Interactive Invoice Creation Wizard
Follow this step-by-step walkthrough to create your first QuickBooks Online invoice in under 2 minutes.
Navigate to Invoices
Click "+New" button and select "Invoice" from the dropdown menu.
Details: Alternative: Go to Sales (left sidebar) → Invoices → "New Invoice"
Invoice Template Gallery
QuickBooks Online includes 4 professional templates. Click each to see best use cases and styling options.
Modern Template
Clean, professional design with prominent logo at top. Easy to read on mobile.
Best for: Most businesses
Standard Template
Traditional invoice layout with logo at top left. Classic professional look.
Best for: Conservative industries (law, accounting, finance)
Bold Template
Large, colorful header with modern design. Logo in prominent header.
Best for: Creative businesses (design, marketing, photography)
Friendly Template
Casual, approachable design with softer colors. Less formal tone.
Best for: Coaches, consultants, wellness businesses
QuickBooks Payments Fee Calculator
Calculate exact fees and net payout for credit card and ACH payments through QuickBooks Payments.
Credit Card Payment
ACH Bank Transfer (Recommended)
Savings: $19.25 vs. credit card
Pro tip: Offer a 2% discount for ACH payments to incentivize lower-fee payment methods while still saving money on processing fees.
Automation ROI Calculator
Calculate time and money saved with QuickBooks automation features (recurring invoices, payment reminders, batch invoicing).
Include time creating invoices, following up on payments, and manual data entry.
Automation features included: Recurring invoices, automatic payment reminders, batch invoicing, estimate-to-invoice conversion, and scheduled invoice creation.
QuickBooks Plans Feature Comparison
Compare Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus plans to find the right fit.
| Feature | Simple Start | Essentials | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $30/month | $60/month | $90/month |
| Unlimited Invoices | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Invoice Templates | 4 templates | 4 templates | 4 templates |
| Recurring Invoices | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Payment Reminders | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| QuickBooks Payments | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Bill Management | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Billable Time Invoicing | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Inventory Tracking | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Project Tracking | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| 1099 Contractor Management | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Invoice Email Templates
Copy these professional email templates to customize your QuickBooks invoice emails.
Professional Standard
Invoice #[NUMBER] from [YOUR BUSINESS]Hi [Customer Name], Thank you for your business! Attached is Invoice #[NUMBER] for [PROJECT/SERVICE]. Payment is due within [PAYMENT TERMS] (by [DUE DATE]). You can pay online by clicking the "Pay Now" button below, or send a check to the address on the invoice. Please let me know if you have any questions! Best regards, [Your Name]
Friendly & Casual
Invoice for [PROJECT NAME] - [YOUR BUSINESS]Hey [Customer Name], Hope you're doing well! I've attached Invoice #[NUMBER] for the [PROJECT/SERVICE] we completed together. Payment is due by [DUE DATE]. You can pay super easily by clicking the "Pay Now" button—it takes like 30 seconds! Thanks again for working with me. Let me know if you need anything! Cheers, [Your Name]
Payment Reminder
Friendly Reminder: Invoice #[NUMBER] Due SoonHi [Customer Name], Just a friendly reminder that Invoice #[NUMBER] for $[AMOUNT] is due on [DUE DATE]. If you've already sent payment, please disregard this message. Otherwise, you can pay online by clicking the "Pay Now" button below. Thank you! Best, [Your Name]
Pro tip: Replace bracketed placeholders [like this] with actual information before sending. Personalized emails get 26% higher response rates than generic templates.
QuickBooks Online Invoicing Guide: Complete Tutorial for Professional Invoices
Introduction
You just signed up for QuickBooks Online to manage your small business finances, but you're staring at a blank invoice screen wondering: "How do I actually create a professional invoice?" The interface has dozens of fields, settings, and options—and you're not sure which ones matter for getting paid faster.
