If the PDF/document step fails during creation, the deposit is rolled back so you do not get an incomplete record.

Deposit types:

Deposit type	When to use it	What autoGMS does
Estimate deposit	The estimate includes an upfront payment or you want the deposit tied to the approved estimate scope	Links the deposit to the approved estimate/booking, keeps the approved estimate total visible, and prevents the deposit from being set above the approved total
Direct booking deposit	The customer pays upfront for a booking without an approved estimate deposit rule	Links the deposit to the booking only and shows it as a manual deposit

To collect the deposit:

1. Go to Invoices -> Deposits.
2. Find the Awaiting Payment deposit invoice row.
3. Send/share it as needed.
4. When money is received, click Mark Paid.

When the job is complete:

1. Create the final work invoice from the booking as normal.
2. If the deposit invoice has been paid, the invoice generator shows the paid deposit amount that will be deducted before you save.
3. autoGMS applies the paid deposit balance automatically when the final invoice is created.
4. The final invoice shows:
   • Gross / approved total
   • Deposit applied
   • Remaining due

Important:

• Deposit invoices remain separate invoice records for auditability.
• The public estimate page remains approval-only.
• Partially approved estimates do not use the estimate-backed deposit flow. They can still become bookings with Book approved items, but any deposit should be handled as a direct booking deposit unless the estimate is later approved in full.
• Applied deposits reduce the remaining due, but they are not shown as normal service line items.
• Only paid, unapplied deposit balance can be used on a work invoice.
• If an approved estimate is revised after a deposit or work invoice already exists, autoGMS keeps the old deposit/invoice record for audit history. The row shows the old estimate version and the latest approved version.
• Unpaid deposits from an older approved estimate must be reviewed before sending or marking paid. Paid deposits from an older estimate remain visible as money already collected, but the matching work invoice must be reissued before that deposit is applied to the new scope.

---

Deposit Ledger, Editing, and Audit

The Deposits tab is also the deposit ledger. Use it to answer:

1. Does the deposit invoice exist?
2. Has the customer paid it?
3. How much paid balance is still available?
4. Has the balance already been applied to a work invoice?

The deposits ledger shows:

Column	What it means
Created	Deposit creation date and creator when tracked
Deposit	Deposit invoice number and link
Job	Customer and linked booking/job
Requested	Deposit invoice total, marked as requested or manual
Paid by customer	Amount received, with unpaid/still-due/paid-in-full detail
Used on final invoice	Amount already applied to a work invoice
Available to use	Paid amount not yet applied
Next step	The operational state and next action

The Deposits tab also has:

• a search box with placeholder Search invoice, customer, service, or booking
• status chips for Awaiting payment, Paid, not applied, Fully applied, and Voided
• row actions such as Edit, Mark Paid, Collect, Send, Download, and the more-menu actions that are valid for that deposit state

You can edit a deposit invoice only while it is still unpaid and not applied.

Allowed:

• change the deposit line item description
• change the deposit amount
• regenerate the deposit PDF after saving

Not allowed:

• edit after payment has been recorded
• edit after any part of the deposit has been applied to a work invoice
• set an estimate-linked deposit above the approved estimate total

For estimate-linked deposits, autoGMS shows a Deposit amount check before saving:

• current deposit request
• original estimate deposit amount
• approved estimate total

If you change the amount on an estimate-linked deposit, you must enter a reason. That reason is saved in the invoice audit trail.

If you created a duplicate deposit, open Invoices -> Deposits and check the duplicate row's state:

• if it is unpaid and unused, use the available correction or void action for that row
• if it is paid, collect, refund, or correction handling may require support so the payment trail stays accurate
• if it has already been applied to a final invoice, do not delete it; correct the final invoice or contact support

When viewing a deposit invoice, use the invoice modal tabs:

Tab	What it shows
Preview	Deposit invoice PDF preview
Payments	Payment and deposit application records
Audit	Key invoice events, edits, payment activity, and deposit movement

Use the Audit tab when a customer, advisor, or manager asks why a deposit amount changed or where the deposit was used.

---

6. Send an Invoice

1. Click Send on a Draft or Awaiting Payment invoice row, or Send Reminder on an Overdue invoice row.
2. The Send Invoice dialog opens showing:
   • invoice number and amount
   • customer name
   • VAT percentage (if applicable)
3. Review the generated public invoice link, payment link (if present), and WhatsApp message preview.
4. If the customer has no phone on file, add it inline and click Save.
5. Click Open WhatsApp.

