Overview
The Invoices screen is the main billing center of BQE CORE. Irrespective of the billing method chosen, billing information of all active projects, including their approved, un-billed time and expenses, flows to this screen. It allows you to implement billing decisions and process invoices for the clients and their projects.
The Invoices screen is an interactive invoice register where you can create as well as view all types of invoices. It allows you to manage and review existing draft, final and voided invoices. Besides the entries made for accounts receivable in General Journal and other registers, it is the location for all A/R debit transactions. Here you can perform a review of what can be invoiced and then bill it to your clients. The review process consists of a combination of generating reports for distribution and reviewing the eligible records based on a billing session. Click to watch this video on managing invoices in CORE.
CORE allows you to create invoices in two ways:
You can also have BQE Software create custom invoices for your company and add them to your CORE database. Then you can select them as your default template instead of the standard ones available.
CORE supports concurrent billing, that is, multiple people can do billing at the same time. When billing, the related time and expense entries are locked, as indicated by the dark gray bar on the left in the time and expense entry screens. You can edit these locked entries but not their hours, rates or taxes. This ensures that the value of billed entries is the same as that invoiced. You are able to view time and expense entries associated with invoices in the detail mode.
The invoice rows are color-coded. They display a colored bar on the left: blue indicating a posted invoice.
If you follow a submit-approve workflow in your company for billing, you must familiarize yourself with the icons used to indicate different workflow status in CORE.
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Icon |
Status |
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Forwarded |
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Submitted |
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Approved |
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Rejected |
Note: You can get a visual overview of this feature in CORE from the Accounts Receivable flowchart. Check out some of the invoice samples here. You can check the Invoice FAQs here.
How To
Include or Exclude Time and Expense Entries
Create Percent Complete Invoices
Preview and Change Invoice Templates
Field Descriptions
| Field Name | Field Description |
| Invoices > Create Invoice > Manual Invoice | |
| Dates | This represent the billing period from which CORE brings in services and expenses within that date range. |
| Invoice Date | By default, it is today's date. Companies usually change this to a future date to allow for printing and mailing. Aging begins on this date. |
| Create From |
You have many options for creating invoices:
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| Account | This is the account used for posting the billing transactions related to the selected project. If you have already set an A/R account for a project in the Projects screen, CORE retrieves it, although you can change it here. |
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Transaction Details: Service Amount |
Service or labor amount to be billed on the manual invoice. It does not include Tax 1/2/3 of time entries nor Main Service Tax. It is calculated as: Service Amount = (Client Hours x Bill Rate) x WUD % |
| Expense Amount | Expense amount to be billed on the manual invoice. It does not include Tax 1/2/3 of expense entries nor Main Expense Tax. It is calculated as:
Expense Amount = (Units x Cost Rate) x MU % |
| Revenue Total |
Total of all service and expense amounts due on a manual invoice and is non-editable. Total = Service Amount + Expense Amount |
| Fixed Fee | Displays the fixed fee amount charged to the project with a Cost Plus contract type. It is added to the bill amount and is editable. |
| Item Taxes | It is the total of item taxes (Tax 1/2/3) for the time and expense entries. In other words, it is the sum of service and expense tax. The service tax is considered part of the project's contract amount. |
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Invoice Total: Discount |
Amount (dollar or percentage) that you would like to apply as a discount to the invoice prior to processing. It is deducted from the bill amount after adding taxes to it. It does not reduce the tax amount of service or expense. |
| Misc. Amount | Any miscellaneous charges for the manual invoice. It is added to the bill amount. |
| Retainage | This is a portion of the net bill amount that remains withheld or unpaid by the clients until they sign off on the projects. It reduces the overall amount due. The clients pay the total or accumulated retainage amount later—when the project is over or until they verify the quality and completeness of the project. |
| Invoice Subtotal |
It is the net bill before taxes. It represents the amount due on the invoices excluding item taxes and main taxes such as GST, MST, etc. This field is non-editable. |
| Total Amount Due |
Invoice or bill amount that is due from the client. This amount due is displayed on the invoice; however, the total amount is actually recorded as the invoice amount. Amount Due = Revenue Total - Amount Paid Today - Retainage |
| Link Approved Time Entry |
Allows you to link approved time entries to the manual invoice and mark them as billed. Otherwise this time will be left unbilled, inflating your WIP. You can click manage to view the Time Entry Detail dialog that allows you to exclude the entries or mark them as billed. This action is not reversible if you void the invoices. |
| Link Approved Expense Entry |
Allows you to link approved expense entries to the manual invoice and mark them as billed. Otherwise these expenses will be left unbilled, inflating your WIP. You can click manage to view the Expense Entry Detail dialog that allows you to exclude the entries, mark them as billed or edit the charge amount. This action is not reversible if you void the invoices. |
| Invoices > Create Invoice > Invoice Batch > | |
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Filter By |
You can filter the billing records by project, client, group, manager, contract type, etc. You can select a range of items or individual items. Click + Add Condition to add a second filter to further narrow down the batch. |
| Invoice Date | By default, it is today's date. Companies usually change this to a future date to allow for printing and mailing. Aging begins on this date. |
| Period | You can filter the billing records by selecting a period from the drop-down. This allows you to only bill the time and expenses from a specific time period. |
| Minimum Bill Amount |
Minimum amount to be billed. It is specified in Settings, but can be changed here. You can enter a negative minimum bill amount, if needed. The invoice processing is skipped if the bill amount is less than this minimum and the selected project has no billing schedule or recurring contract rules associated with it. Example: If the minimum amount is set to $1,000, a project must have $1,000 in billable approved WIP to have it show up on this screen for billing. |
| Group By |
Allows you to specify how you want to combine the invoices and roll up to any specified level in the project hierarchy. You can combine the invoices at the client, root or top-level parent project, phase, or sub-phase level. So if a client has three projects with phases, instead of sending a single combined invoice to the client for all the three projects and their phases, CORE sends three separate invoices to the top-level parent project. You can set this option at the global level for all joint invoices in the Settings screen. |
| Options |
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| Invoices > Active Invoice Batches > | |
| View Batch | Takes you to the Invoice Batch Details screen of the active invoice batch. |
| Invoices > Active Invoice Batches > Invoice Batch Details > | |
| Billable Services | Bill value of approved time entries within the specified date range. The amount includes extras and service item taxes (Tax 1/2/3) based on the option selected in Settings > Projects > General > Contract Includes. This billable time is not necessarily indicative of the service revenue. You can have $0 in this field and still have $10,000 in services. It is calculated as Client Hours x Bill Rate x Write-Up/Down. |
| Billable Expenses |
Bill value of approved expense entries that fall within the date range specified. The amount includes extras and expense item taxes (Tax 1/2/3) based on the option selected in Settings > Projects >General > Contract Includes. This billable expense should generally be overwritten when it is $0 and you are doing fixed billing. You cannot specify an expense amount lower than the original value to prevent negative markups. Note: Billable expenses are non-editable in case of split billing. Also, they are referred to as costs in the legal industry. |
| Discount |
Amount (dollar or percentage) that you would like to apply as a discount to the invoice prior to processing. The discount reduces the Net Bill amount after taxes are applied. If you enter a percentage instead of an amount, CORE reverse calculates the value for you. Note that the discount cannot exceed the invoice amount. You can calculate the discount directly in CORE using its in-cell calculator. To use the in-cell calculator, you must enter the = sign to begin a formula including subtraction (-), addition (+), division (/) and multiplication (*) and then press Enter or click outside the cell to see the results. You can use the () parentheses for complex formulas. Example: Start with = and then enter the values such as =300+100, =300/100, =300*100, =300-100, or =(300+100)*2. Note: There is a limit of 25 on the number of characters entered here. |
| Retainer |
This is the retainer amount you want to apply on the invoice. If you enter a percentage instead of an amount, CORE reverse calculates the value for you. |
| Net Bill |
