Understanding Invoicing In Time To Pet
Time To Pet makes invoicing your clients extremely easy and, in most cases, is almost entirely automatic. For those accustomed to a more manual invoicing process, there might be a slight learning curve, and there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
The following information covers the "anatomy" and functions supported for invoices generated in Time To Pet. For information about managing service rates and fees, please you can refer to our Understanding Service Rates and Fees in Time To Pet help article.
In this article
Invoices Are Automatically Generated
Invoices are automatically generated when events are scheduled for a client. The Scheduler will always inform you of the current invoice being worked on. We call this a Service Order (pictured below), which is a group of all events associated with one invoice as viewed on the Scheduler page:
The Service Order displays the current invoice to which any newly scheduled events will be added when using "Add Event" or "Trip Tool" in this view. The table lists all existing events that are already part of this invoice. Each scheduled service will have a corresponding line item in its invoice.
Note: Service Orders can be opened and reviewed at any time. To access a service order, click the Calendar icon/link next to an invoice. This can be found in the Invoice List, in Bulk Invoicing, and in the Services/Invoices tab on a client's profile.
You can also Open a Service Order by clicking an event on the Scheduler and then "Edit Event" in the smaller window that appears. Alternatively, you can click the three horizontal bars in the upper right corner of the window.
You Can Add Services To An Existing Invoice
The first time you schedule events for a client, we will automatically create an invoice for that client and add all of the services to that invoice. The next time you schedule services for the client, you will be prompted to select whether or not to schedule the new services in a new invoice or add them to an already open invoice. An open invoice is an invoice for a client that has not been fully paid.
Note: If the client does not have any open invoices, we will automatically create a new invoice, and you will not be prompted to select an invoice as the above image demonstrates.
You can also open an existing invoice on the calendar for scheduling by clicking the “Calendar” link next to any invoice (for example, from the Invoice List found in the Services/Invoices tab in each client’s profile).
Invoices Can Be Manually Edited
Invoices are automatically generated, but you can still manually adjust them with our built-in invoice editor. You can manually adjust all aspects of each line item by clicking the pencil icon to the right of each line item, or adjusting the discount, or adjusting the tip amount.
To edit an invoice line item, click the pencil icon:
Note: Manually adjusting the cost or price of a line item that was generated from a scheduled event will prevent any automatic changes to that line item cost should you later update the service. For example, suppose a Dog Walking - 30 Minute line item is manually edited to $20, and the event is updated and changed to an Overnight service. In that case, the line item will remain locked at $20 and must be manually updated directly on the invoice when the service is updated.
If a rate has been manually changed on an invoice and the status of that event is changed, the rate will update based on the new status. For example, a service marked Completed with a line item rate manually changed to $0 updated to a status of "Cancelled" at a rate of "Full Price" will reflect the full price rate for that service.
Custom Line Items
Time To Pet allows our customers to create custom line items, which can be used to charge admin fees, cover pet food costs or any other charge that is not reflecting a service provided.
Note: Creating a custom line item does not create events (even if the date, title, and description match, it's simply creating an additional line on the invoice).
To add a custom line item, open any invoice and click the "Add Custom Item" button:
Creating A Blank Invoice To Add Custom Line Items And/Or Tips (No Events)
To create an invoice without any events, and just a custom line item and/or tip, follow the steps to Schedule A Client until the service order is visible. Instead of clicking "Add Event" or "Trip Tool," click directly on the invoice number to load the blank invoice, then add custom line items or a tip:
Services Can Be Scheduled Without Being Invoiced (Do Not Invoice These Services Option)
Although the situation is rare, it is possible to schedule services for a client without invoicing that particular service. To schedule services without invoicing, check off “Do Not Invoice These Services.” You will also receive a warning when selecting this option. This option only appears when scheduling services from the main Scheduler > Schedule Client button and it cannot be accessed when scheduling from the Quick Actions menu on a client's profile:
Moving Services Between Invoices Or To A New Invoice
So long as the source invoice and destination invoice belong to the same client, you can freely move services, also known as events, between invoices. This can be used to combine events onto the same invoice or move some events to a different invoice to split up a larger invoice. For detailed instructions on how to do this see our help article on Moving Services Between Invoices. If you need to move services to a new invoice, you can use these steps: Moving Services Onto A New Invoice - Video.
Emailing Invoices
Invoices are never automatically emailed to clients; however, we offer various options to streamline the process of emailing your invoices, including the ability to schedule them for automatic sending using our Scheduled Messages feature. These options can be tailored to match your company's preferences. For further details, please refer to the FAQs below.
To email an individual invoice to a client, open the invoice you want to send, scroll to the bottom of the invoice window and click the "Email" button:
Note: If you do not see the "Email" button, be sure to make sure you are at the very bottom of the window you have opened or have zoomed out or in (depending on the device or browser you are using).
FAQs
Q: How do I email more than one invoice all at once?
To email a group of invoices in bulk or email a batch of invoices in bulk, you can use our Bulk Invoicing tool.
Q: Can I schedule invoices to be emailed out?
To schedule emails containing invoices, you can use our Scheduled Messages feature.
Q: Are invoices automatically emailed?
Invoices are only automatically emailed if Automatic Charging is enabled. They can be bulk emailed in Bulk Invoicing, scheduled to be sent using the Scheduled Messages feature, or individually emailed.
Q: How do I show invoices to clients or adjust which invoices they see?
You can set when invoices are automatically shown to clients in their Client Portal and Client App by adjusting the "Show Unpaid Invoices?" setting in Settings > Client Settings > Portal Settings. More information is available in our Portal Settings help documentation.
Q: When does Time To Pet automatically send emails? Is there a complete list of email notifications my clients can receive?
For a list of when Time To Pet emails your clients, see our help article When Time To Pet Emails Your Clients.
Q: How can I see a client's past or paid invoices?
In the client's profile, select the Services/Invoices tab. Then, in the Invoices section, click on the "Status" dropdown to change the filter from "Open" to "Paid" or "All" to show this client's paid invoices or all invoices.