What happens:

• WhatsApp sends download the PDF locally and open wa.me with a formatted message.
• The public invoice link is generated when the send dialog opens, can be copied or opened by staff, and is reused when the invoice is sent.
• The invoice PDF attachment includes the public invoice link so the hosted PDF and shared link stay in sync.
• Draft invoices are automatically transitioned to Sent (open) status after sending.

Important:

• Send is hidden for Partially Paid, Paid, Voided, and Uncollectible invoices because those invoices already have payment or terminal history.
• Mark Paid is normally shown only on Awaiting Payment rows. If an Awaiting Payment invoice is lower than the approved estimate, the button can remain available, but the payment modal requires staff to confirm the lower amount and select a reason first.
• Collect is shown only on Partially Paid rows.
• Download becomes the direct row action for Paid invoices.
• If a standard or final invoice no longer matches the booking's latest approved scope, autoGMS blocks sending it.
• In that case, use the direct Void & Reissue row action, or open Correct Invoice and choose Void and create replacement, so the replacement invoice is generated from the latest approved booking scope.
• Version-stale work invoices block public share links, Stripe payment links, Mark Paid, and deposit application. The row shows Reissue first instead of suggesting a deposit can be used on the older invoice.
• Phone numbers saved inline are persisted to the customer record.

---

Deposit-Related Invoice Rows

The tabs are now split on purpose:

• Invoices shows work invoices only
• Deposits shows the deposit creation card and deposit invoice ledger
• Credit Notes shows credit note activity separately from the main invoice collections list
• Debit Notes shows extra receivables issued against existing invoices

This keeps the main collections table focused on real job invoices, while the deposit ledger stays on its own tab.

---

7. Download an Invoice

For most invoices, open the invoice row more menu (⋮) and click Download. For Paid invoices, Download is shown directly on the row because retrieving the settled document is the main next step. The system generates a PDF using your invoice data and downloads it immediately with the invoice number as the filename.

When the invoice is linked to a completed booking, the PDF also shows the job completion date. The vehicle block includes every customer-vehicle detail autoGMS can resolve for that invoice, including saved identifiers such as registration, mileage, VIN, chassis number, fuel, engine, and other available vehicle attributes.

---

8. Applying Deposits to Work Invoices

In the standard estimate-backed flow, paid deposits are applied automatically when the final work invoice is created and the invoice total is ready to use. The invoice generator also shows a short confirmation before saving, including the deposit amount and the amount the customer will owe after it is applied.

If a work invoice shows Review needed and Deposit available, the deposit has not disappeared. It is being held until the invoice review is resolved. If the invoice is from an older approved estimate version, use Void & Reissue first. If the invoice is intentionally lower and the customer is paying that lower invoice directly, record the payment with the lower-amount confirmation; do not expect the deposit to be silently applied during that payment.

You may still see deposit actions in the more menu on some Awaiting Payment or Overdue work invoices for older/manual deposit flows:

• Use Deposit appears when a paid deposit balance is available.
• Collect Deposit appears when the linked deposit invoice exists but still needs payment before it can be applied.

These actions are fallbacks. They are no longer the primary path for normal final-invoice deposit billing.

---

9. Export Invoices

Single export: Click the export button in the toolbar (desktop only). This exports all invoices matching your current filters as a CSV file.

Bulk export: Select multiple invoices using the checkboxes, then click Export selected in the bulk action bar that appears.

The CSV file includes date, customer, vehicle, status, amounts, and payment details. The filename includes the current date.

---

Invoice Lifecycle Rules

Correct Invoice

Use Correct Invoice from the more menu when a generated invoice needs a change.

autoGMS chooses the safest correction path from the invoice state:

• Draft invoices open directly in the invoice editor.
• Open unpaid invoices show a correction dialog. You can edit directly for simple labour, parts, tax, discount, due date, note, or payment-detail changes, or create a replacement invoice when you need a clearer audit trail.
• Open invoices that may already be customer-visible or out of date recommend Void and create replacement.
• Paid invoices show Reverse / Replace so you can create a full credit note, with or without a replacement draft.
• Partially paid invoices show Issue Credit Note and route to Credit Notes instead of direct editing.
• Voided invoices cannot be edited; use the version timeline or replacement invoice instead.

