📝 Overview
Invoicing allows you to collect payments from clients while also creating medical records and automatically deducting items from inventory. This article covers how to work with invoices, including creating invoices, adding items, changing invoice statuses, and more.
💡 For more information about creating an invoice as part of converting an estimate, please see click the button below.
🧾 How to Create Invoices
The majority of the time, you will have an appointment on your schedule, where you will have an invoice created through the check in process. Additionally, you may have a walk in customer for an over the counter item, and need to quickly create an invoice. This section will teach you how to create invoices in either situation.
How to Create an Invoice at Appointment Check-In
Creating an invoice at check-in is the preferred method, as it will tie the invoice to the appointment and medical note of the scheduled appointment.
Click the arrow to learn more
Click the arrow to learn more
Navigate to the applicable appointment on your schedule
Click on the appointment
Click on Check in
Set the Billing field to create an invoice
Complete the check in process
Once the check-in is saved, you can access the invoice from the appointment on the schedule, the census, or the medical note that is linked to the checked-in appointment.
💡Save time by setting a default for the Billing field. Configure Check In Billing in Settings to choose your preferred default. Once set, that option will automatically appear in the Billing field during check-in. You can still change it on the spot if needed—for example, switching from an invoice to an estimate.
⚠️ Open invoices (invoiced that are not paid) can be selected at check-in. For reporting purposes, we recommend always using a new invoice on a new appointment, rather than selecting a open invoice (if there are any) from a prior visit.
How to Create an Invoice - No Appointment Needed
A invoice can quickly be created for a customer that does not have an appointment, such as a food purchase, preventative purchase or any item that does not require an appointment.
Click the arrow to learn more
Click the arrow to learn more
Best Practice - Quick Add
The quickest way to make an invoice on the spot is to use the Quick Add button (green +) from the top right of your screen.
Creating an Invoice from the Billing Module
Click on Billing
Click on Invoices and select New invoice
Complete the form that appears and click Save
Creating an Invoice from a Client's Profile
Navigate to the client's profile
Click Billing, hover over New Transaction, then select New Invoice
Complete the form that appears and click Save
💊 How to Add Items & Decline Items
When working within a checked in appointment, any medical records added through the medical note associated with that appointment, will automatically add charges to the applicable invoice. Otherwise, you can add items to the invoice directly as needed.
💡 When a staff member is making a payment on an invoice, other users will be locked out from being able to add new payments, new records or edit the invoice. Other staff members will see options greyed out or a warning that a new payment is in process.
How to Add Items to an Invoice
Click the arrow to learn more
Click the arrow to learn more
Adding a Medical Record to an Invoice for a Single Patient:
Navigate to the desired invoice
Click Items and select New Item
Search for the item you wish to add and select from the list
Select the patient who is receiving the item or treatment
Fill in proper Quantity and other fields as needed
Click Next and fill in remaining fields
Click Save + Done or Save + Add New to quickly add an additional item
Adding a Medical Record to an Invoice for Multiple Patients
When dealing with certain scenarios, such as a client who has multiple patient's due for the same vaccine or multiple horses at a barn that are receiving vaccinations, you can add a single item and apply it to up to five patients at once. This process is almost identical to adding for a single patient.
Navigate to the desired invoice
Click Items and select New Item
Search for the item you wish to add and select from the list
Select the patients (up to five) who are receiving the item or treatment
Fill in proper Quantity and other fields as needed. Note: You can associate the item to a medical note for each patient at this point
Click Next and fill in remaining fields
Click Save + Done
⚠️ Some fields cannot be set when multiple patients are getting the same record. These include Tag No, Route & Location. After you save the records, you can edit the individual line items if needed for these fields by clicking the gear icon next to the item.
💡 The price reflected for each patient will include any applicable discounts, such as if the item given is on a wellness plan the patient is enrolled in. The line item price will be correct, but the add record dialog will not show the discounts/fees etc. that calculate that price. If you wish to see the breakdown/calculation, you can click the edit gear icon to see the price calculation for the specific patient.
How to Decline Items & Apply to Client's Invoice
Click the arrow to learn more
Click the arrow to learn more
Declining an Item
You have the ability to decline any item on an invoice. If a provider recommends a certain item, and a client declines, you can document this is a few easy step.
Click on the gear icon next to the applicable line item
Click the Decline Item option
Fill out the decline item form by adding in a reason and any notes (Optional) and click Save
Multi-Select Declined Items
You can multi-select items to decline on an invoice to save time. To do so, follow the steps below.
Click the Items tab
Click Decline Items
Select the checkbox next to the items you want to decline and click Decline Selected at the top.
Adding Declined Item(s) to a Client's Invoice
💡 The ability to add declined items to a client's invoice is only for the email and print export options. The default option will be the checkbox unchecked.
When checking out an appointment that has declined items on the invoice, you have the option to add the declined item(s) to the invoice. Select the checkbox to include the declined items.
If you're manually exporting an invoice with declined items, you will have the checkbox option on the bottom of the export form.
If you are utilizing the SMS Add On, you can show a declined item on an invoice that is sent via SMS.
Where to View Declined Items within Patient & Client Profiles
Once an item is declined, it can be viewed within the patient and client profiles. When a client declines an item for their patient(s), it will show under Billing > Declined Items within the client's profile.
When an item is declined for a particular patient, it will show in that patient's History > View Declined Items.
