# Invoice a customer and record payment

> Draft an invoice, issue it to post it to the books, then record the payment that settles it.

Issuing an invoice posts it to the books, and receiving a payment settles it. Invoices and payments
are records in the [Finance app](/docs/apps/finance).

<Requires role="finance.accountant" />

An admin gives the role in **Settings › Members**. Finance also needs your legal entity's books and
chart of accounts, and a customer account for the customer.

## Draft and issue the invoice

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Ask Continual">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Ask for the invoice">
        In your thread, write what to bill, such as "Invoice Redwood Couriers
        for their confirmed order." Continual drafts the invoice and copies the
        order's lines.
      </Step>
      <Step title="Check the draft">
        Open it beside the thread. Ask for changes in the thread, such as "Add
        the setup fee."
      </Step>
      <Step title="Tell Continual to issue it">
        Write "Issue it." Issuing makes the invoice final, so by default
        Continual asks first. Choose **Decide**, check the input, then choose
        **Approve**.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
  <Tab title="In the app">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open Invoices">
        Choose **Records** in the sidebar, then **Finance › Invoices**.
      </Step>
      <Step title="Create the invoice">
        Choose **New invoice**, and choose the **Customer**. To bill an order,
        choose **Create invoice from sources…** instead, with the confirmed
        order as the source.
      </Step>
      <Step title="Fill in its lines">
        Each line needs a **Description**, **Quantity**, **Unit price**, and
        **Revenue account**. Leave **Due date** empty to set it from the
        customer's payment terms.
      </Step>
      <Step title="Issue it">
        On the draft invoice, choose **Issue invoice**, then **Issue invoice**
        again to confirm.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The invoice moves from **Draft** to **Issued** and gets its number. Issuing posts what the customer
owes and the revenue it earns to your general ledger. The invoice is now final. To correct it, choose
**Void invoice**, which reverses what it posted.

<ActionRef id="finance.invoices.issue" />

<Callout type="note">
  By default, issuing an invoice over 10,000 waits for an organization admin to
  approve it. Ask Continual to issue it, and the admin gets a to-do to decide.
</Callout>

## Record the payment

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Payments">
    Choose **Finance › Payments**, then **New payment**.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Say who paid and where the money went">
    Choose the **Customer**, the date it was **Received**, and the **Deposit
    account**, such as 1000 Cash. Add a **Reference**, such as a check number,
    if you have one.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Apply it to invoices">
    Add a line for each invoice it pays. Choose the **Invoice** and the amount
    **Applied** to it.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Receive it">
    Choose **Receive payment**, then **Receive payment** again to confirm.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The payment moves to **Received** and posts the deposit to the ledger. Each invoice it paid shows its
new **Amount paid** and **Amount due**. The **Unpaid** view on Invoices lists what is still owed.

<TryAsking
  prompts={[
    "Which invoices are still drafts?",
    "Which invoices are past due, and by how many days?",
    "Ironbridge Freight paid INV-US-10 in full by wire today.",
  ]}
/>

## Next steps

<Cards>
  <Card title="Finance" href="/docs/apps/finance" icon="receipt">
    Invoices, payments, and the books.
  </Card>
  <Card
    title="Approve or decline a change"
    href="/docs/guides/approve-changes"
    icon="shield"
  >
    Decide what Continual holds for your yes.
  </Card>
</Cards>