Direct Edit

• Available through Correct Invoice from the more menu (three-dot dropdown) on each invoice row.
• Allowed only for draft and open (sent) invoices that do not already have an applied deposit.
• Blocked for paid, partially_paid, void, and uncollectible invoices.
• Opens the invoice generator with all current values prefilled.

When editing, you can change:

• Line items — add, remove, or modify services, labour, and parts (description, quantity, unit price)
• Tax rate — adjust the VAT/tax percentage
• Discount — add or change a discount, plus an optional internal reason note
• Due date — update when payment is expected
• Notes — update invoice notes
• Payment details — update bank details or payment instructions

To edit an invoice:

1. Go to Invoices.
2. Find the invoice in the list.
3. Click the more menu (three-dot icon) on the invoice row.
4. Click Correct Invoice.
5. For an open unpaid invoice, choose Edit invoice.
6. Make your changes in the invoice editor (for example, update a labour line item's price or quantity).
7. Save.

Void

• Available through Correct Invoice for draft and open invoices that can be reissued. Out-of-date invoice rows may also show a direct Void & Reissue action.
• Choose a reason from the void dialog. If none of the standard reasons fit, select Other reason and type the reason.
• Marks the invoice as cancelled/closed for audit clarity.
• The void reason is stored on the voided invoice record and shown when you view the voided invoice.
• If the invoice is linked to a booking and no money has been recorded, that booking returns to Needs Invoice so you can raise a replacement invoice. The row is marked as Replacement.

The Analytics → Invoices tab includes a voided-invoices section that groups voided invoice counts by month and shows the stored reasons.

Void And Reissue

• Available as Void & Reissue on out-of-date rows, or through Correct Invoice as Void and create replacement.
• Use this when an unpaid invoice needs correction.
• If the invoice shows a Latest approved warning, use Void & Reissue instead of sending the older version.
• The void dialog opens with Reissued invoice selected as the reason. You can choose another reason or enter a custom one before creating the replacement.

Result:

• Original invoice is voided.
• New replacement invoice is created as a draft.
• The replacement draft opens in the editor immediately.
• The replacement becomes an open invoice only after you press Generate Invoice in the editor.
• Both invoices keep version links. Replacement rows show the original invoice reference, and outdated invoice rows show a full-width warning band with the estimate version that must be reissued.

Reverse / Replace

Use Reverse / Replace when a paid work invoice is wrong and you need to preserve the audit trail instead of editing or voiding the settled invoice.

The wizard has two options:

Option	What happens	Use when
Reverse invoice	Creates a full credit note only. No replacement invoice is created.	The job is closed and no corrected invoice is needed.
Reverse and replace	Creates a full credit note, then opens a linked replacement draft with a new invoice number.	The customer still needs a corrected invoice.

Before confirming, choose a reversal reason and acknowledge that the original paid invoice stays in the audit trail.

What happens next:

• The original paid invoice remains visible as a historical paid invoice.
• A full credit note is issued for the remaining creditable invoice value.
• The original invoice balance becomes zero after the credit note.
• If you choose Reverse and replace, the replacement draft opens immediately in the invoice editor.
• The replacement invoice receives the next normal invoice number when it is generated.
• Generated replacement documents include a note such as: This invoice replaces INV-2026-0099. The original invoice was fully credited.
• Invoice rows show full-width traceability messages so staff can see which invoice replaced which one.

Financial reporting behavior:

• Aged Receivables excludes fully credited paid invoices because no balance is owed.
• The General Ledger shows the issued credit note as a credit-note transaction.
• The General Ledger shows debit notes as revenue-adjustment transactions.
• Cash Flow only changes when real money moves. Creating or applying a credit note, or issuing a debit note, is not treated as new cash received.
• Invoice Analytics can still show collected payments for the historical invoice, while outstanding balances are reduced by the credit note.

Issue Credit Note

• Started through Issue Credit Note for partially_paid invoices, or when you need a manual credit-note workflow instead of reversing a fully paid invoice.
• Clicking Issue Credit Note opens the Credit Notes tab on the Invoices page with the invoice pre-selected for you.

Version Timeline

Click View Version Timeline in the more menu to see all invoices in the reissue chain. The timeline shows each version with its creation date, status, and invoice number, ordered chronologically. Click any entry to open that version.

