Invoicing method

You can find this section in HostBill Admin → Settings → General Settings → Billing → Invoicing Method

Zrzut ekranu 2024-06-24 o 13.55.47.png



Overview


HostBill offers extremely flexible invoicing system to suit most countries specific requirements. It allows you to switch between Default and EU invoicing method, differences between which are explained below in details.



Available Options


Default Invoicing Method

In default invoicing method invoice numbers are generated sequentially, regardless of their status.

EU Invoicing Method

In EU invoicing method, pro-forma invoices and paid invoices have separate numeration. Enabling this option shows additional configuration options described below.

Invoice numeration starts from

Lets you define initial number of invoices in HostBill.

Invoice numeration format

Each invoice number can be prefixed by month (MM), year (YYYY) or (YY), yearmonth (YYYYMM) or your custom prefix composed with available variables.
Use:

  • {$number} for invoice number

  • {$y} for invoice year in YYYY format

  • {$yy} for invoice year in YY format

  • {$m} for invoice month

  • other - you can customize the format

Number zero-padding

Choose the number of characters to which it will be filled with zeros value ($number), eg 5 will change invoice number 10 to 00010.

If number zero-padding will be change, it will not affect already generated invoices.

Edit Warning

Show confirmation dialog before submitting changes to non-draft invoices.

Store client details in invoice

HostBill allows to store customer details with invoice, using customer data from the day when the invoice was issued. This is a requirement for some countries that client profile changes do not change details of client on invoice. Following options are available:

  • No, Always use actual informations stored in client profile

  • Yes, Client profile edits will not change invoice owner details

Issue invoices with 0 total

If the invoice generated automatically totals to 0 you can decide whether or not to generate the invoice and send it to client.

Continue Invoice Creation

HostBill lets you to decide whether or not to allow the customers to create new invoices if they have any previous unpaid invoices for the given product or service (which is currently suspended). You can choose to:

  • Yes, Create invoices even if the previous invoice is unpaid. 

  • No, Create new invoices only when previous invoices are paid

  • Do not generate invoice for suspended accounts, regardless of previous invoice status

  • Do not consider canceled invoice as unpaid one. Once enabled canceled invoice would not block generation.

Merge Invoices

With HostBill you can merge multiple invoices (for different services) generated by one client into one invoice. You can choose to:

  • Yes, Automatically merge invoices generated on the same day (cron run)

  • Yes, Automatically merge generated invoices with the same due date 

  • No, Generate separate invoice for each service

Merge Options

If you allow to merge invoices (as per feature above), you can enable following options:

  • Issue invoice for domain renewal sooner, if customer has invoice for other services issued in renewal month

  • Issue invoice for hosting services sooner, if customer has invoice for other services issued in renewal month

  • Issue invoice for annual hosting services sooner, if customer has invoice for other services issued in renewal year

  • Do not merge invoices for taxed items with invoices for non-taxed items

  • Do not merge services with different contracts

  • Do not merge services with different billing cycles

  • Do not merge services with different service groups

Attach PDF Invoice

HostBill automatically generates and sends out the invoices to your customers. You can choose if you want the invoices to be sent in a text-only format or as a PDF attached to the email notification for invoices that are paid. 

Attach XML invoice

This feature lets you decide whether or not to attach XML invoice to email notifications. Please note you need to have one of the XML invoices modules activated.

Invoice Delivery Method

This feature controls how the invoices should be delivered:

  • Email + PDF

  • Email + Plain text

  • Paper

  • Paper + PDF

Add to print queue

This feature, enabled when you choose to deliver paper invoices,  controls which invoices should be added to the print queue:

  • Pro-forma

  • Final invoice

Invoice copies

If required, you can choose to automatically send the copies of each invoice to the specified email address (for example to your billing department). You can also choose not to send invoice copies anywhere. You also have the option to send only paid invoices. Invoices can be also accessed at any time in your HostBill admin panel.

Subscriptions & Invoices

This option concerns mostly clients with subscription billing enabled (for example for PayPal payment module). If the client signed a billing agreement you can decide whether or not to send out notifications about unpaid invoices. You can choose between two options :

  • Don't send invoices for subscribed service before due date. 

  • Send out invoices on regular basis 

Late fee as separate invoice

This option lets you decide how to invoice late fee - (late fee can be added X days after the due date for given service/product). You can choose to:

  • add late fees as line to original invoice

  • add late fees to separate invoice

  • add late fee into customer invoice items queue

Auto-cancel invoices

One of the HostBill automation features allows you to automatically cancel invoices on certain events. Those events include:

  • Cancel renew invoices when related domain expires - if renewal order remains unpaid and domain eventually expires, invoice and order will be automatically canceled.

  • Cancel overdue invoices when related account gets terminated - if account is automatically or manually terminated, related invoices will be canceled.

  • Cancel overdue invoices X days after due date - if invoice remains unpaid for X days, the invoice and the order will be automatically canceled. 

  • Cancel customer-generated invoices X days after due date.

Auto-collections

In this option you can choose to Automatically move manually issued invoices to Collections status X days after due date.

Options available when EU billing is enabled:

Pro-Forma numeration starts from

Lets you define initial number of pro-forma invoices in HostBill.

Pro-Forma numeration prefix

Each pro-forma invoice number can be prefixed by month (MM), year (YYYY), yearmonth (YYYYMM) or your custom prefix composed with available variables:
Use {$y} for invoice year, {$d} for invoice day, {$m} for invoice month, {$client_id} for client id

Block final invoice edits

When enabled staff member will not be able to edit/update invoice once final number will be issued for it.

Generate final invoice after payment

This option enables you to choose if you want to generate final invoice number immediately or to wait after the payment is received. If you choose to generate the invoice immediately, the invoice ID will be assigned regardless of the payment status or payment date.

You can also choose to update invoice payment date on payment.

Create final number for credit-paid invoices

This option enables to decide whether to create final number for credit-paid invoices. If the invoice was fully paid using credit, you can choose "No" so the invoice will not have the final number but remains as a pro-forma invoice.

Reset Invoice numeration

You can choose to reset invoicing numeration each month or year, it will simply reset Invoice numeration to start with the pre-set value. If you choose the invoice numeration to start with 1 and you want to reset numeration each month, each first invoice for the new month will start with number 1. Optionally you can disable automatic reset of the invoice numeration.

Attach Pro-Forma PDF

HostBill automatically generates and sends out the pro-forma invoices to your customers. You can choose if you want the pro-forma invoices to be sent in a text-only format or as a PDF attached to the email notification. 

Final Invoice Delay

By default pro-forma invoice is updated to final invoice right after payment, If you enable this feature, automation will wait number of days that you provide as delay, before updating invoices to final.

Store PDF invoice

If you enable this option HostBill will automatically generate PDF invoice each time invoice is created and store all the PDF invoices on your server (for later use for download). Optionally you can choose not to generate PDF invoices automatically but only on request. 

Store XML invoice

If you enable this option HostBill will automatically generate XML invoice each time invoice is created and store all the XML invoices on your server (for later use for download). Optionally you can choose not to generate XML invoices automatically but only on request. 

Original and copy in one pdf

The PDF invoice generated by HostBill can be either a one-page original invoice document, or consist of an original and copy of the invoice in one document (copy as a second page)



EU Invoicing features overview: