Billing Your Customers: Sending Invoices and Applying Payments

Docket simplifies the process of invoicing and collecting payments from your customers. This article explains how to compile charges, send invoices, collect payments, and manage billing adjustments.

Compiling and Sending Charges

1. Access the Charges Tab:
   • Go to Billing > Charges to view all pending charges.
2. Create an Invoice:
   • Use the search bar to filter charges by customer.
   • Select charges to include in the invoice by checking their boxes.
   • Click Actions > Create Invoice and confirm your selection.
3. Review and Adjust the Invoice:
   • View the itemized list of charges.
   • Use Edit Invoice to adjust details before sending.
4. Send the Invoice:
   • Go to Invoices, find the invoice, and click Send.
   • Select the delivery method (email, text, or both) and click Share Invoice.
   • Once sent, track delivery and read statuses using the blue checkmarks in the Invoices list.

Collecting and Applying Payments

1. Customer Payments:
   • Customers can pay directly via the Client Dashboard if your Docket account is connected to a credit card processor.
   • If paying offline, record payments in Docket.
2. Apply Payments:
   • Open the invoice, click Apply Payment, and:
     • Select the payment type (e.g., check, cash).
     • Add notes and confirm the amount and date.
     • Click Apply Payment to mark the invoice as paid.
3. Charge a Saved Credit Card:
   • If a card is saved in the customer profile, click on it to process payment.

Managing Invoices

1. Void an Invoice:
   • Open the invoice and click Actions > Void.
   • Enter a reason and confirm the action.
   • Voided invoices remain visible on the client dashboard, marked as voided.
2. Unvoid an Invoice:
   • Open the invoice, click Actions > Unvoid, and confirm to reinstate the balance.
3. Refund a Payment:
   • Scroll to Payments & Refunds, click Edit, then select Refund.
   • Enter the refund amount and process it.
4. Convert Payment to Credit:
   • Use Actions > Convert to Credit to apply the payment amount as a credit to the customer’s account.
   • This reopens the invoice for payment.

Tips for Best Practices

• Use tags to organize invoices and charges for quick filtering.
• Always double-check charges before compiling them into an invoice.
• Avoid unnecessary refunds or credits by ensuring invoice accuracy.