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ERP.AI Invoicing & Billing System

Invoicing & Billing System

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Modules

Clients and estimatesAgree the work and payment terms before creating an invoice. Invoice preparationPrepare invoices with clear lines, due dates and a preserved document history. Recurring billingManage retainers and repeat invoices from an explicit billing schedule.
Payments and reconciliationConnect customer receipts to invoices and check their actual payment outcome. Billable workBring approved expenses and recorded time into the right customer invoice. Collections and reportingFollow up on outstanding invoices with the right customer context.

Invoicing & Billing System

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Processes

Estimate to invoiceCarry the customer’s accepted scope, prices and tax treatment into a supported invoice. Recurring billing to collectionRun repeat billing on the agreed schedule and follow each invoice through confirmed collection.
Receipt to reconciliationSee what was billed, what has actually been collected and which balances still need follow-up. Billable work to invoiceTurn recorded time and reimbursable expenses into an invoice your customer can trace back to the work.

Invoicing & Billing System

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Industries

Professional servicesConsultancies and independent specialists billing agreed work and reimbursable expenses. Retainer businessesAgencies and service providers invoicing repeat commitments.
Field service businessesSmall service teams capturing billable time and expenses away from the office.

Invoicing & Billing System

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Reference

Roles and permissionsGive each person the records and decisions their work requires. Reports and analyticsRead operational and financial results with their source context. Data modelSee the records and references behind the product.
AI and integrationsConnect the services that own the related business results. ImplementationConfigure the system around your business records and responsibilities. Proto configuration guideUse Proto to configure and maintain the same product described on this website.

Invoicing & Billing System

Start now
Pricing Questions and answers Get started
Build with Proto
All systems
Modules
Clients and estimatesAgree the work and payment terms before creating an invoice.Invoice preparationPrepare invoices with clear lines, due dates and a preserved document history.Recurring billingManage retainers and repeat invoices from an explicit billing schedule.Payments and reconciliationConnect customer receipts to invoices and check their actual payment outcome.Billable workBring approved expenses and recorded time into the right customer invoice.Collections and reportingFollow up on outstanding invoices with the right customer context.
Processes
Estimate to invoiceCarry the customer’s accepted scope, prices and tax treatment into a supported invoice.Recurring billing to collectionRun repeat billing on the agreed schedule and follow each invoice through confirmed collection.Receipt to reconciliationSee what was billed, what has actually been collected and which balances still need follow-up.Billable work to invoiceTurn recorded time and reimbursable expenses into an invoice your customer can trace back to the work.
Industries
Professional servicesConsultancies and independent specialists billing agreed work and reimbursable expenses.Retainer businessesAgencies and service providers invoicing repeat commitments.Field service businessesSmall service teams capturing billable time and expenses away from the office.
Reference
Roles and permissionsGive each person the records and decisions their work requires.Reports and analyticsRead operational and financial results with their source context.Data modelSee the records and references behind the product.AI and integrationsConnect the services that own the related business results.ImplementationConfigure the system around your business records and responsibilities.Proto configuration guideUse Proto to configure and maintain the same product described on this website.
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Invoicing & Billing System Industries
Retainer businesses2 of 3
  • Professional services1 of 3
  • Retainer businesses2 of 3
  • Field service businesses3 of 3

Retainer businesses

Agencies and service providers invoicing repeat commitments.

Typical roles
  • Owner / Admin
  • Bookkeeper
  • Assistant
Also built for
  • Professional services
  • Retainer businesses
  • Field service businesses

What changes for this team

configured at rollout

Agencies and service providers invoicing repeat commitments. Invoicing & Billing System gives the team a shared operating record for the work it owns. Separate the retainer schedule from delivery acceptance and payment mandates. Review schedule changes at the agreed renewal date. Pausing future billing must preserve the earlier invoices and any balance still collectible.

Start with the operating model

Agree the business entities, identifiers, source documents and responsible people before importing history. Keep the relationship between an old source reference and its new record so the team can investigate later questions without creating duplicate activity.

Keep decisions with the right people

Assign preparation and review responsibilities explicitly. Protect restricted amounts, bank information and personal details through the underlying permissions. A shared spreadsheet or an emailed document does not expand the recipient’s access to the application.

Bring the evidence with the work

Retain the original document, relevant date and reason for an exception. A later correction should explain what changed and preserve the earlier result. Where another system owns a posting or payment, keep its verified acknowledgment separate from the request sent to it.

Configure repeat work carefully

Use the established records and process stages for routine work. Test a representative exception and a repeated command before enabling a schedule or connector. Preserve source identities during imports and keep unresolved external outcomes visible for reconciliation.

