Invoice Management

Creating an invoice is quick and straightforward. Follow these steps:

1. Click "New Invoice"
   From the Invoices list, click the + New Invoice button at the top right.
2. Select a Lead / Customer
   Search and select the lead you want to create the invoice for. The customer's name, organisation, email, and phone will be pulled in automatically.
3. Set the Currency
   Choose the currency for this invoice (e.g. USD, INR, EUR). The currency you select will apply to all pricing, taxes, and totals on the invoice.
4. Save the Invoice
   Click Create Invoice. The invoice is saved with an auto-generated invoice number, and you are taken to the invoice detail page where you can edit it further, preview it, or share it.

Once an invoice is created, you can manage every aspect of it from the invoice detail page:

• Edit Invoice Details: Update the currency, assigned sales person, sales manager/executive, or any other field at any time. Changes are saved when you click Update.
• Edit Line Items: Click + Add Item to add products or services. You can search from your product catalogue or type a custom item name. Enter the quantity and unit price — the line total is calculated automatically.
• Apply Discount (optional) : Enter a discount percentage or a fixed amount to reduce the subtotal. The net total is updated live.
• Add Tax (optional) : Apply a tax rate (e.g. 18% GST or 20% VAT). Multiple tax layers can be configured if needed.
• Change Invoice Stage: Move the invoice to the next stage (e.g. from Draft to Sent, or from Negotiation to Accepted) using the stage selector in the header.
• Add Payments: Record partial or full payments against the invoice to automatically update the balance due.
• Generate Receipts: View, download as PDF, or share professional payment receipts instantly for any recorded payments.
• Preview the Invoice: Click Preview to see exactly what the customer will see — a fully formatted, professional document with your company branding.
• Download as PDF: Click Download PDF to generate a print-ready PDF and save it to your device.
• Share with the Customer: Click Share to send the invoice via Email or WhatsApp, or copy a unique secure link and send it through any channel. The customer can view the invoice without needing to log in.
• Duplicate the Invoice: Create a copy of an existing invoice (including all line items) as a starting point for a new one.
• Add Internal Notes: Leave notes visible only to your team on the invoice for internal communication.
• View Activity Log: See a full history of every change made to the invoice — stage changes, line item updates, reassignments, and more.

Every invoice in HelloLeads moves through a pipeline of stages that you define. A visual stage timeline at the top of each invoice detail page shows:

• All pipeline stages in order from left to right.
• Stages the invoice has already passed through are highlighted in the stage's colour.
• The current active stage is shown with a filled colour badge and a glow effect.
• Stages not yet reached appear in grey.
• The number of days spent in each stage is shown below each stage pill, so you can immediately see where time is being spent.

You can customise your invoice stages from Settings → Invoice Stage Settings. Assign colours to each stage to make the pipeline visually distinct.

The Invoices list comes with a powerful filter and search panel so you can zero in on exactly the invoices you need:

• Invoice Stage Filter: Filter by one or multiple invoice stages simultaneously (e.g. show only Sent and Negotiation invoices).
• Assigned To Filter: Managers and admins can filter by the sales person assigned to the invoice.
• Invoice Date Range: Filter by when the invoice was created (last 10, 30, 60, or 90 days, or a custom date range).
• Payment Status Filter: Filter invoices by Unpaid, Partially Paid, or Fully Paid status.
• Due Date Range: Filter invoices that are due soon (next 7, 14, or 30 days) so you can follow up before they are overdue.
• Region / Branch / Division: Use the advanced More Filters option to filter by your organisation's sales territories.
• Search: Quickly search by invoice number, lead name, or organisation name.

Scenario: A sales executive closes a deal faster with a professional invoice

1. Lead expresses interest in a software package
   The sales executive opens the lead's profile in HelloLeads and navigates to the Invoices tab.
2. Invoice created in under two minutes
   She clicks + New Invoice, adds 3 line items from the product catalogue (Professional Licence × 5, Onboarding × 1, Annual Support × 1), and applies a 10% introductory discount.
3. Tax is applied automatically
   The organisation's GST rate is already configured in settings, so the tax amount and final total are calculated instantly.
4. Invoice previewed and sent
   She previews the invoice using Template 2, confirms it looks correct, and shares it directly via WhatsApp in one click. The lead receives a professional branded invoice with a personalised link.
5. Stage updated to "Sent"
   The invoice stage is moved from Draft to Sent. A reminder is set for 3 days later to follow up.
6. Lead accepts the invoice
   The lead calls back the next day and confirms. The executive changes the stage to Accepted. The full timeline — draft, sent, accepted — is visible in the invoice log.

Result: A professional invoice was created, sent, and confirmed without leaving the CRM. The entire process — from first contact to accepted invoice — is documented and auditable.