It is the bill amount due on the invoice including taxes such as GST, MST, etc. If you enter your own amount here or use % Complete, then a complicated recalculation is done on the billable services. Whether taxes are included or excluded in the project contract amount for the calculation of net bill based on % Complete depends on the Settings option. Example: If you have a Main Service Tax of 10% and there are no expenses, and you type $1,100 here, then CORE writes down the services to $1,000 and $100 goes into MST. Net Bill = (Service Amount + Service Tax) + MST + (Expense Amount + Expense Tax) + MET - Discount - Retainer Applied You can calculate the Net Bill amount directly in CORE using its in-cell calculator. To use the in-cell calculator, you must enter the = sign to begin a formula including subtraction (-), addition (+), division (/) and multiplication (*) and then press Enter or click outside the cell to see the results. You can use the () parentheses for complex formulas. Example: Start with = and then enter the values such as =300+100, =300/100, =300*100, =300-100, or =(300+100)*2. Note: There is a limit of 25 on the number of characters entered here. |
| % Complete |
The project's percentage of completion brought forward from the Projects screen. It is stored in the invoice record when processed and can be displayed on invoices. It is editable and decimal values can be entered as well. If you enter an amount instead, CORE reverse calculates the percentage value. Calculation of the Net Bill depends on this value if that option is specified earlier. When you apply % Complete, CORE writes up or down the value of time entries automatically. You cannot update this value for split billing invoices. Note: You can enter the $ dollar symbol in the field for all currency values. |
| % Contract Billed |
The percentage of the total contract amount billed including any current unprocessed invoices. This field is dynamic and non-editable. Example: For a contract with a total amount of $150,000, if $100,000 has been previously billed and an unprocessed invoice of $50,000 is generated, the % Contract Billed field will reflect 100%. This indicates that the entire contract amount has been billed. Percent Contract Billed = Total Billed Amount / Contract Amount x 100 |
| Contract Billed to Date |
Displays the total amount billed against the contract, including any current unprocessed invoices. This field is dynamic and non-editable. Example: If you have previously billed $20,000 for a project and generated an unprocessed invoice of $5,000, the Contract Billed to Date field will display $25,000. |
| Contract Billed Previously |
Displays the total amount billed against the contract prior to the current invoice. Example: For a project with a contract amount of $100,000, if $25,000 has been billed through previous invoices, the Contract Billed Previously field will show $25,000. |
| Contract Billed this Invoice |
Displays the amount billed in the current invoice, thus showing the progress toward the overall contract amount. This amount is calculated by summing the revenue total and taxes, then subtracting any discounts applied. Note that this calculation does not include retainers, as they do not affect the billed amount but rather influence the amount due on invoice. Contract Billed this Invoice = (Revenue Total + Taxes) - Discounts Example: You generate an unprocessed invoice through an invoice batch that includes $2,000 in billable services and $0.00 in billable expenses. You also have $1000 retainer available. With a sales tax rate of 5%, the sales tax adds $100, bringing the total revenue plus tax to $2,100. If you apply a $500 discount to the invoice, it results in a billed amount of $1,600. Although there is a $1,000 retainer available, this amount does not affect the billed amount, as retainers only affect the amount due on the invoice. Consequently, the Contract Billed this Invoice field will display $1,600, reflecting the progress made toward the overall contract amount. |
| Contract Remaining |
Displays the remaining amount of a contract, inclusive of the current unprocessed invoice. Contract Remaining = Contract Amount - Total Contract Billed Example: You have a contract amount of $100,000 and the current unprocessed invoice shows a 'Contract Billed this Invoice' of $10,000, and there has been $0.00 billed previously. To calculate the remaining contract amount: Total Contract Billed: 10,000 + 0 = 10,000 Contract Remaining: 100,000 - 10,000 = 90,000 As a result, the Contract Remaining field will display $90,000, indicating the amount left on the contract after considering the unprocessed invoice. |
| Extra Billed to Date |
Extra indicates any amount beyond what is specified in the contract. It is billable, but not deducted from the contract amount when a project is evaluated as over or under budget. Extra Billed refers to the extra amount that is billed to the client in addition to the contract amount. |
| Unbilled entries will be released in..... |
Time and expense entries in an invoice batch are locked for 24 hours and un-editable while they are a part of the batch. This field shows the time remaining in Hours:Minutes until the entries are released. To release the entries immediately, delete the invoice batch. |
| Reset Timer |
Resets the invoice batch timer to 24 hours. |
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Invoices > Active Invoice Batches > Invoice Batch Details > Time Details |
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| Hours on Invoice | Displays the impact of write-up/down (WUD) on the number of hours being billed to the client at the set bill rate.
For example, a client has 0.75 hours with a WUD percentage of 50% (0.50).It is calculated as: Client Hours: 0.75 hours Total Hours = Client Hours + Impact of WUD |
| Amount on Invoice |
Displays the impact of write-up/down (WUD) on the total amount being billed to the client. This is calculated the same way as the charge amount. For example, a client has 0.75 hours with a WUD percentage of 50% (0.50) and a bill rate of $275. It is calculated as: Client Hours: 0.75 hours Total Hours = Client Hours + Impact of WUD Amount on Invoice= Total Hours × Billing Rate |
| Invoices > Active Invoice Batches > Invoice Batch Details > Billing Details > | |
| Historical Billing: Extra Services |
These are previously billed time entries that were marked as extra (charged on top of the contract amount). |
| Extra Expenses |
These are previously billed expense entries that were marked as extra (charged on top of the contract amount). |
| Historical Time and Expense: Extra Services |
Total value of previous time entries that were marked as extra. |
| Extra Expenses |
Total value of previous expense entries that were marked as extra. |
| Historical Retainage: Total Retainage to Date |
Total amount retained by the client for a project against the verification and quality of work completed. |
| Invoices > List View > | |
| Invoice # |
This represents the invoice number. The custom numbering format can be set up at the global level (Settings screen) or project level (Projects screen). CORE appends BC- as a prefix to the invoice numbers that are created by the system when recording a bounced check transaction. It appends -LF as a suffix to late fee invoices and Draft- as a prefix for draft invoices. This helps in the easy identification of different types of invoices. Invoice numbers cannot be changed if there are payments associated with the invoices. |
| Email Recipients |
These are the recipients of the invoice emails, letting you know whether the invoices are emailed to the client, client contact or anyone else. Instead of previewing the invoice to know who the invoices were sent to, you can choose to view the Client and Email Recipients columns in the invoice list. |
| ePayment |
Indicates whether the ePayments option is turned on for the invoice or not. If not, you can turn it on individually in the detail view or in a batch for multiple invoices using Batch Update. Invoices that are scheduled for online payments display a slightly different check-mark icon to let you know they are scheduled. |
| ePayment Status |
Displays the status of the ePayments for the invoice if that option is enabled, say CC Processed for credit card processed. In case of ACH ePayments, the status displays ACH Initiated after the clients initiate ACH transfer on the ePayments Portal; it then changes to ACH Scheduled or ACH Processed. |
| Active Invoices Batches |
If there are active invoice batches, CORE displays a link next to the Create Invoice button with the number of active invoice batches displayed in parenthesis. Clicking the link takes you to the Active Invoice Batches screen. |
| Invoice Batch Generation (%) |
While a batch is generating, the Invoice Batch Generation link displays showing the progress in %. Clicking the link takes you to the Active Invoice Batches screen. |
| Invoices > Detail View > Summary > | |
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Displayed on Invoice: Invoice Date |
Invoice date is typically the date when the invoice was created. Aging reports, statements and late fees use this invoice date in their calculations. Invoice dates can be edited for unprinted invoices only. In addition, if printing or emailing of invoices is delayed, you can change the invoice date to ensure proper A/R aging. |
| Due Date |
Date when the invoice is due for payment. It is based on the payment terms set for the project. |
| Online Payment Account |
You can enable this option for the invoice here and then select the Online Payment Account from the drop-down. You can also specify it at the Settings level for all clients and projects. CORE allows you to select multiple online payment accounts. However, you cannot choose two payment services with the same payment method. You have the ability to access the ePayments Portal directly without having to open an invoice and click the Pay Now button. |
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Transaction Details: Services |
Displays the service and expense amount to be billed on the invoice. It also displays the retainer information. All values are non-editable. This is the amount spent on the labor or services that contributes toward the contract amount of the project. It is the total sum of the service amount billed to date. It does not include item taxes (Tax 1/2/3) of the time entries or the main tax (MST). |
