An invoice template is a pre-formatted invoice document that helps you to customize the look and feel of your invoices. Zoho Invoice provides a set of pre-defined templates to suit both a service and a product business. In addition to these pre-defined templates, you can design your own templates that fit your needs.
List of pre-defined templates
- Go to the 'Settings' tab.
- Select the 'Preferences' sub-link. This opens the 'Preference Settings' page.
- Click on the 'Invoice Templates' link shown in the image below to open the 'Invoice Templates' page.
Here, you can find the list of pre-defined templates under three categories - service, product and fixed-cost. By default your template will be service-classic.
A service template is primarily designed to cater to the needs of service businesses like designers, architects and lawyers, while a product template is for those in business of selling goods or products. A fixed-cost template should be useful if your charges do not vary with the quantity that you sell.
Changing the default template
In the 'Invoice Templates' page, go to the template that you want to be the default. Click on the link 'set as default' shown in the above image.
Designing your custom template
- Go to the 'Settings' tab.
- Select the 'Preferences' sub-link. This opens the 'Preference Settings' page.
- Click on the 'Invoice Templates' link shown in the image below to open the 'Invoice Templates' page.
- Click on the 'New Template' button on the sidebar. This opens the 'New Template' page.
The 'New Template' page consists of two sections. In the first section you need to enter basic details about the template and the second section is the template editor.
Enter the fields below to complete the first section
Custom Template Name The name by which you would like to refer to this template. Description Enter a brief description of the template here. Base Template Base template refers to the pre-defined template to which you would like to make changes to create your custom template. This is a drop-down list of all the pre-defined templates. Just click on the drop-down and select the pre-defined template you would like. Please see the image below.
Paper Size This is the size of paper based on which the PDF is generated. The default is A4 (210 × 297 mm) - the most frequently used paper size. The other available option is letter (8½ in × 11). The invoices would look best if you print them on a paper that is the same size as you have chosen here. Margin The margin refers to space around the printed matter on the page. You can select the values for top, left, right and bottom margin to fit your needs. Template editor The template editor shows the layout of the base template you have selected above. The contents of the invoice are shown as placeholders. We provide an exhaustive list of placeholders that help you in designing invoice templates that fit your needs.
So What's a placeholder?
Placeholders represent various fields of entities like Invoice, Customer, Estimate, etc. In a template, it is a filler text surrounding the actual value it represents by a % sign.
Using placeholders in templates
Placeholder information is available on top of the template editor. To use a placeholder
- Click on the first drop-down and select the entity.
- Select the desired field from the second drop-down. The placeholder of this field appears in the neighboring text box.
- Copy the placeholder and paste it to the appropriate place on your template editor..
We suggest that you use Zoho writer as your editor. Zoho Writer is a dedicated document processor and it's editor is much more advanced.
Editing the HTML source of the template
You can edit or paste the entire HTML source to generate a template. Click on the <> symbol on the menu bar on top of template editor to edit the template's entire HTML source. Make the changes and click the <> symbol again and you can see your changes.
Click on 'Save' once you have entered the fields above to add the template.
Payment Settings page provides a place to configure the payment reminders you send to your customers and the online payment gateways like Authorize.Net, PayPal and Google Checkout for receiving payments online.
There are two steps involved in receiving online payments
- Configure your desired payment gateway
- Configure the invoice notification mail
- Select the Online Payment Option at the time of creating the invoice.
Zoho Invoice is integrated with payment gateway vendors like PayPal, Google Checkout and Authorize.Net, to help you receive online payments for your invoices. Getting paid online helps you receive payments faster and easily. Each payment gateway has its own set up process. Follow the instructions suggested below and you should have things set up in a jiffy.
- Go to the 'Settings' tab.
- Click the 'Payment Settings' link under 'Payment Settings'
- Click the 'Online Payment Gateways' link shown in the image below.
Setting up PayPal
To set up PayPal as your preferred gateway for receiving payments, click the 'set up now' link, listed adjacent to PayPal's logo.