---

Payment Links (Stripe Connect)

If your garage has Stripe Connect enabled, additional payment link actions appear in the more menu for unpaid invoices:

Action	What it does
Create Payment Link	Generates a Stripe payment link and copies it to your clipboard
Copy Payment Link	Copies an existing active link
Open Payment Link	Opens the payment link in a new tab
Cancel Payment Link	Expires the current payment link

Payment link status is fetched automatically when you open the more menu.

Payment links are not shown for invoices that are paid, void, or uncollectible. autoGMS also removes stale payment links from previews, PDFs, templates, and send flows for those invoices so the customer only sees payable links when money is actually due.

Manual Payment Links

If you do not want to rely only on Stripe-generated links, you can save your own payment URL directly on the invoice or deposit:

1. Open the invoice or deposit in Edit mode.
2. In Payment info, choose Payment link as the payment method.
3. Paste your URL into the Payment link field.
4. Save the invoice.
5. Open Send on the row when you are ready to share it.

What happens:

• The manual URL is stored on the invoice itself under its payment details.
• The Send dialog shows it as a separate Payment link from the public invoice link.
• If Stripe later creates a hosted payment link, autoGMS can still use that for sending without deleting your saved manual URL.

---

Corrections: Credit Note vs Direct Edit

For paid or partially paid invoices:

• Do not directly edit (editing is blocked for these statuses).
• For fully paid invoices that need a complete reversal, use Reverse / Replace.
• For partial reductions, partially paid invoices, or manual allocation work, use Credit Notes from the Invoices page.

10. Issue and Track Credit Notes

The Credit Notes tab is the dedicated place for invoice corrections after payment has already been recorded.

Use it when:

• an invoice has already been paid or partially paid
• you need to reduce the billed amount without silently changing invoice history
• you want the adjustment to remain visible in the customer and accounting trail

How to start a credit note:

1. Go to Invoices.
2. Find the paid or partially paid work invoice you want to correct.
3. Open the more menu on that invoice row.
4. Click Issue Credit Note.
5. autoGMS opens the Credit Notes tab with that invoice already selected.
6. In What happened?, enter the credit reason.
7. In What are you crediting?, choose the Line item, enter Qty to credit, and enter Amount to remove.
8. Click Create credit note.

When creating the credit note, select the invoice lines or amounts being credited. Each source invoice line can be selected only once per credit note, so combine quantities into one credit line when you are crediting the same line in a single adjustment.

Credit note resolution options:

Resolution	What it means
Credit balance	The credit is held on the customer account for later use
Refund	The credit represents money to be refunded to the customer
Apply to another invoice	The credit is applied directly to another open or partially paid invoice selected in Target invoice

What happens next:

• A credit note record is created and shown in the Credit Notes tab.
• The original invoice keeps its audit trail instead of being edited in place.
• The invoice totals and remaining balance reflect the credited amount.
• Staff can return to the Credit Notes tab later to review what was issued.
• The source invoice's effective total is reduced by the applied credit note amount.

For draft or open (sent) invoices:

• Use Direct Edit for minor changes.
• Use Void and create replacement for significant corrections that need a clean paper trail.

Why:

• Preserves accounting integrity.
• Keeps clear financial audit history.
• Credit notes create separate financial documents rather than modifying settled records.

11. Issue a Debit Note

Use a debit note when a customer already has an invoice, but the garage needs to bill an additional amount without editing that original invoice.

Common examples:

• the original invoice was undercharged
• extra work or parts were agreed after the invoice was issued
• a fee or adjustment needs its own audit trail

How to start a debit note:

1. Go to Invoices.
2. Find the open, partially paid, or paid work invoice.
3. Open the more menu on that invoice row.
4. Click Issue Debit Note.
5. In the Issue debit note dialog, enter Description, Additional amount, Tax amount if applicable, Reason, and optional Notes.
6. Click Create debit note.

What happens next:

• autoGMS creates a new open Debit Note invoice linked to the original invoice.
• The original invoice remains unchanged.
• The debit note appears as a separate receivable and can be collected like a normal invoice.
• The Debit Notes tab shows the banner Debit notes are separate receivables linked to original invoices. Collect them like normal invoices.
• The source invoice timeline records that the debit note was issued.