| Fixed Fee |
Displays the amount charged as fixed fee for projects having the Cost + Fixed Fee contract type. |
| Expenses |
This is the amount incurred on the expenses that contribute towards the contract amount of the project. It is the total sum of the expense amount billed to date. The amount does not include item taxes (Tax 1/2/3) of the expense entries or the main tax (MET). Note: This is referred to as costs in the legal industry. |
| Service Item Tax |
Tax charged on the services rendered on the project. It is considered part of the project's contract amount and is the sum of Tax 1, 2 and 3 for time entries. |
| Expense Item Tax |
Tax charged on the expenses incurred on the project. It is the sum of Tax 1, 2 and 3 for expense entries. |
| Main Service Tax |
Main tax charged on invoiced services or labor, like MST. |
| Main Expense Tax |
Main tax charged on invoiced expenses, like MET. |
| Miscellaneous |
Any miscellaneous charges added to the invoice. It increases the bill amount. |
| Discount |
Amount applied as a discount before processing the invoice. It reduces the final invoice amount after taxes have been added. The discount will not reduce the tax amount of services or expenses. However, if a processed invoice is to be given a discount then the amount should be written off in the Payments screen. |
| Retainer |
This is the retainer amount used to pay the invoice. When applied, it reduces the net bill amount on the invoice. |
| Cash Payments |
Displays any cash-type payments received toward the invoice, including EFT, money order, cash, etc. |
| Non-Cash Payments |
Displays any non-cash type payments received toward the invoice, like via checks, credit cards, debit cards, etc. |
| Retainage Due |
This value is the portion of the net bill amount that still remains withheld by the client for a project. |
| View Transactions |
Takes you to the transaction record or details, say the Payments screen if a payment is associated with the invoice. The Last Transaction Date field and View Transactions link here are visible only when there is at least one transaction associated with the invoice. |
| Invoice Amount |
Total invoice amount based on the services, expenses and taxes applicable to it. |
| Paid Amount |
Total amount paid toward the invoice. The value updates as receipts and adjustments are made in the Payments screen. |
| Balance Due |
The outstanding balance or amount due on an invoice. Balance = Invoice Amount - Paid Amount |
| Days Past Due |
Number of days the invoice has been overdue or outstanding. It depends on the Due Date and payment term applied. Example: If the due date of an invoice is January 1, 2025 and the term is Net 30 (30 days), then on January 1 overdue is 1, on January 2 overdue is 2 and so on. |
| Accounts Receivable |
This is the account you use for posting the transactions related to invoices in CORE. |
| Credits Used |
This displays the credit payments made against an invoice, if any. |
| Retainer Used |
This is the total retainer amount used on a project. |
| Invoices > View Details > Time Details > | |
| Line Number | Controls the order in which the time entries show up on an ungrouped hourly invoice. Each entry is given a number from 1 to the count of total lines. By default, the system assigns these numbers based on the Created On date of the entry (in UTC ), but you can customize it using the Move Up/Down actions or Recalculate Line Number, which numbers the entries based on the current sort order of the grid. |
| Invoices > View Details > Expense Details > | |
| Line Number | Controls the order in which the expense entries show up on an ungrouped hourly invoice. Each entry is given a number from 1 to the count of total lines. By default, the system assigns these numbers based on the Created On date of the entry (in UTC), but you can customize it using the Move Up/Down actions or Recalculate Line Number, which numbers the entries based on the current sort order of the grid. |
| Invoices > Edit View > Edit > (only for draft invoices) | |
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Invoice Details: Bill To |
The client address is the default billing address for a project. However, you can choose to send the invoice to:
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Billing Terms |
Billing payment term is used to display a message on the invoices regarding the date when the invoices are due, say Net 30 for 30 days. You can also set the payment as Due Upon Receipt for all invoices, including late fee invoices. You can set these payment terms at the global (Settings screen), client and project level as well. |
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Message on Invoice
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You can enter a standard message to print on the invoice. This message prints just above the footer of the invoice. You can also define standard invoice messages at the global (Settings screen), client and project level. If a message is defined, it shows up automatically on the invoices. |
| Time Details | You can edit some of the fields for the time entries associated with the invoice, such as hours, description, rates, memo, accounts, etc. |
| Expense Details |
You can edit some of the fields for the expense entries associated with the invoice, such as description, units, rates, markup, etc. |
| Phase Sub-Totals | Displays extra information about the draft invoice. You can edit some fields such as taxes, discount, retainer, retainage, etc. If you are using a Phased Invoice or have invoices created for phases, you will see the phase sub-totals here, but if you are using a root or parent project invoice, you will see project sub-totals here. The same convention follows in the entire invoice editor. |
| Invoices > Email > Compose Email > | |
| To | You can send an email to multiple recipients and also copy them using the CC and BCC options. You can click on the Choose Contact icon to open the Address Book and select multiple individuals or groups to email. This limit is 50 recipients at a time. |
| Subject | Subject line of the email. You can also insert smart fields into it using the Add Smart Field option on the right. |
| Message |
The main message or body of the email. It can be entered and edited using the formatting toolbar. |
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Invoices > Workflow > Submit Invoice > |
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| Submit To |
You can submit invoices to your manager or a specific person from the list. |
| Resource |
This can be an employee or a vendor (contract employee or outside consultant). This option is available only if you choose Submit To: Specific. |
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Invoices > Export to LEDES> |
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| LEDES Format |
You can choose from the following LEDES format for exporting your invoices:
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Create Manual Invoices
To create a manual invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Manual Invoice tab, enter the required information. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Project
- Dates: Choose a billing period so that CORE brings in services and expenses within that date range.
- Invoice Date
- Select the Create From option depending on how you want to build your invoice. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Scratch
- Approved Time Entry & Expense Entry
- Billing Schedule
- Budget
- Estimate
- Previous Invoice
- Click Create Invoice. The next step depends on your selection.
- If creating an invoice from scratch, CORE takes you to the Create Invoice dialog, where you can enter the billing details.
- If you are building the invoice based on approved time and expenses (WIP), billing schedule, budget, estimate or previous invoice, CORE takes you to the Create Invoice dialog, where you can add or edit items for billing.
- Account
- Period
- Invoice Date
- Invoice #
- Under the Items panel, enter or edit the required information for the invoice line items and then click Done.
- Item
- Description
- Units
- Rate
Note: You can move the line items up or down usingto display them in the required order.
- Add a memo or enter other invoice details, if needed. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Memo
- Tax
- Discount
- Retainer
- Retainage
- Linked approved time entry
- Link approved expense entry
- Click Process and select the relevant option:
- Draft & Done
- Draft with Preview
- Draft & Add Another
- Final & Done
- Final with Preview
- Final & Add Another
The manual invoice is created and displays in the list view.
Create Invoice Batch
Just like manual invoices, you can create a batch of invoices from the Invoices screen.
To create invoices in a batch mode, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Invoice Batch tab, set your Filter By option (say Project) to view the relevant billing records. Filters and parameters defined here are remembered for the next batch you create.
- Enter other information. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Invoice Date
- Minimum Bill Amount
- Options: billing rules (Check Field Descriptions above for details.)
- Click Create Invoice Batch. Your invoice batch is generated and for large number of records, it usually takes several minutes. You can cancel the generation at any time, if needed. When the batch is generated successfully, CORE redirects you to the Invoice Batch Details screen.
Note: The batch is generated in the background and you can close the screen or continue your work elsewhere in CORE while it generates. You receive a notification when the batch is generated successfully and clicking it takes you to the invoice batch details.
- You can click the breadcrumb link Active Invoice Batches to get an overview of all the invoice batches. The screen displays your current invoice batch and those of other users, if any.
Note: Displaying active invoice batches of other users helps prevent any confusion regarding the availability of common time and expense entries. When multiple billers are generating invoice batches simultaneously, some entries can be locked and appear unavailable. - Click View Batch to go back to invoice batch details. You can delete the batch from the ... menu.
