Send planned invoices automatically

Invoices you plan with Advanced invoicing on an order, such as instalments or an invoice every month, wait under Orders → Scheduled invoices until someone runs them. Switch on automation, and they are made and sent on their date, without anyone pressing a button.

See Let parents choose one invoice or instalments for how to plan the invoices.

Switch on automation

Automation is switched on for the whole business. Only owners and administrators can change it.

Go to Settings → Automation, under Payments and invoicing.
Click Run by themselves under Planned invoices.
Choose On and click Save.

Only invoices dated from now on run by themselves. Invoices already past their date you run yourself under Scheduled invoices, so a pile of old invoices doesn't go out at once.

If you switch it off again, the invoices wait for you as before. Those whose date comes while it is off you run yourself, also after you switch it on again.

When the invoices are sent

Invoices are sent on weekdays between 09:00 and 15:00, so the family can reach you the same day if something is wrong. An invoice planned for a Saturday goes out on Monday, and its due date counts from Monday.

The order shows when each planned invoice goes, for example "Invoiced automatically 3 November". The invoice's history shows "Automatic" as the sender.

If you use internal invoicing, the invoices are made but nothing is sent.

What isn't made by itself

Credit notes. A planned invoice that would be a credit note waits for you. It is listed under Credit notes waiting for you on Automation. Run it on the order once you've looked it over.

Invoices that fail. If the order has changed since the invoice was planned, for example because it is closed or the amount is more than what is left, no invoice is made. It is listed under Failed on Automation and isn't tried again by itself. Run or delete it on the order or under Scheduled invoices.

When many invoices are held

If more than 300 planned invoices are due at once, all of them are held, and none is sent. The limit is there to stop a mistake before it reaches many families.

Look over the list under Scheduled invoices. If everything is right, click Send anyway on Automation. The invoices go out on the next run, on a weekday between 09:00 and 15:00.

How you hear that something is waiting

When something has failed or been held, owners and administrators get an email: "Something in your automation is waiting for you". A dot also shows on Automation in the settings and on Scheduled invoices under Orders. When everything goes well, no email is sent.

Under What has been done on Automation you see what was done by itself in the last 90 days.

If nothing is sent

If it says that Bookingleaf has stopped the automation or paused it, nothing is sent by itself until it runs again. The invoices wait until then. Contact support if you wonder why.