---

Invoice Types

The system supports multiple invoice types:

Type	When used
Standard	Regular booking invoices
Deposit	Deposit invoices created from the Deposits tab or from the approved estimate workspace
Stage invoice	Invoices linked to specific project stages
Progress	Progress billing invoices
Final	Final invoices for completed projects
Debit Note	Additional amount billed against an existing invoice without editing the original

The invoice type is shown in the invoice details and affects how the invoice relates to bookings and project workflows.

---

Best Practices

• Set up defaults first. Configure your bank details, prefix, optional due days, and terms in the Settings tab before generating your first invoice.
• Use void + replacement for pre-payment fixes, credit notes for reductions, and debit notes for additional billed amounts.
• Use reverse paid invoice when a fully paid invoice needs to be cancelled out with a full credit note, with an optional corrected replacement invoice.
• Record payments promptly. Use Mark Paid for Awaiting Payment invoices and Collect for Partially Paid invoices as soon as money is received.
• Do not ignore Review needed. If the invoice is lower than the approved estimate and that is intentional, confirm the lower amount when recording payment. If the mismatch is not intentional, correct or reissue the invoice first.
• Save customer contact info. If a customer's phone is missing when you try to send, use the inline field in the Send dialog to add it. This updates the customer record permanently.
• Use status filters regularly. Filter by Overdue to chase late payments. Filter by Partially Paid to follow up on outstanding balances.
• Export monthly. Use the CSV export at the end of each month for your accountant.
• Use bulk export when you need to send a batch of invoices for reconciliation.
• Always include a clear reason/note on void and reissue actions.
• Use invoice deep-links carefully: work invoices can use ?invoice=<id>, while deposit invoices should use ?tab=deposits&invoice=<id>.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

I cannot edit an invoice.

The invoice is likely in a terminal or settled state (paid, partially_paid, void, uncollectible). Direct edit is also blocked for invoices that already have an applied deposit, even if they are still unpaid. Only draft, open, and overdue work invoices with no applied deposit can be corrected directly. For fully paid invoices, use Reverse / Replace. For partially paid invoices, use Issue Credit Note. For unpaid invoices that need correction, use Correct Invoice and follow the prompt.

How do I change the labour amount on an invoice?

If the invoice is draft, open, or overdue: click the more menu on the invoice row, select Correct Invoice, then edit directly or create a replacement depending on the prompt. In the editor, update the labour line item's price or quantity, or add a new labour line. If the invoice is fully paid, use Reverse / Replace. If it is partially paid, use Issue Credit Note instead of direct editing.

I voided and replaced an invoice but cannot find one version.

Open View Version Timeline from the more menu (three-dot dropdown) on either the original or the replacement. The timeline walks the full chain so you do not need to search manually.

Paid/Partially Paid looks incorrect.

Re-check invoice totals and applied amounts. Status is calculated from the effective total (gross total minus credit notes) and the amount paid. If credit notes have been applied, the effective total changes.

I cannot see the Mark Paid button.

The button is shown only for Awaiting Payment rows. Draft and Overdue rows focus on send/reminder actions, while Partially Paid rows use Collect instead of Mark Paid. Paid, Voided, and Uncollectible invoices hide it.

If the invoice is version-stale because the booking has a newer approved estimate, autoGMS also hides Mark Paid and shows Reissue first. If the invoice uses the current approved estimate but is intentionally lower than that estimate, Mark Paid can still be available. The payment modal will ask staff to confirm the lower amount and select a reason before recording payment.

Why does the invoice say Review needed?

The invoice total or line items do not fully match the approved estimate record autoGMS has for that booking. Common reasons are an approved job was excluded, a discount or goodwill reduction was applied, a job was removed at the customer's request, tax/fee settings changed the final total, or the booking now has a newer approved estimate version.

For bookings created from partially approved estimates, the approved estimate record is the approved-only scope. The invoice should match the work the customer approved, not the original full estimate that included declined or held items.

Why is the deposit not applied yet?

If Deposit available appears while Review needed is also shown, autoGMS has found a paid deposit but is waiting for the invoice total to be checked. Resolve the review first. For a version-stale invoice, use Void & Reissue. For an intentionally lower invoice that the customer will pay directly, record payment with the lower-amount confirmation; the deposit is not applied silently during that payment.

I created two deposits by mistake. Can I delete one?