Note: When an invoice batch is deleted, all notifications related to that batch are deleted from the notification center. - On the Invoice Batch Details screen, review the billing records on the grid before processing the invoices. CORE allows you to edit and preview your draft and final invoices within the batch. This helps you to review or take other actions without having to leave the invoice batch.
Note: CORE displays any unapproved time and expense entries within your billing period. Time and expense entries must be approved before they can be included in an Invoice Batch. You can click Review Entries and approve those entries in the Time & Expense Reviewer screen. If required, you can select multiple time and expense entries and change their workflow status (e.g., from submitted to approved) in a batch. The workflow update process takes some time when there are many records to process, so CORE displays a detailed message on the Time & Expense Reviewer screen. This message auto-refreshes every 15 seconds to provide the status, though you can click Refresh Status to manually refresh it. The Invoice Batch Details screen also displays approved, not included entries. Approved time and expense entries can be added in bulk by refreshing the batch or individually from the T&E Details. Alternatively, click View Report to view the Time and Expenses report. - Click Edit to modify the filters and options of the batch. Note that you need to refresh (i.e. regenerate) the batch in order to proceed and any progress on the unprocessed records is lost.
- Enter or edit the required information, if needed. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Billable Expenses: they are referred to as costs in the legal industry
- Discount: Amount (dollar or percentage)
- Net Bill: It is the bill amount due on the invoice including taxes such as GST, MST, etc.
- Retainer (if available)
- When you are ready, select the records you want to bill. The invoice number gets assigned automatically to those records.
- Click Actions and select the relevant option from the menu. You can also select these options from the individual row-action
menu.
- Process as Final
- Process as Draft
After processing an invoice, you can view it on the grid. Any approved WIP that is not billed in this session is released back into the system and is no longer locked for editing. Do note that invoices with the draft or final status within an invoice batch allow certain actions directly from the row-action menu. When selecting one of these row actions within the batch, the invoice opens in a new tab.
View Invoice Details
You can view the details of finalized invoices in CORE including transaction details, workflow history, time and expense details, etc. You can even preview an invoice from the detailed view. However, you cannot view the details of line items of split invoices.
To view the details of an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select a finalized invoice on the grid and click
- You can view the details of the invoice on the Summary tab and preview it on the Preview tab.
- Click View Time Details and View Expense Details from the Actions menu to view the time and expenses associated with the invoice. CORE allows you to update the descriptions, memos, and line numbers of the time and expenses. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
Enter Historical Invoices
If you have been using another accounting software, you can sync your old invoices into CORE. If you have not been using any accounting package nor have any electronic data to convert, you can manually enter historical invoices in CORE.
The Manual Invoice option enables you to create an invoice for a project that has no time or expense logged to it. If you have a series of transactions, we recommend entering the historical ones first and then the current ones. For example, if today you receive a payment for an invoice that is not yet recorded in CORE, you should enter that invoice first.
To enter historical invoices in CORE, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Manual Invoice tab, select the ID of the Project whose historical invoice you want to record.
- Replace Invoice Date (today) with the date of the historical invoice. You can select it from the drop-down calendar.
- In the Create From field, select Scratch and then click Create Invoice.
- On the Create Invoice dialog, replace the Invoice # with that of the historical invoice. CORE does not allow duplicate numbers. If desired, you can add a prefix to it for easy identification.
- CORE pre-fills the Billing Address, displaying the client information. Click Edit Address to change the address, if needed.
- Next, on the Items grid, click Add and enter the required information in the top row.
- If you want to record only a summary, enter an appropriate description.
- Enter the Amount charged for the item (without taxes or discounts).
- Check the Expense option for expense items.
- Under Invoice Total, you can add a Misc. Amount, Discount and Retainer to the invoice, if needed. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- If the client has paid all or a part of the invoice, enter that amount in the Amount Paid field. This is a quick way of recording a payment associated with a historical invoice.
- Click Process > Final & Done.
After getting processed, you can apply historical payments to your invoices from the Payments screen.
Process Split Invoices
You can enable or disable the split billing option for your projects (matters). This feature is commonly used in the legal industry wherein a single invoice is split among various parties and payment collected from them individually. It allows CORE to distribute services and expenses logged against that matter to one or more matters/clients based on a percentage/amount or remainder rules. For example, you might want to split the invoice between a primary matter (root project in CORE) and a secondary matter in a proportion of, say, 20% and 80%. All the time and expense entries are logged to the primary matter, but later the billing is split between the clients of the two matters. To avoid any penny rounding issue, the primary matter gets the extra penny [Total Amount – (Split Matter A + Split Matter B + …)]. The line item taxes and main taxes are included in the split billing percentage set at the matter level. You cannot do progress billing in case of split invoices wherein the time and expense entries are released after billing and then linked to existing invoices.
Note: Split billing does not work with manual invoicing, only with batch invoicing.
To process split invoices, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Invoice Batch tab, select your Filter By option (Project/Matter) to view the relevant billing records of the matter set up for split billing. Filters and parameters defined here are remembered for the next batch you create.
- Enter other information, as needed, and click Create Invoice Batch.
- On the Active Invoice Batches screen, click View Batch to review the billing records on the grid before processing the invoices.
- You can expand the matter record (root or primary project) to see the split billing records. The Client Hours, Billable Services, Billable Expenses and Net Bill values are all proportionately calculated based on the percentage set at the matter level. When you are ready, select the records you want to bill. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Click Actions and select the relevant option from the menu:
- Process as Final
- Process as Draft
- After processing this, you can view it on the grid as split invoices with the same invoice number.
- If you want to preview these split invoices, click Preview on the row. CORE opens them in multiple tabs or windows.
You can record a payment on them by client so as to know who paid and who did not pay. When emailing these split invoices, CORE sends them to the respective clients sharing the split invoices.
Apply Retainers on Invoices
After sending retainer invoices to clients and receiving retainer payments, you can apply them to invoices in several ways. If both project and client retainer exists, you must apply the entire project retainer before you apply the client retainer. From the accounting perspective, when retainers are applied on invoices, such transactions debit the unearned retainer account and credit the A/R account.
To apply a retainer to an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Invoice Batch tab, set the filters and enter the required information.
- Select the option Auto-apply available retainer if you want CORE to apply any available retainer automatically to the invoices. Click Create Invoice Batch and then View Batch on the Active Invoice Batches screen.
- On the Invoice Batch Details screen, enter the retainer amount to be applied on the invoice, if you did not check the above Auto-apply option (show the Retainer column in the grid via More > Show/Hide Columns).
- You can choose to click More > Show/Hide Columns to display the various Available Client/Project/Parent Project Retainer columns to help you with retainer decisions.
- After reviewing and selecting the invoice, click Actions > Process as Final or Process as Draft.
Batch Update Billing Records
CORE allows you to make batch edits to multiple billing records as well as invoices. Do note that batch update is an irreversible process.
To update billing records in a batch, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Invoice Batch tab, set your filters to view the relevant billing records.
- Click Create Invoice Batch and then View Batch on the Active Invoice Batches screen.
- On the Invoice Batch Details screen, select the billing records on the grid that you want to update.
- Click Actions > Batch Update.
- On the Batch Update dialog, select the relevant fields and then enter new values for them.
- Check the disclaimer at the bottom and click Update.
Similarly, you can batch update multiple invoices by selecting those invoices in the list view and then clicking Actions > Batch Update. You can also check the detailed video on batch updating records in CORE.
Combine Invoices
In CORE, you can bill different phases of a parent project or different projects of the same client on a joint invoice, also called a combined or consolidated invoice. You can decide to always generate a joint invoice by setting that rule in the Clients or Projects screen, or do it spontaneously as part of the billing process in the Invoices screen. You can set the option to combine the joint invoices at your preferred level (say client, project or phase level) in Settings.
To combine multiple invoices into a joint invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Invoice Batch tab, set your filters and options to view the relevant billing records (preferably Filter By: Client, Individual Items, and pick one client).