QuickBooks Online is the most popular small business accounting software in North America (4.5+ million users), and its invoicing features are powerful—but only if you know how to use them correctly. One misconfigured setting can delay payments by weeks, trigger tax calculation errors, or create unprofessional-looking invoices that damage your brand.
This complete tutorial covers everything you need to create professional invoices in QuickBooks Online: step-by-step invoice creation walkthrough, customization options (templates, colors, logos), automation features (recurring invoices, payment reminders), integration with QuickBooks Payments, reporting and tracking, and troubleshooting common issues.
What you'll learn:
- Step-by-step: How to create your first invoice in QuickBooks Online (with interactive walkthrough)
- Invoice customization: Templates, logos, colors, custom fields
- Automation: Recurring invoices, automatic payment reminders, scheduled invoices
- Payment collection: QuickBooks Payments setup, online payments, credit card processing
- Tracking & reporting: Invoice status, aging reports, payment history
- Advanced features: Estimates to invoices, progress invoicing, retainer invoicing
By the end, you'll be creating professional, payment-ready invoices in QuickBooks Online in under 2 minutes—with automation that saves you 5-10 hours per month.
QuickBillMaker offers a simpler invoicing alternative without the complexity and cost of full accounting software. Create professional invoices with AI-powered automation, payment tracking, and customizable templates—free for up to 5 invoices/month, $29/month unlimited.
Why Use QuickBooks Online for Invoicing?
Key Benefits
1. All-in-One Platform
- Invoicing + accounting + expense tracking + payroll in one system
- No data entry duplication (invoice automatically posts to accounting)
- Real-time financial reports (see revenue, expenses, profit instantly)
2. Professional Invoice Templates
- 4 pre-designed templates (Modern, Standard, Bold, Friendly)
- Customizable with your logo, colors, and branding
- Mobile-responsive (looks professional on any device)
3. Automated Payment Collection
- QuickBooks Payments integration (accept credit cards, ACH, Apple Pay)
- "Pay Now" button on every invoice (one-click payment for clients)
- Automatic payment reminders (send 3 days before due, on due date, 3 days after)
4. Time-Saving Automation
- Recurring invoices (monthly retainers, subscriptions)
- Batch invoicing (invoice multiple clients at once)
- Estimates convert to invoices (one click)
5. Real-Time Tracking
- See which invoices are viewed, paid, or overdue
- Automatic status updates (Draft → Sent → Viewed → Paid)
- Client payment history (know who pays on time)
Pricing:
- Simple Start: $30/month (basic invoicing, no billable time tracking)
- Essentials: $60/month (+ bill management, time tracking)
- Plus: $90/month (+ inventory, projects, 1099 contractors)
Best for: Service businesses, freelancers, consultants, small retailers (1-25 employees)
Invoice Customization: Branding & Templates
Adding Your Logo
- Go to Settings → Custom Form Styles
- Select your invoice template (or create new)
- Click "Edit"
- In "Design" tab, click "Logo" section
- Click "Upload logo"
- Upload image:
- Format: PNG or JPG (PNG recommended for transparency)
- Size: 500x200 pixels minimum (auto-resizes)
- File size: Under 1 MB
- Adjust logo size (Small, Medium, Large)
- Click "Done"
Pro tip: Use a horizontal logo (wider than tall) for best results.
Customizing Colors & Fonts
1. Accent color (header, buttons):
- Settings → Custom Form Styles → Edit template → "Design" tab
- Click "Accent color" color picker
- Choose your brand color (e.g., emerald green: #10b981)
- Affects: Header background, "Pay Now" button, table headers
2. Font:
- Modern Styles lets you choose font family
- Options: Modern Sans, Classic Serif, Professional
- Affects: All text on invoice
Pro tip: Match your website colors for brand consistency.