Check the duplicate deposit in Invoices -> Deposits. If it is unpaid and unused, use the row's correction or void action. If payment has already been recorded, or if any amount has been applied to a final invoice, do not delete it directly. Use the audit trail and contact support so the payment and invoice history stay correct.

What does Needs Invoice mean?

Needs Invoice shows completed bookings that do not yet have a work invoice. It is not a list of draft invoices. If it says everything is caught up, every completed booking currently visible to autoGMS already has an invoice, or no completed booking is ready to invoice.

The customer did not receive the WhatsApp message.

Invoice sending from this page is now WhatsApp-only. If the customer still says they did not receive it, open the invoice link from the Send Invoice dialog and confirm the WhatsApp message used the correct phone number and public invoice URL.

How do I send an invoice via WhatsApp if the customer has no phone number?

In the Send Invoice dialog, an inline phone number field appears when no phone is on file. Enter the number, click Save, and the WhatsApp option becomes available.

Can I select which invoices to export?

Yes. Use the checkboxes on the left side of the table to select specific invoices, then click Export selected in the bulk action bar.

What is the account type filter?

It filters invoices by the customer's account type: Business or Individual. Use it to separate commercial and personal invoices for reporting.

Where are invoice settings saved?

Invoice settings (bank details, prefix, optional due days, terms, invoice visibility defaults, default template, and shared company stamp usage) are saved per garage. Each garage can have its own defaults. The invoice number prefix can also be inherited from the organization level if left blank. The actual tax registration number is stored on the garage in Garage Settings → Billing & Currency and can be shown or hidden from the invoice settings toggles.

Can I change the invoice number prefix?

Yes. Go to the Settings tab and update the invoice prefix field. Leave it blank to inherit the organization default. The prefix is converted to uppercase automatically.

What payment methods can I record?

Payment link, Card, Cash, and Cheque. When recording a payment via the Mark Paid modal, select the method from the dropdown. The recorded method appears in the Payment column of the invoices table.

---

Quick Reference

I want to...	Go here	Do this
Create an invoice	Invoices → Needs Invoice tab	Click Generate
Create a deposit (direct)	Invoices → Deposits tab	Select booking, enter amount, Create
Create a deposit (from estimate)	Booking-linked estimate workspace	Click Create deposit in the approved-estimate deposit panel
View all invoices	Sidebar → Invoices	Browse or filter the list
Send invoice by WhatsApp	Draft/Awaiting Payment row → Send	Review dialog, click Open WhatsApp
Send an overdue reminder	Overdue row → Send Reminder	Review dialog, click Open WhatsApp
Record a cash payment	Awaiting Payment row → Mark Paid	Enter amount, select Cash
Record a card payment	Awaiting Payment row → Mark Paid	Enter amount, select Card
Accept an intentional lower invoice	Awaiting Payment row → Mark Paid	Confirm the lower amount, select the reason, then record payment
Collect a remaining balance	Invoice row → Collect	Enter amount, select payment method
Download an invoice PDF	Paid row → Download or invoice row → ⋮ → Download	PDF downloads with the invoice number
Edit an unpaid invoice	Invoice row → ⋮ → Correct Invoice	Choose Edit invoice, make changes, save
Reverse a paid invoice	Paid invoice row → ⋮ → Reverse / Replace	Choose Reverse invoice or Reverse and replace
Issue a credit note	Invoice row → ⋮ → Issue Credit Note	Opens the Invoices Credit Notes tab with the invoice preselected
Issue a debit note	Invoice row → ⋮ → Issue Debit Note	Enter the additional amount, tax, reason, and notes
Void an invoice	Invoice row → ⋮ → Void Invoice	Choose a reason, then confirm
Void and reissue	Invoice row → ⋮ → Correct Invoice	Choose Void and create replacement, then edit and save the new version
View version history	Invoice row → ⋮ → View Version Timeline	See all linked versions
Write off bad debt	Invoice row → ⋮ → Mark Uncollectible	Confirm write-off
Export invoices	Select rows → Export selected	Download CSV
Change invoice settings	Invoices → Settings tab	Update prefix, template, terms, bank details, company stamp, and invoice visibility
Filter by status	Status chips at top	Click Awaiting Payment, Paid, Overdue, etc.
Search invoices	Search bar	Type invoice #, customer, or amount