- Make sure to choose the relevant Group By option. Check Field Descriptions above for details. Then click Create Invoice Batch, followed by View Batch on the Active Invoice Batches screen.
- On the Invoice Batch Details screen, review the billing records on the grid.
- Select the records you want to join and click Actions > Combine. CORE groups these combined records on the grid based on your previous setting. If you have specified joint invoicing beforehand for the client or parent project, all the related billing records automatically show up here.
- Select the records for processing and click Actions > Process as Final. CORE assigns the same invoice numbers to them upon processing.
After being combined on the same invoice, you have an option of removing any of the combined line items (invoices) by checking the row and clicking Actions > Separate. This option is useful if you want to separate individual phases or projects of the same client that have been combined for joint invoice purpose. You can also view the details of the projects invoiced on a single joint invoice.
Write Up or Write Down Time
When billing a client, you might decide the value of the services offered is greater or lesser for the client than the calculated bill amount. Whatever the reason, you can adjust the Net Bill amount of the invoices by writing up or writing down the value of time entries. For example, if the Client Hours x Bill Rate value of time entry is $100 and you change it to $200, this means you have written up the value by 100%. This WUD affects the bill rate and not the cost rate of entries. Increasing or reducing the time entry values here gets automatically reflected in the Time Entries screen and also in the calculated Net Bill value here. CORE also distributes the WUD to employees whose time is part of the invoice.
CORE handles write-up/down in many ways. It generates a write-up/down on the fixed project contracts automatically if your billing differs from the actual time and expense value. In case of other contract types, it is a conscious billing decision taken by the billing manager or accountant. You can write up or write down the value of time entries from the Invoices screen while creating batch invoices. Else, you can change the net bill manually there, thus overriding any computed value and generating a write-up/write-down. You can also write up or write down entries in the Time Entries screen itself by using its Batch Update screen.
To write up or write down time, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Invoice Batch tab, Set your filters and options to view the relevant billing records.
- Click Create Invoice Batch and then View Batch on the Active Invoice Batches screen.
- On the Invoice Batch Details screen, select a billing record on the grid and click T&E Details.
- On the Invoice Details > Time Details tab, select the time entries on the grid that you want to write up or down.
- Click Actions > Batch Write-Up/Down.
- On the Batch Write-Up/Down dialog, enter the WUD value in percentage or amount. To write up, enter positive values; to write down, enter negative values.
- Click Update. You can see the new value in the WUD% column back on the grid.
- Click Save.
Note: If you have generated a write-up or a write-down on an invoice, but need to reset it to the original amount, you should specify the Settings > Billing & Invoices option to delete the WUD when the invoice is deleted and then delete that invoice. However, it voids the WUD applied by manually changing the Net Bill or % Complete in the Create Batch Invoice screen. It does not void the WUD applied directly in the Time Entries screen or Create Batch Invoice > Time Entries > Write-Up/Down screen.
Include or Exclude Time and Expense Entries
While creating invoice batches or manual invoices from approved entries, you can exclude time and expenses from the current billing session, but still keep them in the work-in-progress. Or you can mark them as billed (or on hold) and exclude them indefinitely from the work-in-progress and future processing of invoices. In all other cases, the time and expense entries can simply be deleted. You can also include any new approved entries without having to refresh the batch.
Note: You cannot exclude or mark as billed time and expenses of projects that are at the root level of split billing.
To include or exclude a time or an expense entry, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Invoice Batch tab, set your filters and options to view the relevant billing records.
- Click Create Invoice Batch.
- Next on the Active Invoice Batches screen, click View Batch.
- On the Invoice Batch Details screen, select a billing record on the grid and click T&E Details.
- On the Invoice Details > Time Details tab, select the time entries on the grid that you want to exclude or include. You can do the same on Expense Details for expense entries (referred to as costs in the legal industry).
- Click Actions > Exclude (or Mark Billed, if needed) or Include. The selected entries are excluded or included from billing. You can also include or exclude an entry from button on the row.
- Click Save.
You can also do this when creating manual invoices from approved time and expenses. On the Create Invoice screen, go to the 'Link approved time entry' and 'Link approved expense entry' options at the bottom and click manage. Remember that this action is not reversible if you void the invoices. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
Apply Discounts
In CORE, you can apply a discount to an invoice prior to processing it. The discount reduces the final invoice amount after taxes. It does not reduce the tax amount of service or expense. However, you can change this option in Settings. Proper security permission is required to apply a discount.
To apply a discount, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Invoice Batch tab, set your Filter By (say Project) option to view the relevant billing records.
- Select other options and click Create Invoice Batch. (You can also select Manual Invoice and apply a discount there.)
- Next on the Active Invoice Batches screen, click View Batch.
- On the Invoice Batch Details screen, select a billing record and enter an amount in its Discount field (show this column using More > Show/Hide Columns). For example, enter 250 to reduce the net bill by $250.
You can calculate the discount directly in CORE using its in-cell calculator. To use the in-cell calculator, you must enter the = sign to begin a formula including subtraction (-), addition (+), division (/) and multiplication (*) and then press Enter or click outside the cell to see the results. You can use the ( ) parentheses for complex formulas. Example: Start with = and then enter the values such as =300+100, =300/100, =300*100, =300-100, or =(300+100)*2.
Note: There is a limit of 25 on the number of characters entered here. - Select the record and click Actions > Process as Final.
The record disappears here and appears as an invoice in the Invoices list view.
Create Percent Complete Invoices
A percent complete invoice uses the ‘% Complete’ value of the project (in the Projects or Invoices screen) to calculate the net bill amount. CORE automatically calculates this value based on the contract amount and then bills the client accordingly. Whether taxes are included or excluded in the project contract amount for the calculation of net bill based on % Complete depends on the Settings option. Percent complete billing supports both single project per invoice and joint invoicing, but not split billing invoices.
You can create a percent complete invoice only when projects have a contract amount with neither a billing schedule nor a recurring contract type.
To create a percent complete invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Click Create Invoice to open the Create Invoice dialog.
- On the Invoice Batch tab, set your Filter By option (say Project) to view the relevant billing records.
- Enable the option to Generate invoice amount based on % Complete values when applicable and click Create Invoice Batch. Then click View Batch on the Active Invoice Batches screen.
- On the Invoice Batch Details screen, select a billing record and enter a value in its % Complete field to calculate the Net Bill based on the project’s percentage of completion (show this column using More > Show/Hide Columns). The project's percentage of completion is brought forward from the Projects screen, if available. Typically, a project manager enters or updates this value. It is stored in the invoice record when processed and can be displayed on invoices. It is editable and decimal values can be entered as well. If you enter an amount instead, CORE reverse calculates the percentage value. Calculation of the Net Bill depends on this value if that option is specified earlier. When you apply % Complete, CORE writes up or down the value of time entries automatically. You cannot update this value for split billing invoices.
Note: You can enter the $ dollar symbol in the field for all currency values. If you enter an amount instead, CORE reverse calculates the percentage value. You can enter the currency symbol in the field (say dollar $) for all currency values. - CORE prompts you to revise the Net Bill and then carry the new %Complete value to the Projects screen. You can click Yes to both.
- Select the billing records on the grid and click Actions > Process as Final. In case of a single record, you can click its row action menu
The record disappears here and appears as an invoice in the Invoices list view.
Send Invoices
In CORE, you can send invoices to your accounting program, such as QuickBooks Online, Xero and MYOB AccountRight.
To send an invoice to your accounting program, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select an invoice on the grid and click
- In the detail view, click Actions > Send To on the top-right.
- Select the relevant option from the drop-down, say QuickBooks. Your data is sent.
CORE allows you to send invoices to QuickBooks using the Send to QuickBooks option from the row-action menu in the list view. You can send a maximum of 25 records from the invoices list to QuickBooks without having to drill down into the detail view. CORE displays a progress bar when sending these records to QuickBooks.
Note: You can click More > Show/Hide Columns to display QB Linked column to check the sync status of the records before sending them to QuickBooks.
Add Documents
To attach a document to an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select an invoice on the grid and click
- In the detail view, click Actions > Manage Documents and then click Add.
