Ravi runs a catering business. A customer confirms an order on Monday for delivery on Thursday. Ravi wants the invoice to go out as soon as the food is handed over, not three hours later when he gets back to his laptop.

There is one more complication. Ravi is not always the person making the delivery. Sometimes it is one of his staff.

How can he prepare the invoice in advance, get it issued on the right day, and let his team handle the process without giving everyone access to everything?

The Usual Way To Do This  

Covered in our published Invoices FAQ, with the steps in Creating Invoices.

The simplest workflow is to create a quote when the customer confirms the order, then convert it into an invoice when the order is delivered.

Here is how:

1. Open the Quotes (Formerly Estimates) module in Zoho Invoice.

2. Select +New

3. Select the customer and enter the items, quantities, prices and applicable taxes.

4. Save the quote and send it to the customer for confirmation.

5. On the delivery day, open the saved quote.

6. Select the option to Convert to Invoice.

7. Review the invoice date, items, quantities, taxes and total.

8. Save the invoice and send it to the customer.

For detailed instructions, see Converting Quotes to Invoices.

This keeps the order and invoice connected, rather than requiring you to enter the same information twice.

But Your Case May Be Different  

Your delivery day workflow might need a little more thought. You may be facing one of these situations:

• My staff need to raise invoices on site, and I do not want them seeing everything.

• I need to discount one line item, not the whole invoice.

• A new customer turns up at delivery and is not in the system.

• I cannot find the invoices that are still unpaid.

Let's work through each situation.

Working Through It  

My staff need to invoice on site, and I do not want them seeing everything

If your staff need to create and send invoices, you do not necessarily need to give them administrator access. Zoho Invoice provides two different roles to help you control what the other person can access.

Here is how to prepare access for your delivery team:

1. Open Settings in Zoho Invoice on the web.

2. Select Users.

3. Select the option to add or invite a user.

4. Enter the staff member's details.

5. Assign the appropriate role based on the tasks they need to perform.

6. Save the changes and ask the staff member to sign in.

7. Confirm that they can access the customer and invoice features required for their work.

Before adding several drivers or delivery staff, check the user limit applicable to your organization.

Do not assume a role restricts users to only their own customers or invoices unless its permissions explicitly provide that restriction. Review the available access controls before deciding which role to assign.

For more guidance, see Users and Roles.

I need to discount one line item, not the whole invoice

Suppose Ravi delivers a catering order with several items, but one item qualifies for a special discount. Applying a discount to the entire invoice would reduce the price of items that should remain at their original rates.

Zoho Invoice's discount preferences determine whether discounts are applied at the line item level or to the transaction as a whole.

Here is what to check:

1. Open Settings and navigate to General Preferences.

2. Review whether the discount setting applies to individual line items or to the entire transaction.

3. Select the line item discount option.

4. Open the Invoices module and create an invoice.

5. Review the discount field available for each line item.

6. Enter the discount against the relevant item.

7. Check the revised line total and invoice total before sending the invoice.

The key is to configure the discount preference before you need it during a delivery. If you cannot find the setting or the available options differ in your organization, refer to the Invoices FAQ or contact support for guidance.

A new customer turns up at delivery and is not in the system

Sometimes the order is confirmed quickly, or a new customer makes a purchase when your team is already out delivering. You do not want to abandon the invoice process just because the customer has not been added beforehand.

You can create a customer while working on an invoice, without having to leave the invoicing workflow.

Here is how to handle it:

1. Open the Invoices module in Zoho Invoice.

2. Select New Invoice.

3. Click on the Customer dropdown and enter the first few characters.

4. If the customer is not listed, select the option to add a new customer.

5. Enter the customer's name, email address and other required details.

6. Save the customer record and select that customer for the invoice.

7. Add the items or services, quantities, prices, taxes and applicable discounts.

8. Review the customer details and invoice total.

9. Save the invoice and send it to the customer.

An email address is useful if you plan to email the invoice directly to the customer. If you do not have it at the time of delivery, check which delivery or sharing options are available.

You can complete any remaining customer profile details later. However, make sure the information required for your invoice and applicable compliance requirements is captured correctly.

For more guidance, see the Customer FAQ and Creating Invoices.

I cannot find the invoices that are still unpaid

Ravi has sent invoices to several customers over the week. Some have paid, some are not due yet, and others are overdue. Scrolling through every invoice to identify the outstanding ones takes time.

Instead, use the invoice list filters to narrow down the records you need.

Here is how:

1. Open the Invoices module.

2. Click on the All Invoices dropdown at the top.

3. Select the relevant status, such as Unpaid, Overdue, Partially Paid or Sent, depending on the options available.

4. Review the filtered results.

5. Open an invoice to check its due date, total, payment status and recorded payments.

6. Follow up with the customer if payment is overdue.

7. If a customer has multiple outstanding invoices, consider generating a customer statement to review the transactions together.

Remember that sent, unpaid and overdue are not interchangeable. An invoice can be sent to the customer without being overdue. Check the due date and payment status before following up.

For related guidance, see the Invoices FAQ. If you need to share a summary of a customer's outstanding transactions.

On your phone: The mobile app can help you handle invoice tasks while you are away from your desk, including creating and managing invoices, working with customer details and checking invoice statuses.

User access and role permissions should be configured and tested beforehand. Set up your team on the web before relying on them to invoice customers during a delivery.

If It Still Is Not Working  

Before contacting support, work through these checks:

1. If a staff member cannot create or send an invoice: Open Settings, select Users and Roles, and review the user's assigned role and permissions.

2. If the invoice date is incorrect: Open the invoice after converting the quote and review the invoice date before sending it.

3. If you cannot apply a discount to one item: Open Settings and review the available discount preferences.

4. If you cannot find a customer or invoice: Open the relevant module and check the search terms and available filters.

5. If the invoice cannot be sent: Open the invoice, review the customer's contact details and check the available sending options.

Still stuck? Email support@zohoinvoice.com. Include your organization details, the steps you followed, the user's role if relevant, and a screenshot of the issue. Avoid including sensitive customer information unless support specifically needs it.

Over to You  

How does your business handle invoicing when a product is delivered or a service is completed? Does one person raise every invoice, or do your staff need to do it on the spot?