Overview: How to create a free invoice or credit note from scratch

With free invoices in AdminPulse, you can easily create manual invoices that are not linked to any registrations. This is ideal for standalone expenses or exceptional cases.

In this article, you’ll learn step by step how to create, edit and send a free invoice or credit note.

What are free invoices?

A free invoice is a manually created invoice where you can add invoice lines without them being tied to any registrations. This flexibility makes them perfect for situations where you want to invoice isolated amounts or fees.

💡 Good to know about free invoices:

• You cannot attach documents from registrations.
• They cannot be converted into other invoice types.
• Once numbered, they follow the usual invoicing process: sending, tracking, reminders, etc.

Where to create a free invoice or credit note

You can start a free invoice or credit note in one of the following ways via the menu:

• Invoicing > Invoice proposals → click +New invoice proposal from scratch or +New credit note from scratch
• Invoicing > Invoices → click +New invoice proposal from scratch or +New credit note from scratch
• Invoicing → click New invoice from scratch or New credit note from scratch

How to create a free invoice or credit note

💡 The process for creating a free credit note is almost identical to a free invoice. Below, we focus on the steps to create a free invoice.

1. Click on +New invoice proposal from scratch or +New credit note from scratch.
2. Select the necessary details:
   • Customer: the relation you’re invoicing
   • Assignment: if multiple assignments exist
   • Own company: if you work with more than one own company
3. Optionally, fill in an Invoice description and/or Invoice text.
4. Click + Add invoice line to add as many lines as you need.
   
   Choose one of the following line types:
   • Amount to be entered freely
   • Only text
   • Time
   • Product/Cost
   • Distance
   • Advance line

Depending on the type of invoice line you selected, you’ll need to complete the following fields per line:

• Description
• Which
• Quantity
• Tariff (price per unit)
• VAT %
• Discount (optional)
• Ledger account (optional)
• Comment (optional)

When adding an invoice line, the system will automatically calculate the following values for each line:

• Subtotal: the amount before VAT and discount
• Taxable amount: the amount VAT is calculated on
• Original amount: amount before changes or discount
• Adjusted amount: the final amount

5. Use the icons on the right of each line to:
   • Move the line up or down
   • Remove the line (bin icon)
     
6. At the bottom of the page, choose what action to take:
   • Cancel
   • Save: save the proposal to complete later
   • Number invoice: finalize the invoice and assign an invoice number
   • Number and send invoice: finalize and send the invoice right away
     

Specifics for free credit notes

When creating a free credit note, you’ll see an extra field:

• Based on invoice number(s): indicate which invoice(s) the credit note applies to.

👉 Important:

• You cannot create a credit note for an invoice that has not been numbered.
• The total amount credited must not exceed the original invoice value.

How to choose a different invoice date

To assign a different invoice date (other than today) to a free invoice or credit note, follow these steps:

1. Click Save to store the invoice as a proposal. The proposal will then open under Invoicing > Invoice proposals.
2. Set the desired date in the Desired invoice date field.