- On the Add Documents dialog, select the relevant tab, depending on the type of attachment.
- Computer: To attach files stored on your computer, enter its Description and drag your file or click to browse to that location.
- Hyperlink: To attach an external link, enter its Description and then insert the hyperlink.
- Dropbox: To link files stored in your Dropbox account, enter its Description and then browse for it.
- Google Drive: To link files stored in your Google Drive account, enter its Description and then browse for it.
- OneDrive: To link files stored in your Microsoft OneDrive account, enter its Description and then browse for it.
- Box: To link files stored in your Box account, enter its Description and then browse for it.
- Resource Library: To link company resources, select the resource from the library. This option is available only with CORE CRM.
- Click Add.
CORE pre-fills some of the information about the attached documents in the grid. You can send the documents to your clients, employees or other contacts for getting their digital or electronic signatures (eSignature via DocuSign) using the eSign option from the row-action menu. CORE automatically adds the signed documents to the Documents folder of the entity (record) as separate attachments. It displays the status of the document, whether it has been delivered via DocuSign, viewed by the recipients, declined or completed by the recipients, etc. This column does not show up if you are not connected via the DocuSign integration. You can also check the detailed video on managing documents in CORE.
Add Notes
To add a new note for an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, click
- In the detail view, click Actions > Manage Notes and then click Add.
- Enter the required information in the top row of the grid:
- Category
- Description
- Date
- Click Done.
You can also check the detailed video on managing notes in CORE.
Add Custom Fields
Using custom fields, you can track extra characteristics and attributes of your invoices. You can even customize these fields in the Custom Labels screen. For example, if you want to track the 'Last Contact Date', 'State' against which invoice revenue is tracked, or type of invoice such as commercial or residential, you can easily do that by creating a new custom field and label.
To add a custom field, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, click
- In the detail view, click Actions > Manage Custom Fields and then click Add Custom Field.
- Select the type of field you want depending on the purpose, say Text Box.
- On the Add Text Box dialog, enter the required information:
- Name
- Type
- # of Characters
- Check Show in List View if you want this field to appear under the Show/Hide Columns list and show up on the grid in the Invoices and Invoice Collections screens. Click Save.
Note: You can display a maximum of three custom fields on the list view per screen.
You can also check the detailed video on managing custom fields in CORE.
Edit Invoices
Depending on the status of invoices, you can edit them accordingly. In case of posted invoices, you can just change their date and memos. For manual invoices, you can edit their line items and memos. For final invoices, you can change their time and expense descriptions, invoice number and date, memos, and line numbers, but draft invoices can be edited for more fields and attributes, including their time and expense line items, sort time and expense entries, drag and drop and change the order of entries. This change of order is also reflected on the invoice templates (custom ordering templates such as Hourly Custom Ordering). Invoice that are scheduled for online payments cannot be edited. You cannot delete invoices that have late fee associated with them. If you delete invoices, CORE automatically recycles their invoice numbers.
CORE allows you to edit draft invoices before you finalize them and send them out to the managers or clients for review. You can even convert finalized invoices to draft and then edit them. However, this option is not available for manual invoices. CORE also allows you to include recently approved time and expense entries on your draft invoices. You are notified about any newly approved time and expense entries that fall in the same date range as that of the Billing Through period of the invoices. In the Invoices list view, you can see an icon against the draft invoices in the Invoice Number column or in the Edit view of your draft invoices, you will see a red icon on the Time Details or Expense Details section, indicating that there are new, approved time and expense entries to be included. You can review and select these entries to be included in the draft invoices. Please note that when you include these approved entries in your draft invoices or edit the time entries, CORE updates the net bill amount for the hourly projects and does not generate any write-up/down. The Net Bill is updated only for hourly-type projects, whereas for other project types, write-up/down (WUD) is generated so that the invoice amount is not changed.
Note: Your editing ability is restricted by your time and expense entry security permissions. By default, Time Details and Expense Details sections are kept open.
To edit a draft invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select a draft invoice on the grid that you want to edit and click Edit on its row.
- In the edit view, go to the Edit tab.
- Check the Invoice Details section and other sections to make edits, as needed.
- You can also edit or add a message for the invoice.
- Similarly, check the Project Information, Time Details, Expense Details, Retainer Available, and Phase Sub-Totals sections to edit some of the invoice details. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- You can also remove time and expense entries from the invoice by selecting them in Time Details and Expense Details. You can exclude single or multiple entries from the selected draft invoice.
- For batch action, select the time and expense entries on the grid that you want to remove, and then click Actions > Remove.
- If you want to remove a single entry, click its row-action menu
- Click Save to confirm this action. These entries will be removed from the grid.
- All the entries that are removed show up in the More > Include Approved Entries option from where you can add them back, if needed.
Note: In case of a Fixed type project, you cannot remove all the time and expense entries from Time Details and Expense Details. CORE prompts you to keep at least one entry associated with an invoice for non-hourly projects. - When you have finished editing, click Save or Finalize.
- To convert a finalized invoice to a draft, select that invoice from the list view. Click
Note: CORE does not allow converting final invoices to a draft if there are payments attached to them or those invoices are linked to any integration software such as QuickBooks, MYOB, etc.
Memorize Invoices
You can memorize manual and retainer invoices in CORE for automatic processing. This can be done directly from the Recurring Invoices screen or from the Invoices screen.
To memorize an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select a manual invoice on the grid and click
- On the Add Recurring Invoice screen, make sure the Billing Type is Memorized Invoice.
- Enter the required information and click Save & Done. Check Recurring Invoices for details.
Clone Invoices
You can clone manual invoices in CORE and then edit them for any changes. This saves a lot of time when you need to create similar invoices. However, you cannot clone joint, draft, and batch invoices.
To clone an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select a manual invoice on the grid and click
- On the Create Invoice dialog, you can view the invoice details pre-filled from the original invoice.
- Enter more line items or change the information, as needed.
- Click Process and select the relevant option from the menu, say Final & Preview.
The manual invoice is created.
Add Payments
You can make a payment directly on an invoice by selecting that invoice from the list view in the Invoices screen. This option is available only for final invoices with a balance. It is not available for invoices that are scheduled for online payments.
To make a payment on an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select an invoice on the grid that you want to pay and click
- On the Add Payment screen, enter the payment details.
- Date
- Payment Method
- Amount Applied
- Next, select the 'Apply to invoices' option.
- In the grid, click Auto Apply to apply the payment automatically to an invoice.
- Click Save & Done. If there is any payment remainder, you can save it as a retainer.
Note: If CORE detects unpaid vendor bills associated with the invoices being paid, it prompts you to pay those bills from the Create Bill Payments screen (Pay When Paid feature).
Add Memos
You can add memos to invoices while creating them. However, you can also add them later from the list view. These memos can be displayed on the invoices if required. CORE allows you to copy-paste text directly from programs like Google Docs, Word document, etc. into the invoice memo.
To add a memo to an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select an invoice on the grid and click
- On the Memos dialog, enter a memo in the Memo 1 or Memo 2 box. Memo 1 appears on the top of the invoice while Memo 2 appears on the bottom, in case you choose to display them on invoices.
- Do the formatting of the text using the toolbar, if needed. YOu can use
to clear any formatting.
- Click Save.
You can add and edit memos from the detail view of the invoices. You can also change the memos of multiple invoices at the same time using the Actions > Batch Update option in the list view.
Change Invoice Number
CORE allows you to change the invoice number of finalized invoices provided there are no payments associated with them.
To change the invoice number, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select an invoice on the grid and click
- On the Change Invoice Number dialog, enter the new number and click Update.
Change Invoice Date
CORE allows you to change the date of invoices provided there are no payments associated with them.
To change the invoice date, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select an invoice on the grid and click
- On the Change Invoice Date dialog, select the new date and click Update.
You can also change the date of multiple invoices at the same time using the Actions > Batch Update option in the list view.
Preview and Change Invoice Templates
Typically, you can set the invoice templates for various contract types globally from the Settings screen or per project from the Projects screen. However, depending on the status of an invoice, you can temporarily change and preview its template here. In case of posted invoices, you can just change their date and memos.
