Customer Invoices
Create and manage invoices issued to customers with automated workflow
Customer invoices are documents recording revenue from customers. Odoo provides a complete workflow from creating invoices, posting to accounting, sending to customers, to registering payments.
The system automatically creates journal entries when posting, calculates taxes, and reconciles payments, saving time and reducing errors.
Customer Invoice Information
Main Fields
| Field | Vietnamese | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer | Khách hàng | Yes | Customer purchasing goods |
| Invoice Date | Ngày hóa đơn | Yes | Invoice issue date |
| Due Date | Ngày đến hạn | No | Expected payment date |
| Journal | Sổ nhật ký | Yes | Sales journal (default) |
| Payment Terms | Điều khoản thanh toán | No | Payment terms (e.g., 30 days) |
| Reference | Số tham chiếu | No | Internal reference number |
| Currency | Tiền tệ | Yes | Currency unit |
Creating New Customer Invoice
Access: Invoicing → Customers → Invoices
Steps
1. Click "New" button to create new invoice
2. Select customer - system auto-fills address and payment terms
3. Enter invoice date (defaults to current date)
4. Select journal - usually "Customer Invoices"
5. Add invoice lines: Click "Add a line"
6. Select product or enter description manually
7. Enter quantity, unit price - system auto-calculates tax and total
8. Add notes if needed in "Other Info" tab
9. Click "Save" to save invoice in Draft status
Invoice Lines
Invoice Line Information
| Field | Vietnamese | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Sản phẩm | Product/service sold |
| Description | Mô tả | Detailed description |
| Quantity | Số lượng | Quantity sold |
| Unit | Đơn vị | Unit of measure |
| Unit Price | Đơn giá | Unit selling price |
| Taxes | Thuế | Applied taxes |
| Account | Tài khoản | Revenue account |
| Subtotal | Thành tiền | Amount before tax |
Posting Invoice
After creating and reviewing invoice, post it to record in accounting:
Steps
1. Open invoice in Draft status
2. Carefully review information: customer, amount, taxes
3. Click "Post" button on toolbar
4. System automatically: Creates invoice number (e.g., INV/2024/0001)
5. Creates automatic journal entry (Debit: Receivable, Credit: Revenue)
6. Locks invoice - cannot edit after posting
7. Updates customer receivable balance
8. Invoice changes to Posted status
Sending Invoice to Customer
After posting, send invoice to customer:
Steps
1. Open posted invoice
2. Click "Send & Print" or "Send by Email" button
3. System opens email form with default template
4. Check customer email address
5. Edit email content if needed
6. Invoice PDF file is automatically attached
7. Click "Send" to send email
8. Invoice is marked as sent
Printing and Downloading Invoice
Steps
1. Open invoice to print
2. Click "Print" button → select "Invoice"
3. System creates PDF file with company template
4. Preview and print or save PDF file
5. Can customize print template in Settings → Technical → Report Templates
Credit Note
Credit Note is used to adjust posted invoices (returns, discounts):
Steps
1. Open invoice to adjust
2. Click "Credit Note" button
3. Select reason: Discount, Product Return, Order Cancellation
4. Select method: Full Refund or Partial Refund
5. Enter Credit Note date
6. Click "Create Credit Note"
7. System creates negative invoice automatically reconciled with original
8. Post Credit Note to complete
Cancelling Invoice
Only applies to posted invoices without payments:
Steps
1. Open invoice to cancel
2. Click "Reset to Draft" button (if no payments)
3. Or create Credit Note to cancel paid invoice
4. Draft invoices can be deleted directly
Sales Order Integration
Automatically create invoice from sales order:
Steps
1. Create and confirm Sales Order
2. Click "Create Invoice" button on Sales Order
3. Select type: Regular Invoice, Down Payment, or Final Invoice
4. System creates invoice with information from Sales Order
5. Review and post invoice
6. Invoice is linked to Sales Order
Multi-currency
Create invoice with currency other than VND:
Steps
1. Enable Multi-Currency in Settings → Accounting
2. Configure exchange rates in Settings → Accounting → Currencies
3. When creating invoice, select customer currency
4. System automatically applies current exchange rate
5. Amount displays in both currencies
6. Journal entry records exchange rate difference
Searching and Filtering Invoices
Quick Filters
| Filter | Vietnamese | Display |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Nháp | Unposted invoices |
| Posted | Đã ghi sổ | Posted invoices |
| Unpaid | Chưa thanh toán | Unpaid invoices |
| Paid | Đã thanh toán | Fully paid invoices |
| Overdue | Quá hạn | Invoices past due date |
Automatic Journal Entry
When posting customer invoice, system automatically creates journal entry:
Customer Invoice Journal Entry
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts Receivable (131) | 11,000,000 | |
| Revenue (511) | 10,000,000 | |
| Output VAT (3331) | 1,000,000 |
Best Practices
Steps
1. Carefully review customer information and amounts before posting
2. Use Payment Terms to automatically calculate due dates
3. Send invoice to customer immediately after posting
4. Use Credit Notes instead of deleting posted invoices
5. Track overdue invoices and remind customers
6. Store payment documents with invoices
7. Reconcile customer receivables regularly
Common Error Handling
Errors and Solutions
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot post | Missing revenue account | Configure account for product |
| Tax not calculated | Tax not selected | Add tax to invoice line |
| Cannot send email | Email server not configured | Configure SMTP in Settings |
| Duplicate invoice number | Sequence error | Reset sequence in Settings → Technical |
Related Reports
Key points
• Invoice Analysis: Analyze revenue by customer, product, time
• Aged Receivable: Receivable aging report
• Customer Statement: Customer account statement
• Sales Report: Consolidated revenue report