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Guide

Creating and sending an invoice

Step by step: from logged hours to a sent invoice, with a live PDF preview.

You start an invoice in one of two ways: from the timesheet, with worked hours already in it, or empty from the invoice list. This is the route from the timesheet, the quickest one if you've already logged your hours.

Selecting hours

In the timesheet, select the billable hours for a single client (see also Tracking hours for range selection). Once everything is for the same client, the "Create invoice" button appears top-right.

Selected hours for Vonk Studio in the timesheet, with the buttons 'Create invoice (5)' and 'Edit 5 entries' top-right.

The invoice editor

Peil opens the editor with the client, invoice number and payment term already filled in, and the selected hours turned into line items. On the right is the live PDF preview: every change appears within half a second in the document your client will receive.

Invoice editor with client, invoice number and payment term on the left, live PDF preview on the right.

Adjusting lines and saving

Below the hours are the line items: description, hours and rate stay editable, and you can add a line manually for something the timesheet doesn't cover. VAT defaults to 21%; see KOR if you have a VAT exemption.

Invoice line items with VAT percentage and payment terms, with the buttons 'Save draft' and 'Save and continue'.

"Save draft" keeps the invoice and stays in the editor. "Save and continue" saves and opens the invoice page, where you send it.

Sending

On the invoice page you send the invoice with the "Send invoice" button: Peil emails the PDF straight to your client. You immediately get a toast with an "undo" option that reverts the invoice to draft if you clicked too soon.

Invoice page with the 'Send invoice' button at the bottom.

What happens next

Peil tracks what happens to the email and puts it in the History on the invoice page: delivered, overdue once the payment term has passed, and an automatic reminder as soon as that happens. Once you receive payment, you mark the invoice as paid.

Draft created
Sent to the client
Delivered or opened
Payment term expired
Automatic reminder sent
Payment received

See VAT and recurring invoices for VAT exceptions, setting up reminders and recurring invoices, and Designing invoices & your brand for how your invoices look.