To manage the invoice template, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select an invoice on the grid whose template you want to change and click
- On the Choose Template dialog, pick a new template for the invoice after selecting the Show option.
- You can preview the invoice with a new template.
- Select 'Automatically assign this template to corresponding project' if you want to permanently assign the new invoice template to the related project.
- Click Continue to preview the template in the viewer and take the required action on it, say send it to the client.
Download Invoices
You can download the details of the invoices as a PDF file directly from the list view.
To download an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoice on the grid whose details you want to download and click
Void Invoices
CORE gives you the option to either delete an invoice or void it. When voiding invoices, it releases the WIP and leaves a record of what happened. You cannot void draft invoices. Voiding invoices does not automatically undo some actions taken in the billing process, such as marking time and expense entries as billed. Such processes are not reversible if you void the invoices. Invoice that are scheduled for online payments cannot be voided unless the corresponding scheduled payments are deleted. Also, invoice numbers that are voided cannot be reused.
Note: CORE allows voiding transactions related to invoices in the closed periods and automatically creates general journal entries to handle its accounting.
To void an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoices on the grid that you want to void. Click Actions > Void.
- You can also click
- Confirm this action and click Yes. The voided invoices disappear from the grid.
You can further view the voided invoices on the grid using filters and also delete them, if needed.
Send Invoices for eSign
You can send invoices and their attached documents to your clients, employees, or other contacts to be reviewed and signed electronically via DocuSign. For that, you must have first connected CORE to your company's DocuSign account via the Integrations screen. CORE automatically adds the signed documents to the Documents tab of the entity (record) as separate attachments.
To send an invoice for eSignature, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoice on the grid that you want to send and click
- On the eSign - Email Details dialog, choose the To recipients or contacts to whom you want to send the invoice via DocuSign.
- You can review and customize the email message, if needed. It is pre-filled with the email details from the Integrations > DocuSign Settings screen.
- At the bottom, select your Save Options. You can specify where you want to save the signed copy of the document, say Company (as a company document), Associated Record (as a document of the record from which the eSign action was called) or Specific Record (as a document of an individual record of a specific entity). CORE remembers this selected location for the next time a document of that type is sent out for eSignatures.
- Click the relevant option:
- Send: Clicking the ‘Send’ button sends the document to all recipients. If multiple recipients are selected, each recipient receives a copy or version of the document to sign.
- Send with Preview: If you choose to preview the document before sending, you are redirected to the DocuSign editor embedded in a new CORE tab. From there you can make adjustments to the DocuSign document like adding, removing, and rearranging tags throughout the document.
- CORE displays the progress bar and opens the invoice in the Send for eSignature screen.
- Here you can insert Standard Fields like Signature, Initials, Date Signed, Name, etc. into your document where needed.
- You can take more actions on the document by selecting the relevant option from the Actions menu on the right.
- Before sending, you can also preview the document by clicking Recipient Preview on the top-right. Else, click Continue to skip the preview.
- Click Send to send the invoice to the recipients.
The document is then received as an email by the recipients (your contacts), who can then review and sign it electronically. The recipients also receive an email when the action is completed by them. DocuSign informs us via email if the document was reviewed, accepted or declined by the recipients and you can also view the eSign Status in the Documents list view, whether it has been delivered via DocuSign, viewed by the recipients, declined or completed by the recipients, etc. This column does not show up if you are not connected via the DocuSign integration. The signed documents are saved in the specified location. You can also check the detailed video on sending data for eSign in CORE.
Delete Invoices
CORE gives you the option to either delete an invoice or void it. When deleting invoices, CORE cancels your billing decisions and releases the WIP (approved time and expenses) back into the database for later billing. However, it leaves no record of the transaction. You can delete voided invoices also, if needed; however, CORE prevents you from deleting invoices if they have late fee linked to them. Deleting invoices does not automatically undo some actions taken in the billing process, such as marking time and expense entries as billed. Such processes are not reversible if you delete the invoices. Invoice that are scheduled for online payments cannot be deleted unless the corresponding scheduled payments are deleted.
To delete an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoices on the grid that you want to delete. Click Actions > Delete.
- You can also click
- Confirm your action by clicking Yes.
View Record History
CORE allows you to track all key actions taken by users on invoices. You can view actions, and know who performed them, and when someone performed them.
To view record history, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- Select an invoice on the grid and click
- On the Record History screen, select an invoice on the grid and click Preview on its row to track its changes.
Preview Invoices
You can preview the invoices from different areas of the Invoices screen.
To preview an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select an invoice on the grid and click Preview on its row.
- You can also select multiple invoices and click Actions > Preview to view them in a batch. The invoice displays in the viewer.
- Alternatively, click
- In the detail view, go to the Preview tab or click Actions > Print (to view the PDF version).
- Preview the invoice and then choose to print it.
Note: You can see the name of the invoice template being used in the title of the viewer.
Email Invoices
You can email invoices to clients or other people in a batch mode or individually. By default, the invoice attachments are sent as files, but can also be sent as your cloud-storage links. If there are multiple attachments with an invoice, CORE compresses the individual files into a single Zip folder. Although you can batch email any number of invoices, CORE limits it to 10 if you choose to preview them first. Else, you can send them without previewing. Emailing invoices to clients without previewing marks them as posted. However, if you email the invoices to clients or their project managers, they are not posted automatically.
If the ePayments option is enabled, clients can pay the invoices electronically using the online payment option on the invoice PDFs as well as in the body of the emails.
To email an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoices on the grid that you want to email.
- Click Actions > Email and choose the recipient, say Client.
- On the Compose Email screen, enter the required information. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- To
- Subject
- Message
- To attach other files, click Add Attachments at the bottom. You can also drag-and-drop any file into the Compose Email window from your desktop or email program. Click Send Message.
- Alternatively, you can choose to pay the invoice from here by clicking Pay Invoice at the bottom, which takes you to the ePayments portal.
- On the Invoice Payment Options screen, enter the payment details such as payment options and payment information. CORE allows you to apply partial or full payments and share payment receipts with multiple recipients.
- In the Invoice Summary section, you can view details such as the invoice amount, due date, retainer applied, etc.
Note: The invoice summary reflects the retainer and discount applied on the invoices, which gives the net due on them. These fields are not displayed on retainer and trust fund invoices. - Click Pay Invoice to apply the payment.
If the email is sent to an address that is no longer working, there is a bounce-back email sent to let you know about this. You can also check the detailed video on emailing in CORE.
Note: You cannot remove the default or system attachments. Only user-defined attachments can be added or removed. CORE restricts the file size of the attachments to 10 MB and sends the attachments as a single zipped file.
Submit Invoices
As a part of the workflow, CORE allows you to submit the selected invoices for approval using various options. When invoices are submitted, the supervisor or manager gets notified about these submissions. You cannot submit invoices that are already approved. In case of email notifications, CORE allows managers to quickly approve or reject the workflow entries or items submitted by employees directly from the emails.
To submit an invoice for approval, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoices on the grid that you want to submit.
- Click Actions > Workflow > Submit.
- On the Submit Invoices dialog, enter the required information. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Submit To: your manager or a specific person
- Resource: employee or vendor
- Memo
- Click Submit.
After submitting the invoices, you have an option to un-submit them by clicking Actions > Workflow > Un-submit. You can view the entire workflow history in the edit mode.
Approve Invoices
As a part of the workflow, CORE allows you to approve the invoices submitted to you. Approving invoices prevents modification by any user with limited security permissions. For draft invoices, you have an option to approve and finalize them in one expedited step. You can also reject the submitted invoices for any reason. However, only submitted or forwarded invoices can be rejected, not the approved ones. In case of email notifications, CORE allows managers to quickly approve or reject the workflow entries or items submitted by employees directly from the emails.
To approve an invoice for billing, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoices on the grid that have been submitted.
- Click Actions > Workflow > Approve. In case of draft invoices, you can select Approve & Finalize instead.
- On the Approve Invoices dialog, enter a memo optionally.