Give reports a clear basis

Select the authorized entity, time period and relevant business population. Reconcile the report to its supporting records before sharing it. Historical records should remain explainable after a person leaves, a default changes or a connection is replaced.

Estimate to invoice for this team

  1. 01

    Prepare estimate

    Keep decisions with the right people · Bring the evidence with the work · Configure repeat work carefully · Give reports a clear basis

  2. 02

    Approve estimate

    Approval required

  3. 03

    Send invoice

  4. 04

    Collect payment

    Start with the operating model

  5. 05

    Follow up

Same records, same gates. The configuration changes how the process runs for this team.

Workspace previews

Year-End Reporting ReviewTaxForms1099Sent
Draft
  • TFS-53241 CUS-134 770 6 d
  • TFS-44214 CUS-096 200 7 d
  • TFS-59157 CUS-163 740 3 d
  • TFS-22864 CUS-022 80 in 10 d
  • TFS-65512 CUS-060 40 5 d
TFS-53241
TaxYear
770
Client
CUS-134
FormType
1099-MISC
AmountReportable
480
GeneratedAt
11 Sep
Collections and reporting →
Recent PaymentsPayments
StatusClearedRefundedDisputed
Cleared
PYM-87260CUS-118570 processor fee
PYM-25949CUS-063120 processor fee
Refunded
PYM-96285CUS-208520 processor fee
PYM-58814CUS-166880 processor fee
Disputed
PYM-69824CUS-074730 processor fee
PYM-51994CUS-067280 processor fee
Payments and reconciliation →
Active Recurring SchedulesRecurringSchedules
Active
Schedule NumberClientNameFrequencyStart Date
RS-99029CUS-085Schedule 928Weekly16 Sep
RS-43022CUS-119Schedule 768BiWeekly14 Sep
RS-44035CUS-010Schedule 575Monthly21 Sep
RS-64799CUS-237Schedule 645Quarterly13 Sep
RS-80884CUS-066Schedule 756Annual25 Sep
RS-29283CUS-197Schedule 676Weekly12 Sep
Recurring billing →

Typical roles

Roles and permissions
Owner / Admin

Owner / Admin works within the record, field and action scope below.

Permissions
  • Manage business configuration, provider connections and role assignments
  • Manage Clients, Items and SalesTaxRates
  • Prepare and send Estimates and Invoices
Draft InvoicesInvoices
Draft
  • INV-82687 CUS-112 2 d
  • INV-38571 CUS-122 3 d
  • INV-48909 CUS-061 10 d
  • INV-55787 CUS-015 5 d
  • INV-44420 CUS-145 10 d
INV-82687
Client
CUS-112
IssueDate
15 Sep
DueDate
23 Sep
Total
780
Status
Draft
Bookkeeper

Bookkeeper works within the record, field and action scope below.

Permissions
  • Manage Clients, Estimates and draft Invoices
  • Record evidenced offline client decisions and convert approved Estimates
  • Maintain agreed RecurringSchedules
My Draft InvoicesInvoices
YouDraft
  • INV-38996 CUS-083 14 d
  • INV-30820 CUS-171 5 d
  • INV-10018 CUS-043 4 d
  • INV-92241 CUS-221 12 d
  • INV-81811 CUS-158 14 d
INV-38996
Client
CUS-083
IssueDate
03 Sep
DueDate
08 Sep
Total
190
Status
Draft
Assistant

Assistant works within the record, field and action scope below.

Permissions
  • Manage own draft Estimates, Invoices, Expenses and TimeEntries
  • Send own valid Estimates and Invoices
  • View Items and SalesTaxRates
Outstanding InvoicesInvoices
StatusSentViewedPartialPaidOverdue
Sent
INV-70758CUS-234
INV-33407CUS-058
Viewed
INV-52435CUS-085
INV-73958CUS-204
PartialPaid
INV-29508CUS-200
Overdue
INV-30898CUS-231

Modules

  • Estimates Awaiting ApprovalSent
    Estimate NumberClientIssue DateExpiry Date

    Clients and estimates

    Agree the work and payment terms before creating an invoice.

  • Draft InvoicesDraft
    Invoice NumberClientIssue DateDue Date

    Invoice preparation

    Prepare invoices with clear lines, due dates and a preserved document history.

  • Recent PaymentsCleared
    Payment NumberInvoiceClientMethod
    ACH

    Payments and reconciliation

    Connect customer receipts to invoices and check their actual payment outcome.

  • Billable ExpensesRecorded
    Expense NumberExpense DateVendorClient

    Billable work

    Bring approved expenses and recorded time into the right customer invoice.

  • Pending RemindersScheduled
    InvoiceReminder TypeScheduled AtChannel
    Overdue Day7

    Collections and reporting

    Follow up on outstanding invoices with the right customer context.