✍️ How to Edit, Delete, Lock & Reopen (paid) Invoices
Invoices can be edited, in cases of changing the top level information such as client, date, payment terms and status. A common status change is to lock an invoice, which will not allow any items to be added to the invoice, or have it be selected at check-in.
Click the arrow to learn how to edit, delete, lock & reopen invoiced
Click the arrow to learn how to edit, delete, lock & reopen invoiced
Editing an Invoice
Navigate to the applicable invoice
Click on Edit Invoice - This allows for the top section to be edited
Make the desired changes and click Save Changes on the top left
Deleting an Invoice
Navigate to the applicable invoice
Click on Delete Invoice
In the form that appears, select whether to preserve the related medical records, and confirm your intent to delete the invoice
Locking an Invoice
Locking an invoice prevents a user from adding new items to it. A user with edit invoice permissions may unlock the invoice if needed.
Navigate to the applicable invoice
Click on Edit Invoice
Change Status to Locked and click Save Changes
💡 You can automatically lock open invoices by enabling the Lock Open Invoices configuration in Settings. Once turned on, invoices will be locked after a specified number of days from the date they are created, helping prevent changes to older invoices and keeping your records accurate.
Reopening an Invoice
A paid invoice can be edited by changing the invoice status to Reopened.
Follow the steps below to make changes to a paid invoice:
Navigate to the invoice
Click Edit Invoice in the top-left corner of the gray bar
Change the invoice status to Reopened
Click Save Invoice in the top gray bar
Make any necessary changes to existing items by clicking the gear icon on the right-hand side of the item
Add new items by clicking the Items tab on the invoice and selecting New Item
Once all changes are complete, click Post Invoice in the top gray bar
The system will automatically recalculate the invoice balance based on the updates made. If a balance remains, you can collect an additional payment by selecting Payment > New Payment.
💵 How to Take a Payment or Send Invoices via Pay Online
A payment can be taken on the invoice itself, which may sometimes needs to be done when not in the check-out workflow. Additionally, if using DaySmart Payments, you can easily send invoices via the "Pay Online" option from the check-out dialog or when making a new payment.
Click the arrow to learn how to send invoices via pay online
Click the arrow to learn how to send invoices via pay online
Collecting a Payment from an Invoice
This method can be used if this is a over the counter transaction, or if a partial payment needs to be made. Follow the steps below:
Navigate to the invoice
Click on the Payments tab and select the option to create a New Payment
Complete the form that appears and click Save
Sending a Invoice via Pay Online
If you're using integrated payments, selecting Pay Online from the Type field allows clients to instantly receive their invoice(s) with a Pay Now option. If SMS is enabled and a mobile number is on file, the notification will default to SMS. If no mobile number is available, it will be sent via email.
💡 When multiple invoices are selected in the checkout dialog, the Pay Now notification will include all selected invoices, displaying the total amount due for the client to pay in one transaction.
🚫 How to Write Off an Invoice
If you know payment will not be collected on an invoice, you can write it off to ensure your billing records remain accurate.
💡 Write-offs can only be completed on invoices with an Open status. If an invoice is locked, it must first be reopened so its status returns to Open before a write-off can be applied.
Click the arrow to learn how to write off an invoice
Click the arrow to learn how to write off an invoice
Please follow the steps below to write off an invoice:
1. Click on Billing
2. Select Write Offs
3. From there the clinic can add a new write off and view existing ones
From the New Write Off option, the clinic can select the client and desired invoice to write off.
Writing Off from Client Profile
1. Navigate to the clients profile
2. Click on Billing
3. Select View Open Invoices
4. Use the tool icon gear to write off
Write Off Report
To view the report on write offs within the clinic, select Reports > Billing > Write Off. This report lists all write offs that were applied to invoices within the selected date range, based on the write off date. You will automatically be prompted to filter the date range, and apply a write off amount if desired.
Once the report is generated, you will have a summary at the top, and the details below.
❓Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Find answers to common questions or additional details that may not be covered in the main instructions.
Click the arrow to view frequently asked questions
Click the arrow to view frequently asked questions
When should I create an invoice during an appointment?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
The preferred method is to create the invoice during appointment check-in. This automatically ties the invoice to the appointment and its associated medical note, ensuring accurate medical records, billing, and inventory tracking.
Can I create an invoice without an appointment?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
Yes. You can create an invoice for walk-in or over-the-counter purchases (such as food or preventative items) without an appointment by using the Quick Add (+) button, the Billing > Invoices module, or directly from a client’s profile.
How are items added to an invoice?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
Items are added automatically when medical records are created from a checked-in appointment. You can also manually add items directly to an invoice by selecting Items > New Item and completing the required fields.
Can I add the same item to multiple patients at once?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
Yes. When adding an item, you can apply it to up to five patients at the same time. This is useful for scenarios like multiple vaccinations for the same client. Some fields (such as Tag No, Route, and Location) must be edited individually after saving.
What happens if a client declines a recommended item?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
You can decline an item directly from the invoice and document the reason. Declined items are stored in both the client and patient profiles and can optionally be included on printed, emailed, or SMS invoices for documentation purposes.
Can invoices be edited, deleted, or locked?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
Yes. You can edit top-level invoice details, delete invoices (with the option to preserve medical records), or lock invoices to prevent further changes. Locked invoices can be unlocked by users with the appropriate permissions.
What should I do if an invoice will not be paid?
Click the arrow to see the answer
Click the arrow to see the answer
If payment will not be collected, you can write off the invoice as long as it is in an Open status. Write-offs can be completed from the Billing module or directly from the client’s profile, and tracked using the Write Off Report.