- Click Approve.
After approving the invoices, you have an option to un-approve them by clicking Actions > Workflow > Un-approve. You can view the entire workflow history in the edit mode.
Specify Online Payments
CORE allows your clients to pay their invoices electronically using the ePayments method from anywhere in the world. You get to choose whether to enable ePayments at the global level for all clients (Settings screen) or selectively enable that at the client, project and invoice level. ePayments can be used for regular invoices, statements, retainer invoices as well as late fee invoices. Check out ePayments for details.
To specify or change the online payment account for an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoices on the grid whose payment option you want to change.
- Click Actions > Batch Update.
- On the Batch Update dialog, select the ePayment Account that you want to associate with the selected invoices for the online payment. You can also remove any account by selecting None from the drop-down. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- Check the disclaimer at the bottom and click Update.
- Alternatively, select an invoice on the grid for which you want to enable ePayments and click
- On the Details tab, check the ePayments option: Allow online payments for this invoice.
- Next, select the Online Payment Account from the drop-down and click Update.
Note: If you remove the online payment profile in Settings > ePayments after invoices are available for ePayments, the Online Payment Account gets reset to 'None' in the Invoices list. Also, you cannot change the account of ACH scheduled and credit card scheduled invoices.
When enabled, the ePayments option appears as a Pay Now/Pay Invoice button on the invoice/statement PDFs as well as in the body of the emails sent to the clients. They can click on the Pay button and be directed to the ePayments portal where they can enter their credit card, debit card or bank account details, and apply a partial, full or scheduled payment to the invoices (depending on your ePayments settings). If allowed, they can schedule payments on any date they choose. As long as the scheduled payment date falls on or before the invoice due date, your clients can choose when to pay and also be able to make any changes right from the ePayments portal for the specific invoice. However, the scheduled payment options are not available for ACH transfer payments. They can be paid fully or partially using manual entry of bank account details or automatic entry via Plaid. The payment history on the ePayments portal shows a list of previous partial payments received against the invoice. Check out ePayments for details.
Process Late Fee
You can charge interest on outstanding or unpaid invoices in CORE and calculate late fee on them based on the interest rate and days specified in Settings or Projects. CORE appends an LF- prefix to the late fee invoices for easy identification and also displays the related memos on them. When processing late fee against split billing invoices, CORE creates separate late fee invoices for them. You cannot process late fee for late fee invoices. Do note that CORE does not consider late fee invoices to be a part of the contract amount billed using percent complete.
To process late fee, watch this video or follow the steps below:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the outstanding invoices on the grid for which you want to calculate late fee. (You can show the Overdue column in the grid using More > Show/Hide Columns.)
- Click Actions > Process Late Fee.
- On the Late Fee dialog, select the date up to which CORE must calculate the late fee.
- Click Create. Confirm this action and click Submit.
CORE calculates the late fee for all the selected overdue invoices and displays those invoices separately on the grid. Your clients can pay the late fee invoices also via ePayments.
Export Invoices to LEDES
You can set up all the LEDES export options in Settings first and then export the invoices to the LEDES format from here. CORE refers to these settings during the export process and prepares an export file that applies these rule for each invoice. This feature is available only for the legal industry type.
To export CORE invoices to LEDES, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoices on the grid that you want to export to the LEDES format.
- Click Actions > Export to LEDES.
- On the Export to LEDES dialog, select the LEDES format for export. Check Field Descriptions above for details.
- LEDES 1998B
- LEDES 1998B1-v2
- LEDES 2000 XML
- If you have not, specify the LEDES settings in Settings by clicking that link here.
- If you have already specified the export options, click Export to start the process.
The export file (.lds) is saved to your default download location for the browser. There is no direct export to any software and so you are required to manually import this file into the desired software or upload it to your LEDES provider for processing.
Note: The client address and invoice tax currency is supposed to get exported to LEDES 1998 format in the tax line items.
Finalize Draft Invoices
When creating invoices, you can process them either as final invoices (to be sent to the clients) or as draft invoices (to be sent to the managers or reviewers for approval). When ready, you can finalize the draft invoices. CORE appends a Draft- prefix to the draft invoices for easy identification.
To finalize a draft invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the draft invoices on the grid that you want to finalize. (You can show the draft invoices on the grid by applying the Draft filter.)
- Click Actions > Finalize Draft. Confirm this action and click Submit.
The invoice is finalized and, thus, disappears from this grid.
Post Invoices
Posting essentially finalizes the invoices. After posting invoices, you cannot change anything about them except their memos. When you apply payments to invoices, they are auto-posted and their status cannot be changed, that is, they cannot be un-posted. Emailing invoices to the client without previewing marks them as posted automatically. However, if you email the invoices to the client or project manager, they are not posted in that case. You cannot post draft invoices.
To post an invoice, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoices on the grid that you want to post.
- Click Actions > Mark as Posted. Confirm by clicking Yes.
If needed, you can also un-post multiple invoices by using the Batch Update > Mark As Unposted option instead.
View Statements
CORE allows you to view statements directly from the Invoices screen. It also allows you to accept and record your payments electronically (ePayments). You or your clients can choose which invoices to pay on a statement and distribute the payment amount among those invoices, as required. You can either apply the payment in full or do a partial payment. Check out ePayments for details.
To view a statement, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoice on the grid whose statement you want to view.
- Click
View Journal
You can understand the accounting behind a transaction by looking at its journal entries. In CORE, you can open the Journal report to view the transaction details, including the accounts being credited or debited.
To view an invoice journal, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, select the invoices on the grid whose journal you want to view.
- Click Actions > View Journal. The journal opens in the viewer.
- Preview the journal and then choose to export or print it.
Show/Hide Columns in Grid
You can configure the fields or columns that appear on the grid in the list view. You can hide or show columns, and sort the order of columns according to your requirements.
To do so, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, click More > Show/Hide Columns on the action bar.
- Select or un-select the column names in the drop-down list, say Paid.
- Next, click the column name you want to sort the data by, say Amount Billed.
- Click once for ascending order (A-Z) and twice for descending order (Z-A).
Note: You can resize the column widths on the grid and then reset them, if needed (More > Reset Column Widths).
You can also check the detailed video on navigation and customizing grids in CORE.
Export Invoices
In CORE, you can export invoices to the Comma Separated Values file format. CORE exports data from all available columns and not just the columns visible in the grid.
To export invoice records to a .CSV file, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, click More > Export as CSV.
- A .csv export file is created and saved on your system at the default download location, say your desktop. Click to open the spreadsheet.
You can also check the detailed video on exporting data in CORE.
View Collections
You can view the entire collection history or payment status of your invoices in CORE.
To do so, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, click More > Collections.
- On the Invoice Collections screen, you can see the payment information of all the invoices. Check Invoice Collections for details.
You can also check the detailed video on Invoice Collections in CORE.
Apply Filters
When using the filter search or applying filters, CORE intelligently updates the info bars to reflect the values of the filtered list.
To view selective data on the grid, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, click
on the right.
- On the Filters panel, select a filter from the drop-down and specify individual records or range.
- Click Add Filters to specify more filters.
- When you have finished, click Apply Filter. You can see selective data now.
- Next, to save the applied filters as your favorite, click Save Filters.
- It opens the Save Filter dialog, where you can select a name for your filter combination and then click Save. You can also update your existing saved filters by clicking the Update Saved Filters link.
- In the list view, you can remove the individual filters by clicking
on each. To use your favorite filter or disable applied filters temporarily or remove all filters, click
next to the Filters icon and select Disable Filters or Clear All, respectively.
You can also check the detailed video on applying filters in CORE.
Mark Screen as Favorite
You can mark or flag the most-often used and important screens in CORE as your favorites up to a maximum of ten. These favorite screens then display separately on the side menu under the Favorites list. You can manage all your favorite screens in CORE from User Settings.
To mark this screen as your favorite, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Open the Invoices screen from the side menu > Billing > Invoicing.
- In the list view, click
on the top-right.
- You can access this screen from the side menu under Favorites.
You can also check the detailed video on marking screens as favorite in CORE.