> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create an invoice > Create a clear customer invoice for storage, service, amenities, or one-time charges—and choose how the customer will pay. ## What you will accomplish You will create a customer invoice your facility can send, save for review, or charge when payment processing is set up. Use this guide when someone owes your facility money for storage, detailing, transport, event fees, amenities, or another one-time charge. A good invoice uses plain language, correct totals, and the right payment option so the customer can pay without calling your office. **New to Payments?** If you are not sure which page to use, start with the [Payments overview](/docs/payments/overview). It explains invoices, quotes, recurring charges, and vendors in plain language. ## When to use an invoice (instead of a quote or recurring charge) **Invoice** — The amount is decided and you are ready to bill. **Quote** — The customer should approve pricing first. See [Create a quote](/docs/payments/create-a-quote). **Recurring** — The same charge repeats on a schedule (for example monthly storage). See [Manage recurring billing](/docs/payments/manage-recurring-billing). ## Before you start * The customer exists in [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts). If not, add them with [Add a customer](/docs/contacts/add-a-customer). * The customer's email is correct if you plan to email the invoice. * You know what you are charging for, the amount, quantity, and whether tax applies. * Optional: reusable pricing exists in [Products & Services](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/products) so you do not retype line items each time. * Payment processing is connected in [Settings > Billing](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/billing) if you plan to send or charge online. Your team can still save a draft without it. **If you see a payment setup message** The [Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices) page may ask your team to finish payment setup before sending or charging online. An admin can complete [Settings > Billing](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/billing). You can still practice creating a draft invoice to learn the steps. ## Open the Invoices page 1. Sign in to your facility dashboard. 2. In the left sidebar, click **Payments**. 3. Click **Invoices**, or go directly to [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices). **Expected result:** You see the **Invoices** page with a search bar, **Filters** button, and invoice table. Customer and vendor bills appear together unless you filter them. Invoices page showing customer invoice rows with status badges, amounts, and payment methods *The Invoices page shows customer and vendor bills in one list. Use **Filters** when you want to narrow the view.* Click **Filters** on the toolbar. Under **Type**, click **Customer**. **Why this matters:** **Vendor** rows are bills your facility receives from outside companies. Filtering to **Customer** keeps your list focused on bills you send. **Expected result:** Only customer invoices appear. You still see names, invoice numbers, status, amounts, and dates. Invoices page with Filters panel open and Customer type selected *Under **Filters → Type**, choose **Customer** before you create or search for a customer bill.* ## Start a new invoice In the top-right area of the page, click **Create invoice**. **Expected result:** A window titled **Issue Invoice** opens. (Some teams see **Issue Invoice** as the main title at the top of the window.) **Creating a bill vs fixing one later** This guide is for **new charges**. If you need to void a wrong invoice, lower an open balance, or edit line items after sending, use [Void, credit, or correct an invoice](/docs/payments/void-credit-or-correct-an-invoice). Issue Invoice window showing customer search, payment behavior choices, due date, line items, and invoice total *The Issue Invoice window walks you through the customer, how they will pay, line items, and the total.* Issue Invoice window with customer selected, line items filled in, and payment behavior options visible *After you pick a customer, choose how they will pay (**Send to customer**, **Charge on file**, **Save as draft**, and so on). Then add line items before you review the total.* ## Choose the customer Click the customer field and type a name or email. Select the correct person or company from the list. **Why this matters:** The invoice, payment history, and customer portal all connect to this customer record. Choosing the wrong customer causes payment and email problems later. After you select a customer, check that the email shown looks correct. This is often where the invoice email will be sent. **Expected result:** The customer name and email match who should receive the bill. **Customer missing from search?** Create the customer in [Contacts](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts) first, then return to [Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices) and click **Create invoice** again. **Customer on statement billing?