Creating Invoices Online: How to Invoice Automatically and Digitally

What is online invoicing?

Online invoicing refers to the process of generating, managing, and sending invoices digitally. You log into a platform or invoicing tool, create an invoice, fill in the details, and send it via email.

Compared to traditional manual invoicing—using paper and such—this approach saves a tremendous amount of time. And it can be even more efficient when done automatically.

How can you create invoices automatically?

With software like FlowQi’s Invoicing Tool, the entire process is largely automated, so neither you nor your employees have to spend time creating invoices.

Of course, you need to set up the necessary data once, such as customer information, products or services, prices, and the preferred billing schedule. After that, the invoicing tool automatically generates invoices at the right times and sends them directly to your customers.

5 Benefits of digital and automated invoicing

1. Save a ton of time (and time is money)

   Some businesses send more than 30,000 invoices per year. If you have to create, check, and send all these invoices manually, it can take up a significant amount of time. Automating this process can save you up to 40 hours a week—or more!

2. Get real-time insight into paid and unpaid invoices

   With an invoicing tool like FlowQi, you’ll always have a clear overview. You can link the tool to your accounting software or bank to track payments. Thanks to real-time data, you’ll know immediately if there are any outstanding invoices, so you can quickly follow up with a payment reminder.

3. No more worrying about creating invoices

   FlowQi’s Invoicing Tool integrates with your CRM, project management, and task management tools. This means invoices are automatically sent as soon as the project management tool marks a project as complete.

   This ensures that all invoices go out on time, without the need to manually switch between different tools.

4. Set up recurring invoices for subscriptions

   Do you run a SaaS business, gym, or any other type of business that involves subscriptions and recurring invoices? With an invoicing tool, you can easily generate and send the same invoice automatically every month—without lifting a finger. Want to set a different frequency, like quarterly? It’s all possible.

5. Automatically transfer all data

   Another advantage of online invoicing with FlowQi is that, thanks to integration with the CRM system and product management, your invoices are automatically linked to customer, product, and contact data. This significantly reduces the risk of errors.

What’s legally required on an invoice?

When sending out invoices, the US tax authorities require that certain details be included. An invoicing tool automatically checks for these elements, ensuring you don’t forget anything.

Required information for a professional invoice:

• Business name and address
• Client name and address
• Project address (if different from the business address)
• Invoice number
• Invoice date
• Payment terms and due date
• Description of services provided or products delivered
• Quantity of products or services (e.g., hours worked)
• Amount due in USD
• Applicable sales tax

Is a digital invoice legally valid?

Absolutely! In the US, the Netherlands (and throughout the EU), a digital invoice is just as valid as a paper invoice. The only thing you need to ensure is that digital invoices are stored properly.

According to the tax authorities, you must keep invoices for at least seven years, and digital storage is allowed—as long as the invoices remain intact. Avoid making changes to the files; instead, store the original PDFs or scans.

• Tip: By creating your invoices with an invoicing tool, your invoices are securely stored, so you never have to search your inbox for lost files again.

Why is it smart to integrate your invoicing tool with your CRM?

By integrating FlowQi’s invoicing tool with a CRM system, project management, and task management, you enjoy a range of fantastic benefits:

• You can retrieve customer data directly from your CRM, so you never have to manually enter address or contact information again.
• You can link invoices to specific projects. If you work with different clients and projects, the invoicing tool ensures the right invoices are matched to the right projects.
• You can keep track of tasks and deadlines. If you have an outstanding invoice, your task management tool will remind you to email the client or check payment status.

These integrations streamline your workflow, meaning you no longer have to juggle separate systems that don’t communicate with each other—all your tools are in one place.

Conclusion

Digitally creating invoices and automatically sending them saves you time and reduces stress. You won’t have to worry about mistakes or misplaced files anymore, and everything will be sent at the right time.

Try it yourself! Sign up as a tester for FlowQi’s BETA Program, and you can test not only the invoicing tool, CRM system, and project management tools but also all the other features. Learn to work smarter, not harder!