Custom Fields
Add custom fields to invoices for extra information:
To add custom fields:
- Go to Settings → Sales → Sales Form Content
- Scroll to "Custom Fields"
- Click "Add field"
- Enter field details:
- Name: What field is called (e.g., "Project Code")
- Type: Text or Number
- Save
Common custom fields:
- Project Code / Job Number
- PO Number (Purchase Order)
- Contract Number
- Department
- Location/Site
Custom fields appear on invoice for client to see.
Automation Features
Recurring Invoices (Monthly Retainers, Subscriptions)
Perfect for:
- Monthly retainers (e.g., $2,000/month consulting)
- Subscription services (e.g., $99/month software maintenance)
- Rent/lease payments
To set up recurring invoice:
- Create invoice as normal
- Instead of "Save and send," click "Make recurring" (bottom left)
- Configure recurring schedule:
- Template name: Internal name (e.g., "John Smith - Monthly Retainer")
- Type:
- Scheduled: QuickBooks auto-creates and sends invoice
- Reminder: QuickBooks reminds you to create invoice (you review first)
- Unscheduled: Template saved for manual use
- Create X days in advance: How many days before due date to create (e.g., 3 days)
- Interval: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly
- Start date: When first invoice sends
- End: Never, After X occurrences, or On specific date
- Click "Save template"
QuickBooks automatically:
- Creates invoice on schedule
- Sends to client via email (if "Scheduled" type)
- Posts to accounting when paid
- Sends payment reminders
Pro tip: Use "Reminder" type for first few months to review before sending, then switch to "Scheduled" once you trust automation.
Automatic Payment Reminders
QuickBooks sends automatic email reminders to clients with overdue invoices.
To enable payment reminders:
- Go to Settings → Sales → Reminders
- Enable "Automatic invoice reminders"
- Configure reminder schedule:
- 3 days before due date: "Your invoice is due soon"
- On due date: "Your invoice is due today"
- 3 days after due date: "Your invoice is past due"
- Every 7 days after: Continue reminding until paid
Customize reminder emails:
- Edit subject and message
- Add personal touch: "Hi [Customer Name], Just a friendly reminder..."
Pro tip: Enable reminders. Reduces follow-up time by 80% and improves collection rates by 20-30%.
Batch Invoicing (Invoice Multiple Clients at Once)
Perfect for:
- Monthly services invoiced to multiple clients
- Subscription services with same price
To create batch invoices:
- Go to Sales → Invoices
- Click "Batch actions" (top right)
- Select "Create invoices"
- Choose customers to invoice
- Select product/service (same for all)
- Enter quantity and rate
- Click "Save and send"
All invoices created and sent at once (saves massive time).
Estimates to Invoices (One-Click Conversion)
Workflow:
- Create estimate for client (quote/proposal)
- Client accepts estimate
- Convert estimate to invoice (one click)
- Invoice pre-filled with all estimate details
To convert estimate to invoice:
- Go to Sales → Estimates
- Find accepted estimate
- Click "Create invoice" (top right)
- QuickBooks copies all line items to invoice
- Edit if needed (e.g., if only invoicing partial work)
- Send invoice
Pro tip: Use estimates for all quotes. Converting to invoice saves 5-10 minutes per invoice.
Payment Collection with QuickBooks Payments
Setting Up QuickBooks Payments
What it is: Built-in payment processing (credit cards, ACH, Apple Pay, Venmo)
To set up:
- Go to Settings → Payments
- Click "Get started"
- Enter business info:
- Legal business name
- EIN/SSN
- Bank account (where payments deposit)
- Business type
- Submit application
- Approval takes 1-2 business days
Once approved:
- "Pay Now" button automatically appears on all invoices
- Clients click button → Enter payment info → Pay
- Money deposits to your bank in 2-3 business days (next day for extra fee)
Accepting Online Payments
With QuickBooks Payments enabled:
- Every invoice has "Pay Now" button
- Client clicks button (in email or PDF)
- Payment page opens (hosted by QuickBooks)
- Client enters:
- Credit card or bank account info
- Billing address
- Client clicks "Pay"
- Payment processes instantly
- Invoice automatically marked "Paid" in QuickBooks
- You receive email notification
- Money deposits to bank in 2-3 days
Client payment methods:
- Credit/debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover)
- ACH bank transfer (routing + account number)
- Apple Pay
- Venmo (if enabled)
Pro tip: ACH is cheaper (1% vs. 2.9%+0.25). Offer 2% discount for ACH payments to save on fees.
