> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://harnesscalendar.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send an invoice

> Build invoices to send to accounts and get paid.

Send an invoice when it's time to collect: at the end of the month, or right after a lesson. It takes about two minutes.

## Before you start

* An invoice bills an **account**, not a student directly. Every student already sits on an account. See [Accounts and students](/docs/students/accounts-and-students).
* You need something to bill. Charges come from marking lessons attended, or you add them by hand. See [Run a lesson](/docs/lessons/operate-a-lesson).
* Recipients come from the account's billing contacts. Set those up on the account first. See [Manage billing accounts](/docs/billing/manage-accounts).

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start a new invoice">
    Go to **Finances → Invoices** and click **Add invoice**. A blank invoice editor opens.

    You can also reach this editor pre-filled: open an account in **Finances → Accounts** and use its **generate invoice** action, or use **Create draft** on a row of the [Upcoming tab](/docs/billing/upcoming-bills) to start from everything the account is owed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pick the account to bill">
    Choose the **account**. This limits the bill to that account's charges: you can only attach charges that belong to its students, and its billing contacts fill in as recipients.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Attach charges and add line items">
    Click **Attach charges** to pick from the account's existing charges. The picker is grouped by student and shows each charge's status. Already-paid charges can still be attached if you want them on the bill for the record.

    You can also type line items directly on the bill: a description, amount, and date. On an account with more than one student, assign each line to a student so the bill shows **per-student subtotals**. A solo account shows no student labels.

    As you add charges, the bill's **amount due** updates.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply a credit (optional)">
    If the account holds a credit, use **Apply credit** to deduct it from this bill. The deduction lowers the amount the recipient owes, capped at the amount due. See [Credits](/docs/billing/credits).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the dates, terms, notes, and recipients">
    Set the **Invoice Date** and **Terms** (the due date is calculated from the terms, e.g. **Net 30**). Add **Notes** and payment instructions if you want them on the bill.

    Confirm the **recipients**: they default to the account's billing contacts. You can adjust who receives this invoice here.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable online payment (optional)">
    Turn on **Accept online payments** to include a card-payment link in the email. This requires Stripe to be connected.

    <Note>
      Online card payments need Stripe connected, on the Professional plan. Without it, the bill still sends: recipients just pay you by cash, check, or transfer. See [Connect Stripe](/docs/billing/connect-stripe).
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send">
    Click **Send now**. The recipients get the invoice by email, with a pay link if online payment is on.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What sending does

Sending turns a draft into a real bill. At that point:

* The set of charges and their amounts are **fixed**: the bill is what the recipient agreed to pay.
* The invoice moves from **Draft** to **Sent**.
* Any credit you applied is deducted.
* Recipients get the email, and the invoice starts tracking what's paid.

A sent invoice shows each line with its own status (**Paid**, **Partially paid**, **Credited**) and, on a shared account, per-student subtotals. Voided lines are struck through.

<Warning>
  Sending is one-way. There's no "unsend". To correct a sent invoice, you void it and start a new one. See [Manage invoices](/docs/billing/manage-invoices).
</Warning>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The recipients look wrong">
    Recipients come from the account's billing contacts. Fix them on the account, then start the invoice again. See [Manage billing accounts](/docs/billing/manage-accounts). If the contacts change after you started the draft, the editor flags the mismatch so you can update them before sending.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the difference between the total and the amount due?">
    The total is everything on the bill. The amount due is what's left to pay after any applied credit and any payments already recorded against those charges.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A student is on more than one account, how do I bill them?">
    Their lesson charges go to the account named by the **Lessons bill to** picker on their profile, and bill through that account like any other. To bill from a different account, change the picker (future charges) or attach the charges by hand here. See [Accounts and students](/docs/students/accounts-and-students).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to build these myself every month?">
    No. Harness can assemble one invoice per account at each account's cycle close, as a draft for your review or sent outright. See [Automated billing](/docs/billing/automated-billing).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>