Enter the below fields for configuring PayPal
| Registered email address | Enter the email address that you have registered with PayPal. |
| Re-enter the email address | Enter the email address that you have registered with PayPal once again; this is just for confirmation. |
| Default Payment Option | Paypal Standard: Choose this mode of payment to transact with your clients from across the globe. Your clients can pay you with a credit card even if they don't have a PayPal account. You receive your payments instantly. In PayPal standard a percentage is charged as the transaction fee. Paypal Business Payments: Whatever your invoice amount, the transaction fee charged by PayPal is just 50 cents. Your clients however can make payments only via an eCheck or PayPal balance. The payment maybe delayed if the payment is received via eCheck. In this mode of payment, you as well as your clients need to have a US PayPal account. |
| Page Style | Enter the “page style” which defines the layout of the payment page that your customers see. Please note that this option is available only for PayPal Standard users. Click here for more on PayPal's page style option. |
Setting up Google Checkout
To link Zoho Invoice to your Google Checkout account, you must start off by entering the following URL as the API Call Back URL in your Google Checkout account. Here's how you can do this:
- Sign-in to your Google Checkout account
- Go to settings and click the Integration link on the left
- Enter the "API callback URL" as https://invoice.zoho.com/gnh.ma
- Click the 'Save' button
Once you are done with adding the call back URL, head over to your Zoho Invoice account to enter your Google Checkout account details:
| Merchant ID | Enter the merchant ID specified in your Google Checkout account |
| Merchant Key | Enter the merchant Key assigned to you in your Google Checkout account |
Setting up Authorize.Net
To configure Authorize.Net enter the values of the below fields
| API LoginID | Enter the API Login ID given to you by Authorize.Net. |
| Transaction Key | Enter the Transaction Key given to you by Authorize.Net. |
More information on API LoginID and Transaction Key can be found at http://www.authorize.net/support/merchant/.
Setting up Payflow Pro
When you register for Payflow Pro, you will receive an email with information like your Partner ID, Vendor name, etc. Please keep that email handy while filling the details here.
| Partner | The partner ID as mentioned in your Payflow Pro account |
| Vendor | Your vendor name as mentioned in your Payflow Pro account |
| Currency | The currency in use in your Payflow pro account |
| User | Enter your Payflow username |
| Password | Your Payflow Pro password |
Setting up Stripe Payment Gateway
Stripe is an online payment gateway provider that accepts credit cards and allows smooth transaction of money into your account. Setting up Stripe in your Zoho Invoice account is pretty simple and straightforward. All you need to set up Stripe for your account is the 'Currency' and the 'API Key'.
| Currency | Mention the currency used to set up the Stripe account. Currently, we support only USD and CAD. |
| API Key | You will need to paste in your API Secret Key for the integration to work. To find your API info, log into your Stripe account and click on Your Account > Account Settings > API Keys. |
You can send reminders to your customers when the due date approaches or when the due date has passed and the customer is yet to pay.
To specify both manual and automated reminders,
- Go to the 'Settings' tab.
- Select the 'Invoice' sub-link. This opens the 'Payment Settings' page.
- Click on the 'Payment Reminders' link shown in the image below to open the 'Payment Reminder' page.
Manual Reminders
Select values for the below fields
You can set the manual reminders for open and overdue invoices.
As shown in the image above, there are 2 options.
To customize or change the default text for any of the reminder , go to the reminder and click on 'edit this reminder' link shown in the image above. For example, clicking on this link for 'Reminder For Open invoices' opens the corresponding page. See image below.
You can edit or leave it as is the fields below
| Subject | This would be the subject of the e-mail that would be sent to your customer. |
| Message | You can edit the default message to fit your needs. Also, you can make use of the placeholders to add additional information to the message. A placeholder in a template is a filler text surrounding the actual value it represents by a % sign. To make use of a placeholder in your text, just position the cursor at the position at which you would like the placeholders value to be shown and click on the placeholder. Click here to see the list of available placeholders. |
Automated Reminders
Configuring automated reminders is similar to that for manual reminders. Apart from fields like subject and the message you have to specify when and what should be status of the invoice for the reminder to be sent.
To edit an automated reminder, go to that reminder and click on 'edit this reminder' link. For example, when you click on 'edit this reminder' link for 'Reminder 3' the 'Automated Reminder-3' page opens. See image below.
Select values for the below fields
| Send This Reminder | Select when you want this message to be sent - before the due date or after the due date. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| When to remind |
You can either select to remind the customer before the Invoice due date or after the due date. If you have chosen to remind the customer before the due date, then in addition to the number of days before due date you can select the minimum number of days after the invoice date that should have passed before you remind the customer. The scenario explained below illustrates why the additional option is required. For example, say you have a customer whose payment term is 15 days. If, there were just one option to send a reminder - number of days before due date(say 15) - the reminder will be sent to the customer as soon as you have sent him an invoice. This definitely will not go well with your client. To correct this anomaly, an additional field for the minimum number of days after the invoice date a reminder would be sent to the customer has been introduced. So, for a customer with payment terms as 60 days reminder would be sent to the customer on the 45th day after the invoice was created and for a customer with payment terms as 7 - with reminder to be sent 15 days before due date and at least 5 days after the invoice date - the reminder would never be sent. Case 1: Only one option to enter the number of days before the due date is available .(this is hypothetical) Case 2: You can choose the minimum number of days after the invoice date in addition to the number of days before the due date.