Tracking Payment Status
Invoice statuses:
- Draft: Not yet sent
- Pending: Sent but not viewed
- Viewed: Client opened email/PDF
- Partial: Partially paid
- Paid: Fully paid
- Overdue: Past due date, not paid
To view status:
- Go to Sales → Invoices
- See status column for each invoice
- Click invoice to see details:
- When sent
- When viewed (date/time)
- Payment history
- Reminder emails sent
Pro tip: Check "Viewed" status. If client hasn't viewed in 48 hours, follow up (email may be in spam).
Reporting & Tracking
Key Invoice Reports
1. Accounts Receivable Aging Summary
- Shows unpaid invoices by age (0-30, 31-60, 61-90, 90+ days)
- Use: Identify overdue invoices to follow up
- Location: Reports → Who Owes You → A/R Aging Summary
2. Accounts Receivable Aging Detail
- Same as summary but shows individual invoices
- Use: See specific overdue invoices by client
- Location: Reports → Who Owes You → A/R Aging Detail
3. Invoice List
- All invoices (paid and unpaid) with details
- Use: Audit trail, overview of all invoicing
- Location: Reports → Sales and Customers → Invoice List
4. Sales by Customer Summary
- Total sales per customer (year-to-date or custom date range)
- Use: Identify top clients, analyze revenue sources
- Location: Reports → Sales and Customers → Sales by Customer Summary
5. Unbilled Charges
- Time/expenses tracked but not yet invoiced
- Use: Ensure you invoice all billable work
- Location: Reports → Sales and Customers → Unbilled Charges
Dashboard Insights
QuickBooks Dashboard shows:
- Total unpaid invoices: Amount and count
- Overdue invoices: Needs immediate follow-up
- Recently paid: Cash flow visibility
- Revenue this month: vs. last month
Access: Click "Dashboard" (left sidebar) or home screen
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Invoice Not Sending?
Possible causes:
- Client email invalid: Check email address in customer profile
- Email in spam: Ask client to whitelist QuickBooks.com
- QuickBooks email service down: Check status.intuit.com
- Customer "Do not email" flag set: Go to customer profile → Edit → Uncheck "Do not send emails"
Solution: Always Preview invoice before sending to verify email address.
Wrong Tax Calculated?
Possible causes:
- Wrong tax rate selected: Check invoice tax dropdown
- Customer location incorrect: Tax based on customer address (update customer profile)
- Product/service marked non-taxable: Edit product → Uncheck "Non-taxable"
Solution: Go to Taxes → Sales Tax → Verify tax setup and customer addresses.
Invoice Numbering Skipped Numbers?
Cause: QuickBooks reserves invoice numbers when you create draft. If you delete draft, number is skipped.
Solution:
- Edit next invoice number: Settings → Sales → Custom Transaction Numbers → Change starting number
- Or leave it (skipped numbers are fine for accounting purposes)
Client Says They Can't Pay Online?
Possible causes:
- QuickBooks Payments not set up: Enable Payments (Settings → Payments)
- Client country not supported: QuickBooks Payments only works in US/Canada/UK
- Payment button not showing: Client viewing old invoice (resend latest version)
Solution: Verify Payments is enabled, resend invoice, or accept payment via other method (Venmo, PayPal, check).
