How to Create an Invoice in QuickBooks:Step-by-Step Guide

Small and medium businesses, or SMBs, know a thing or two about how scarce time is.

The list of responsibilities and projects to handle never ends, so manual invoices?

They aren't a great idea.

Fortunately, platforms like QuickBooks offer you a digital, fast solution for all your accounting processes. And yes, invoice creation is one of their key features. 

But how can you create an invoice with QuickBooks?

It’s complicated? 

Not at all, however, it is a good plan to be familiar with the steps you need to follow, or the differences between creating an invoice in QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop.

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What's a QuickBooks Invoice?

A digital invoice

Really, a QuickBooks invoice is nothing more than the document you send to customers in order to request payment. 

Nothing new here 

The only novelty?

It's completely digital. 

Instead of dealing with paper-based receipts, you create an online document including all the important information, like who the invoice is for, what was sold, the cost of the product, and the deadline for the payment.

QuickBooks simplifies invoice management:

• You can add all the customer details in a matter of minutes. 
• Include a list of products or services along with quantity and even applicable taxes.
• Make your calculations automatically and apply discounts immediately.
• Choose your payment terms.
• Track what happens next.

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QuickBooks Online Vs Desktop 

Let's get something straight first: You can create an invoice either with the QuickBooks Online version or with the Desktop alternative.

The best choice? It's going to depend on your company's requirements.

Online

QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based system, which means it's designed to move with you. You can literally access it from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easy and user-friendly for anyone who needs to come up with an invoice fast. 

You can drag and drop elements to customize invoice layouts, add your logo, and set up recurring invoices or automatic payment reminders. It also integrates easily with QuickBooks Payments, a bonus point to accelerate payment flow. 

Desktop 

Do you run a big company or a business in a very regulated industry?

This version might resonate better with you. 

QuickBooks Desktop is a program that must be installed on your computer or your company's private network, given the higher number of features it offers. 

It's more like traditional software and less like an intuitive program. 

It's perfect, though, for those who need to work with advanced inventory tracking tools or more industry-specific systems.

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How To Create an Invoice with QuickBooks Online?

Go to the “+ New” button

This is your first stop.

From your QuickBooks Online dashboard, click the “+ New” button on the left-side menu or top navigation bar. 

Doing this will allow you access to a drop-down menu of common transactions.

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Select “invoice”

Under the Customers section, click “Invoice. Automatically, the system will take you to the invoice creation screen.

Choose the customer

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If you've already worked with this customer, you'll find in the Customer field the possibility of selecting their information from the dropdown list.

First time you make businesses? 

Time to create a new one on the spot.

QuickBooks will cleverly pull in saved info like email and billing address.

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Set the date and terms

• Invoice date: Defaults to the day the invoice is created, but you can change it.
• Terms: Choose the payment terms (e.g., Net 15, Net 30, Due on receipt). This sets the due date automatically.

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Add products

In the Product/Service column, choose what you’re billing for. Add:

• Description (optional, but helpful, bear in mind that the limit for attachments is 20Mb)
• Quantity
• Rate (unit price)
• QuickBooks will auto-calculate the amount

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You can add multiple line items if you're billing for more than one thing.

Save and…

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The good thing about QuickBooks Online is that you never feel like running out of options. 

For example, let's say that you aren't ready to complete all the aforementioned steps in one go.

No problem, just save it and come back to finish it later.

Do you have a long list of invoices waiting to be created?

Save one and go for another immediately.

Ready to share it with your customer? 

Share the link with them or send it over WhatsApp.

Are you one of those who prefer to keep communication over email?

Save and send the invoice to your customer’s email address directly from the system.

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How does ControlHub integrate with QuickBooks?

Not to make this article a promotional one, but did you know that mong the many benefits of our procurement software, you can have a natural integration with QuickBooks?

Yes, we thought you might be interested in that.

This is how ControlHub and QuickBooks work together:

• Transactions fully synced: All the info from your PO, invoices, and payment details used by ControlHub can be transferred in a couple of clicks to QuickBooks.
• End-to-end support: ControlHub supports the full cycle: raising purchase requests, sending approval workflows, creating POs, matching goods received and invoices (3-way match), all the way through to vendor payments. At each stage, data can be synced to QuickBooks to keep ledger entries accurate and audit-ready.
• Real-time data: Because that's how procurement becomes something to look forward to, well, not completely, but less painful? That's for sure 

QuickBooks always reflects current purchasing data, spending, budgets, and approvals, while maintaining a clear audit trail inside ControlHub.

• Serious accounting alignment:  ControlHub allows mapping of suppliers' accounts, departments, projects, and cost codes between systems. That way, when a purchase enters QuickBooks, it’s already categorized correctly, saving accounting teams from manual efforts.

Next Steps: What to Do After the Invoice is Created?

Well, isn't the answer obvious?

Get paid, of course 

Yes, that's what normally happens when you send the invoice, but between that point and the actual payment date, you can keep an eye on the whole process.

Track the invoice status.

Once an invoice is sent, QuickBooks Online automatically updates its status:

• Sent: The invoice has been emailed to your customer.
• Viewed: The customer has opened it.
• Paid: Payment has been received and applied.
• Overdue: Not the most ideal situation, but sometimes it just happens. The due date has passed without payment.

Sent payment reminders 

If an invoice goes unpaid, which let's be honest is a situation no one wants to deal with, you can send polite, automated payment reminders.

Customize your message and timing (e.g., 3 days before the due date, or 1 day after if needed)

Set up recurring invoices. 

If you're billing a customer on a regular schedule (e.g., monthly), save time by creating a recurring invoice template:

• Choose frequency, start/end date, and auto-send option
• QuickBooks will send invoices on your behalf at the right time,no action needed

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