Articles on: Customer communication

Send PDF invoices to customers

Customers ask for invoices weeks later, by email. Turn them on under Features → Invoices and they can download one themselves. You can also email invoices out automatically. Customers can get an Invoices page in their account. And you can issue credit notes when you refund.

What this does

"Can you send me an invoice?" is a support email with no upside. Business customers ask most, because they need one for their books.

Turn this on and the question answers itself.

Turn it on

Go to Features → Invoices.
Under Invoice features, turn on what you need:

Let customers download their invoice — A PDF invoice from their order page
Show the invoice portal in customer accounts — An Invoices page where they can search their orders
Allow bulk downloads — Several orders as one combined PDF, or a ZIP of separate invoices
Email the invoice automatically — Sends a PDF when a new order is placed
Let customers email an invoice to themselves — From the invoice portal
Credit notes for refunds — A credit note PDF when you refund, in full or in part
Proforma invoices — A pre-payment invoice for pending and draft orders, watermarked
Packing slips — Lists items and quantities, with no prices

Save.

Start with the first one. Letting customers download their own invoice removes most of the requests on its own.

Business customers

Two settings control who sees the portal:

Show the portal to retail customers — Customers not part of a company can use it
Show B2B orders by company location — Business customers see orders by their location

If you sell mainly B2C, turn on the retail setting or most customers will not see the portal at all.

Store details

Add your store name, email and website. These appear on every invoice. Without them the invoice looks unfinished, and business customers will ask.

Good to know

Invoices are generated when downloaded. An old order downloaded today uses your current template and settings. Changing your template changes what customers get for past orders too.

Credit notes matter for accounts. Refund a business customer with no credit note and their books will not balance. Turn it on if you sell to businesses.

Packing slips have no prices. Useful for gifts, and for drop-shipping where you do not want the recipient seeing what was paid.

Proforma invoices are watermarked. They are for unpaid and draft orders — a request for payment, not a receipt.

Numbering is separate, and one-way. See Set your invoice numbering before you issue any.

Troubleshooting

No download option on the order — Why: The feature is off, or the block is missing — Fix: Check Features, then the banner
The invoice portal is missing — Why: It needs new customer accounts — Fix: See the customer accounts article
Retail customers cannot see the portal — Why: Show the portal to retail customers is off — Fix: Turn it on
The invoice has no company details — Why: Store details are empty — Fix: Fill them in
Customers ask for a VAT number — Why: Tax details are not set — Fix: See the tax article
No credit note after a refund — Why: The setting is off — Fix: Turn on Credit notes for refunds

FAQ

Do customers get an invoice automatically?

Only if you turn on Email the invoice automatically. Otherwise they download it themselves.

What is the difference between an invoice and a packing slip?

An invoice shows prices and is a financial document. A packing slip lists items and quantities with no prices, for the box.

What is a proforma invoice?

A pre-payment invoice for a pending or draft order, marked with a watermark. It requests payment rather than confirming it.

Can customers get invoices for old orders?

Yes, through the invoice portal. Invoices are generated on demand, so past orders work.

Do I need the invoice portal?

Not if customers only ever need one invoice at a time. It earns its place with business customers who download several.

Updated on: 21/08/2026

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