Conclusion: Mastering QuickBooks Online Invoicing
QuickBooks Online is the most powerful invoicing tool for small businesses—once you know how to use it. From creating your first invoice in 2 minutes to automating recurring billing and payment collection, QuickBooks handles the entire invoicing workflow.
Your QuickBooks invoicing checklist:
One-time setup (1-2 hours):
- ✓ Create customer list (import or add manually)
- ✓ Set up products/services for common line items
- ✓ Customize invoice template (logo, colors, branding)
- ✓ Enable sales tax (if applicable)
- ✓ Set up QuickBooks Payments (if accepting credit cards)
- ✓ Enable automatic payment reminders
Monthly routine (30 minutes):
- ✓ Create recurring invoices (or let automation handle it)
- ✓ Convert estimates to invoices (when clients accept quotes)
- ✓ Send invoices to new clients
- ✓ Review aging report for overdue invoices
- ✓ Follow up on overdue payments (or let reminders do it)
Best practices:
- ✓ Use recurring invoices for retainers (save 5-10 hours/month)
- ✓ Enable payment reminders (improve collections by 20-30%)
- ✓ Accept online payments (clients pay 3-5 days faster)
- ✓ Customize email messages (personal touch increases payment rates)
- ✓ Track invoice status (know when client views invoice)
Remember: QuickBooks Online invoicing is only as powerful as your setup. Spend 1-2 hours configuring it correctly (customers, products, templates, automation), and you'll save 10-15 hours per month on invoicing and collections.
Ready to create professional invoices in QuickBooks Online? Sign up for a 30-day free trial at QuickBooks.com and put this guide to work. Or use QuickBillMaker for simpler invoicing without the complexity and cost of full accounting software—free for up to 5 invoices/month, $29/month unlimited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I create invoices in QuickBooks Online without paying for QuickBooks Payments?
Yes, absolutely. QuickBooks Payments is optional. You can create unlimited professional invoices, send them via email or download as PDF, track invoice status, and record payments manually when clients pay via check, wire transfer, PayPal, or other methods. You cannot accept credit card payments through QuickBooks or use the "Pay Now" button without QuickBooks Payments, but all standard invoicing features work without it.
How do I handle deposits or partial payments in QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks has two methods: Receive Payment (recommended) or Credit Memos. For partial payments, go to Sales → Invoices, find the invoice, click "Receive payment," enter the partial amount received, and select payment method. The invoice status changes to "Partial" and shows the remaining balance. Repeat the process for additional partial payments until the invoice is fully paid.
Can I customize the email message when sending invoices?
Yes, you can customize every invoice email including subject line, message body, and attachments. When you click "Save and send," an email preview appears where you can edit the subject, customize the greeting and message, add CC or BCC recipients, and include additional files. You can also set default email templates in Settings → Sales → Messages that auto-populate for all invoices.
How do I create a credit memo or refund in QuickBooks Online?
Click "+New" → Credit Memo, select the customer, enter credit details including product/service and amount. QuickBooks asks what to do with the credit: apply to an existing invoice (reduces invoice balance), give a refund (creates check or refund transaction), or hold for future use (credit sits on customer account and auto-applies to next invoice).
Can I invoice in multiple currencies in QuickBooks Online?
Yes, but only in QuickBooks Online Plus or Advanced plans (not Simple Start or Essentials). Enable multi-currency in Settings → Company Settings → Advanced → Currencies. Warning: Once enabled, you cannot turn off multi-currency—it is permanent. Set each customer's preferred currency in their profile, and invoices will display in that currency. QuickBooks auto-updates exchange rates daily and tracks gain/loss from exchange rate differences.
How do I handle sales tax when some items are taxable and some are not?
Mark specific products/services as taxable or non-taxable in Settings → Products and Services → Edit product → Check or uncheck "Tax" box. When you create an invoice, QuickBooks automatically applies tax only to taxable items and excludes non-taxable items from tax calculation. For tax-exempt customers, edit the customer profile and select "Tax exempt" under Tax info.