** Some customers receive one combined **monthly statement** instead of separate invoices for every small charge. If your manager says a customer is on statement billing, confirm the payment behavior matches your facility policy before you send a standalone invoice. Statement settings live in [Settings > Billing](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/billing). ## Choose how the customer will pay Before you add line items, pick what should happen after you create the invoice. The labels may vary slightly, but most facilities see options like these: **Charge on file** — Use when the customer already saved a card or bank account and your team has permission to charge it now. **Send to customer** — Use when the customer should receive an email and pay from the invoice link. **Auto charge on due date** — Use when your team wants the system to collect payment later on the due date (when a saved payment method exists). **Request payment preference** — Use when the customer must choose how they want to pay before the invoice can move forward. The system emails daily reminders until they choose. You can pause those reminders later on that invoice if they already arranged to pay another way. **Save as draft** — Use when a manager should review the invoice before anything is sent or charged. Select the option that matches your facility's policy and what the customer agreed to. **Expected result:** The rest of the form updates to match your choice (for example due date or payment method fields). Choose when payment is due. Storage facilities often use the end of the month or a date written in the storage agreement. **Expected result:** The due date appears on the invoice the customer sees. ## Add line items (the charges) A **line item** is one charge on the invoice. If your team uses saved pricing, pick a **product or service** from [Products & Services](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/products) so you do not retype the same charge every month. Choose a saved **product or service** from your list, or add a **custom** line item if your team allows it. Use names the customer will recognize, such as **May 2026 Climate Controlled Storage**, **Premium Detail — Porsche 911**, or **Transport to Werks Reunion**. **Expected result:** The first line shows a description, quantity, unit price, and line subtotal. Review **quantity**, **unit price**, and **tax** for each line. If the charge covers more than one car or month, make sure the quantity is correct. **Expected result:** Each line shows a subtotal that makes sense for that charge. Click to add another line item for separate services (for example storage plus detailing on the same invoice). **Use saved products when you can** If your facility already set up [Products & Services](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/products), pick items from the list instead of typing custom charges. Names stay consistent and totals are less likely to have typos. **Write line items customers understand** Avoid vague names like "Fee," "Service," or "Misc." Specific names reduce support calls and help customers approve payment faster. ## Review totals before you finish Look at **subtotal**, **tax**, any **processing fee**, and the **final total**. This is your best chance to catch a mistake before the customer sees the invoice. Click the button at the bottom of the window. The label depends on what you chose—for example **Send invoice**, **Charge now**, or **Save draft**. **Expected result:** The window closes and a success message may appear. ## What success looks like After you create an invoice: Draft customer invoice detail page showing Draft status badge, line items, totals, and Finalize invoice button *A new invoice often starts as **Draft**. Review line items and totals, then use **Finalize invoice** when the bill is ready to send or charge.* * The invoice appears on [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices) (use **Filters → Type → Customer** to find it quickly). * The **Status** column shows where things stand—often **Draft**, **Open**, **Paid**, or **Waiting for customer**. * If you sent the invoice, the customer can open the link from their email to review or pay. * Your team can open the invoice later to resend, collect payment, or record cash/check—see [Send and collect customer payments](/docs/payments/send-and-collect-customer-payments). ## Common mistakes to avoid * Do not bill the wrong customer—double-check the name and email before sending. * Do not use a **recurring** product for a one-time charge unless that is intentional. * Do not send the invoice until the total, tax, and due date are correct. * Do not choose **Charge on file** unless your team has permission to use the customer's saved payment method. ## Troubleshooting **I do not see Create invoice** Your account may not have permission to create invoices. Ask a team admin to check your role under [Settings > Team](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/settings/team). **The invoice total looks wrong** Review every line item, quantity, tax, discount, and processing fee. If the invoice was already sent, open it and follow your facility's correction process—often a manager issues a credit or a replacement invoice. **The customer did not receive the email** Confirm the email on the customer record. Open the invoice and use **Resend invoice email** if available. Ask the customer to check spam or junk folders. ## What to do next * Invoice created and you need to collect payment → [Send and collect customer payments](/docs/payments/send-and-collect-customer-payments) * Same charge every month → [Manage recurring billing](/docs/payments/manage-recurring-billing) * Customer should approve pricing first → [Create a quote](/docs/payments/create-a-quote) * Building reusable pricing → [Manage products and services](/docs/payments/manage-products-and-services) ## Related topics - [Create a quote](/docs/payments/create-a-quote.md) - [Review a customer invoice](/docs/payments/review-a-customer-invoice.md) - [Review the Invoices Report](/docs/payments/review-the-invoices-report.md) - [Void, credit, or correct an invoice](/docs/payments/void-credit-or-correct-an-invoice.md) - [Payments overview](/docs/payments/overview.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.