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| Whom To Remind? | You can choose to remind yourself, your customer or both. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Placeholder | Replaced By.. |
|---|---|
| %InvoiceNumber% | The Invoice number that uniquely identifies an Invoice represented by the 'Invoice Number' field on an Invoice. |
| %InvoiceDate% | Invoice Date- The value of the 'Invoice Date' field you entered when you added the Invoice. |
| %P.O.Number% | Purchase order number- The P.O.# field on the invoice. |
| %DueDate% | The Due date of invoice. |
| %OverdueDays% | The number of days past due. |
| %InvoiceSubTotal% | This is the Subtotal (the Invoice total less the taxes applied) on the invoice. |
| %InvoiceTotal% | The total of the invoice (including all taxes and discounts). |
| %InvSubTotWithCurrCode% | Invoice subtotal along with the currency in which the invoice is raised. |
| %InvTotWithCurrCode% | Invoice total along with the currency in which the invoice is raised. |
| %PaymentMade% | Amount received from the customer for the particular invoice. |
| %CreditsApplied% | The total amount of credit to a particular invoice. |
| %InvoiceBalance% | The outstanding amount of the invoice. You can see the outstanding amount of invoice by opening the Invoice List Page or the Invoice Details Page (see the sidebar on the details page). |
| %TaxName% | The name of the tax applicable. |
| %TaxValue% | The value of the tax applicable. |
| %QtyCount% | The total quantity of items on the invoice. |
| %WithholdingTaxTotal% | Tax amount on the invoice which can be deducted from the total amount as your customer pays the tax directly to the government. |
| %WriteOffAmount% | When the payment is not made by the client, the amount is written off and is recorded as an expense. |
| %Notes% | Customer Notes on the invoice. |
| %TermsAndCondition% | Terms & Conditions of the invoice. |
| %PaymentTerms% | Payment Terms on an invoice. |
| %CustomLabel1% | The label of the first additional field you added while created the invoice. |
| %CustomLabel2% | The label of the second additional field you added while creating the invoice.. |
| %CustomLabel3% | The label of the third additional field you added while creating the invoice.. |
| %CustomValue1% | The value of the first additional field you added while creating the invoice. |
| %CustomValue2% | The value of the second additional field you added while creating the invoice. |
| %CustomValue3% | The value of the second additional field you added while creating the invoice. |
| Placeholder | Replaced By.. |
|---|---|
| %EstimateNumber% | The Estimate number that uniquely identifies an Estimate represented by the 'Estimate Number' field on an Estimate. |
| %EstimateDate% | Estimate Date- the value of the 'Estimate Date' field you selected when you added the Estimate. |
| %Ref.Number% | Reference number - the Reference# field on an estimate. |
| %EstimateSubTotal% | This is the Subtotal ( the Estimate total less the taxes applied) on the estimate. |
| %EstimateTotal% | This is the total - the Estimate total that includes the taxes applied. |
| %EstSubTotWithCurrCode% | The Subtotal ( the Estimate total less the taxes applied) on the estimate along with the currency code. |
| %EstTotWithCurrCode% | This is the total - the Estimate total that includes the taxes applied - along with the currency code. |
| %TaxName% | Name of the applicable tax. |
| %TaxValue% | Value of the applicable tax. |
| %QtyCount% | Number of items on the estimate. |
| %Notes% | Customer Notes on the estimate. |
| %TermsAndCondition% | Estimate terms & conditions. |
| %PaymentTerms% | Payment Terms on an estimate |
| %CustomLabel1% | The label of the first additional field you added while creating the estimate. |
| %CustomLabel2% | The label of the second additional field you added while creating the estimate. |
| %CustomLabel3% | The label of the third additional field you added while creating the estimate. |
| %CustomValue1% | The value of the first additional field you added while creating the estimate. |
| %CustomValue2% | The value of the second additional field you added while creating the estimate. |
| %CustomValue3% | The value of the second additional field you added while creating the estimate. |
| Placeholder | Replaced By.. |
|---|---|
| %CustomerName% | The Customer Name - the 'Name' you have entered when you added the customer. |
| %CustomerBAddress% | the customer's billing address. |
| %CustomerBCity% | the city part of your customer's billing address. |
| %CustomerBState% | the state of your customer's billing address. |
| %CustomerBCode% | the city code part of your customer's billing address. |
| %CustomerBCountry% | country part of your customer's billing. |
| %CustomerBFax% | the fax number of your customer's billing address. |
| %CustomerSAddress% | the customer's billing address. |
| %CustomerSCity% | the city part of your customer's shipping address. |
| %CustomerSState% | the state of your customer's shipping address. |
| %CustomerSCode% | the city code part of your customer's shipping address. |
| %CustomerSCountry% | the country part of your customer's shipping. |
| %CustomerSFax% | the fax number of your customer's shipping address. |