  • Active Recurring SchedulesActive
    Schedule NumberClientNameFrequency
    Bi Weekly

    Recurring billing

    Manage retainers and repeat invoices from an explicit billing schedule.

Relevant reports

Reports and analytics

Sales Tax Collected

Review tax amounts attributed to collected invoice lines under the configured reporting basis. This report supports a separate reviewed filing process; it does not determine nexus or file returns.

Invoice Collection BoardInvoices
StatusSentViewedPartialPaidPaidOverdue
Sent
INV-37499CUS-217
INV-73699CUS-008
Viewed
INV-13975CUS-019
PartialPaid
INV-17150CUS-210
Paid
INV-85671CUS-069
Overdue
INV-33787CUS-120

Year-End 1099 Reconciliation

Compare reviewed outgoing-payment workpapers imported from accounting with recipient identity, applicable form type and external filing evidence. Incoming customer Payments are excluded.

Year-End Reporting ReviewTaxForms1099Sent
Draft
  • TFS-53241 CUS-134 770 6 d
  • TFS-44214 CUS-096 200 7 d
  • TFS-59157 CUS-163 740 3 d
  • TFS-22864 CUS-022 80 in 10 d
  • TFS-65512 CUS-060 40 5 d
TFS-53241
TaxYear
770
Client
CUS-134
FormType
1099-MISC
AmountReportable
480
GeneratedAt
11 Sep

Payment Methods Breakdown

Per period: amount collected by Method (Card, ACH, Check, Cash, Other) with total ProcessorFee and total NetDeposit. Used to compare Stripe / Square economics and to reconcile the bank deposit.

Recent PaymentsPayments
StatusClearedRefundedDisputed
Cleared
PYM-87260CUS-118570 processor fee
PYM-25949CUS-063120 processor fee
Refunded
PYM-96285CUS-208520 processor fee
PYM-58814CUS-166880 processor fee
Disputed
PYM-69824CUS-074730 processor fee
PYM-51994CUS-067280 processor fee

Common questions

All questions
How do I get started?

Click Start now to create your ERP.AI account, then use Proto to configure your clients, invoice numbering, tax treatment, recurring schedules and payment connection. Review an estimate, an invoice and a receipt with your bookkeeper before routine billing.

Related question
Can an accepted estimate become an invoice?

Yes. Convert the accepted estimate into one invoice with the agreed client, lines, net amount, tax and total preserved. If the customer changes the scope, prepare a revised offer for acceptance before using those changed terms.

Related question
Can we automate monthly retainer invoices?

Configure a recurring schedule with the frequency, dates and lines agreed with your customer. Choose whether each occurrence creates a draft for review or sends an invoice. Pausing future billing preserves invoices already issued and any unpaid balances.

Related question
How do online payment links work?

The invoice links to your configured hosted payment checkout. Verified provider outcomes update the payment history; opening checkout or authorizing a charge does not by itself mark an invoice paid.

Related question
What if the customer makes a partial payment?

Keep the receipt against its invoice and follow up on the remaining collectible balance. Gross payment, processor fee and net deposit remain distinct so a processing fee is not mistaken for customer nonpayment.

Related question
Can we include time and expenses on an invoice?

Yes. Review the client, hours, rate and supporting receipts, then add the selected billable entries to a draft. Source links explain each charge and prevent the same entry from being billed on competing invoices.

Related question
Can staff prepare invoices without seeing bank settings?

Assign the Assistant role for permitted drafts and billable entries. Bookkeeper and Owner / Admin responsibilities cover the wider billing work; payment configuration and restricted bank details remain separately controlled.

Related question
Will a paid customer still receive an overdue reminder?

The reminder checks the invoice again immediately before delivery. A fully paid or voided invoice is skipped, and partial-payment follow-up uses the remaining balance. A payment made after a message was already sent cannot recall that message.

Related question
How do we handle refunds or incorrect issued invoices?

Preserve the issued document and original payment history. Use the authorized correction or provider-confirmed refund process, with the reason and transaction references retained. Do not erase a paid invoice to hide its earlier amount.

Related question
Does this replace our accounting system?

It owns estimates, invoices, incoming receipts and billing history. Your general ledger and outgoing vendor payments remain in accounting. Sales-tax and contractor workpapers require their appropriate reviewed sources; incoming client receipts are not outgoing contractor payments.

Related question

Other industries

  • Industry

    Professional services

    Consultancies and independent specialists billing agreed work and reimbursable expenses.

  • This page

    Retainer businesses

    Agencies and service providers invoicing repeat commitments.

  • Industry

    Field service businesses

    Small service teams capturing billable time and expenses away from the office.

ERP•AI workspace

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Previous · industry 1 of 3Professional servicesNext · industry 3 of 3Field service businesses

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