New invoice

You can use FreeAgent to create professional invoices to send to your clients. Here's how to create a new invoice from scratch.

1. Invoicing area

To start creating a new invoice, from the Work menu, choose Invoicing.

This brings up the Invoices screen.

You'll see here a list of the invoices you've previously created, and you can filter this list if you're looking to find one of these invoices to edit.

If you want to create a duplicate invoice from an existing one, click that invoice from the list to open it, then click the More button and choose Duplicate Invoice.

You'll see that this also gives you the option to add a non-duplicate new invoice.

2. Add New Invoice

If you're starting from the list of invoices, click the Add New Invoice button.

This brings up the New Blank Invoice screen.

You can also get here quickly by choosing New Invoice from the Quick Links menu on the Overview screen.

Client

First, choose which client this invoice is for. If it's a new client, you'll need to enter them as a contact first, either by uploading their information, importing them from Basecamp, or manually.  You can also quickly add a new contact by clicking the link next to the contact name box.

I can't see the contact.

If the contact is hidden, you won't be able to see them on this list.

Project

If you're producing this invoice as part of a project, choose which project it's for. If it's for a new project, again you'll need to set that project up.

I can't see the project.

Unless you started from within the project, you won't see completed, cancelled or hidden projects here.

Reference number

FreeAgent then automatically gives the invoice a reference number. The default referencing system is global, which means that the same referencing system will be used for all your invoices. The other options are client-specific or project-specific, and you'd set those to each client or project in those areas. FreeAgent will automatically use the next number in sequence, whichever system you have set. So the first time you create an invoice in FreeAgent, enter the number, which will be 001 if your business is brand new, and then FreeAgent will pick the next number for your next invoice, and so on.

Date, payment terms and currency

Enter the invoice date and payment terms.

Also choose which currency you'd like to issue this invoice in.

Additional information

Then put any additional information into the big box here, for example a note such as "As discussed". The additional information will appear on your finished invoice so don't put anything here that you don't want the client to see!

Putting the same information on every invoice

You can set up default text to add the same information, such as cheque payment details, to every invoice.

Unbilled time, expenses and estimates

The "Add Unbilled Time, Expenses and Estimates" boxes will only appear if you've selected a project above to invoice for.

More Options

Click the arrow next to More Options to display this area.

Automatically e-mail the invoice

If you want to automatically e-mail the invoice to the client on its due date, tick this box here, but please do note that FreeAgent will ignore this setting for invoices that have already been marked as Sent. There are also options to send automatic reminders to your clients and to send an automatic thank-you e-mail when the client has paid this invoice in full. These will only be enabled once the automatic e-mails have been set up. 

Discounts

Here, you can apply a discount across the invoice, say a discount for early payment or for payment in cash.

Contact name

You can also put in a different individual contact name for the client, for example if your usual contact is the purchase ledger clerk and you want to send the invoice to the finance manager, you would put in the finance manager's name here.

Custom payment terms

Enter custom payment terms if you want this invoice to have different terms from your usual.

PO Reference

Add a PO reference to the invoice if you wish.

Letterheaded paper

You can also tick the "Use Letterheaded Paper" box, which will, as FreeAgent explains here, omit your logo and company address details from the invoice.

Project name

If this invoice is for a project, tick the "Display Project Name" box to make the name you've given to the project in FreeAgent appear on the final invoice.

3. Create New Invoice

Click Create New Invoice to save your changes and create the new invoice, or Cancel to close this screen and abandon the invoice.

If you choose to create the new invoice, you'll then see the newly created invoice on the screen.

You're now ready to add figures to this invoice and send it to your client.