| %CustomerCFLabel1% | the label of the first additional field you added while created the customer. |
| %CustomerCFLabel2% | the label of the second additional field you added while created the customer. |
| %CustomerCFLabel3% | the label of the third additional field you added while created the customer. |
| %CustomerCFValue1% | the value of the first additional field you added while created the customer. |
| %CustomerCFValue2% | the value of the second additional field you added while created the customer. |
| %CustomerCFValue3% | the value of the third additional field you added while created the customer. |
| Placeholder | Replaced By.. |
|---|---|
| %FirstName% | the contact person's first name you entered for the contact in the 'Contacts' section when you added a customer. |
| %LastName% | the contact person's last name you entered for the contact in the 'Contacts' section when you added a customer. |
| %ContactEMailIds% | the contact person's e-mail address you entered for the contact in the 'Contacts' section when you added a customer. |
| %ContactPhone% | the contact person's work phone number you entered for the contact in the 'Contacts' section when you added a customer. |
| %ContactMobile% | the contact person's mobile number you entered for the contact in the 'Contacts' section when you added a customer. |
| %Salutation% | the salutation you have selected for the contact person you added in the 'Contacts' section when you added a customer. |
| Placeholder | Replaced By.. |
|---|---|
| %ItemName% | the item name you have entered while adding the item. |
| %ItemDescription% | the description you have entered for the item. |
| %ItemRate% | the rate you have entered for the item. |
| %ItemQty% | the number or quantity of the item on the invoice (i.e. value entered for the item). |
| %ItemDiscount% | the discount you have given for the item on the invoice. |
| %ItemTaxName% | The name of the tax applicable to a certain item. |
| %ItemTaxPercent% | The percentage of the tax applicable to a certain item. |
| %ItemTaxAmount% | the amount of tax applicable to a certain item. |
| %ItemAmount% | The total amount of the item excluding the tax. |
| %DiscountAmount% | The discounted amount for a particular item. |
| Placeholder | Replaced By.. |
|---|---|
| %CompanyName% | the name you have given for your organization on the 'Organization Profile' page. |
| %CompanyPhone% | the phone number you have entered for your organization on the 'Organization Profile' page. |
| %CompanyFax% | the fax number you have given for your organization on the 'Organization Profile' page. |
| %CompanyEmail% | the e-mail address you have specified on the 'Organization Profile' page. |
| %CompanyWebSite% | the website you have specified on the 'Organization Profile' page. |
| %CompanyStreetAddress1% | the value you have entered in the first line of 'Address' field on the organization profile page. |
| %CompanyStreetAddress2% | the value you have entered in the second line of 'Address' field on the organization profile page. |
| %CompanyCity% | the city in which your organization is located. |
| %CompanyPostalCode% | the ZIP/postal code of your organization. |
| %CompanyState% | the state or province in which your organization is located. |
| %CompanyCountry% | the country in which your organization is located. |
| %Logo% | your organization's logo (i.e. the logo you have selected in the 'Organization Logo' sub-section on the 'Logo and Themes' page). |
| %ScaledLogo% | your organization's logo scaled (i.e. the logo you have selected in the 'Organization Logo' sub-section on the 'Logo and Themes' page). |
| %CompanyCFLabel1% | the name or label you have given to the first additional field that you have added on the organization profile page |
| %CompanyCFLabel2% | the name or label you have given to second additional field you added on the organization profile page. |
| %CompanyCFLabel3% | the name or label you have given to third additional field you added on the organization profile page. |
| %CompanyCFValue1% | the value of the first additional field you added on the organization profile page. |
| %CompanyCFValue2% | the value of the second additional field you added on the organization profile page. |
| %CompanyCFValue3% | the value of the third additional field you added on the organization profile page. |
- Go to the 'Settings' tab.
- Select the 'E-mail' sub-link. This opens the 'E-mail Settings' page.
- Click on the 'Invoice Notification' link shown in the image below to open the 'Invoice Notification' page.
-
Add the placeholder to provide a link to your customer's payment gateway selected at the time of creating the invoice.
To add the placeholder,
- Position the cursor at the location on the message where you want the placeholder.
- Go to the placeholder list and select the "OnlinePaymentURL" placeholder.
Click on the placeholder.
- Go to the 'Invoices' tab.
- On the Invoices page, click on 'New Invoice' on the right hand side of the page.
- Select the customer, enter invoice details and item details.
- Select the 'Online Payment Options' you wish to make available for your client as shown in the image below.
- Enter customer notes and terms & conditions.
- Click on 'Save'.
