Skip to Content
DocumentationStructur for QuickbooksUser GuideCreating Invoices

Creating Invoices

This guide walks you through creating QuickBooks invoices from HubSpot deals using the QuickBooks Invoicing integration.

Overview

Creating an invoice is straightforward:

  1. Open a deal in HubSpot
  2. Navigate to QuickBooks Invoices tab
  3. Click “Create Invoice”
  4. Fill in invoice details
  5. Submit → Invoice created in QuickBooks

Prerequisites

Before creating invoices:

  • Integration is installed and connected to QuickBooks
  • You have Edit access to deals in HubSpot
  • Deal has an amount set
  • Deal has an associated contact (for customer)
  • QuickBooks has at least one tax code
  • QuickBooks has at least one product/service

Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Invoice

Step 1: Navigate to a Deal

  1. In HubSpot, go to Sales → Deals
  2. Open an existing deal (or create a new one)
  3. Ensure the deal has:
    • An amount (e.g., $1,000)
    • An associated contact

Tip: For your first invoice, use a test deal with test data or your own email as the contact.

Step 2: Open QuickBooks Invoices Tab

  1. On the deal record, look at the middle column tabs
  2. Find and click the QuickBooks Invoices tab
  3. The card will load, showing:
    • Connection status
    • “Create Invoice” button
    • List of previously created invoices (if any)

If tab isn’t visible:

  • Verify you’re on a Deal record (not contact or company)
  • Check with admin that integration is installed
  • Refresh the page
  • Clear browser cache

Step 3: Click “Create Invoice”

  1. Click the Create Invoice button
  2. The invoice creation modal opens
  3. You’ll see a form with multiple fields

Step 4: Select Invoice Type

Choose the type of invoice you’re creating:

Invoice Type Options:

  1. Deposit Invoice:

    • Initial payment (e.g., 30% upfront)
    • Requires percentage input
    • Use for: Retainers, down payments, project starts

  2. Follow-up Invoice:

    • Intermediate payment
    • Requires percentage input
    • Use for: Milestone payments, phased billing

  3. Final Invoice:

    • Final or full payment
    • Can use percentage or full deal amount
    • Use for: Project completion, single-payment invoices

For your first invoice, choose Final (simplest option).

See Multi-Step Invoicing for detailed deposit and follow-up workflow.

Step 5: Enter Invoice Amount

The amount is calculated based on invoice type:

If “Final” is selected:

  • Amount auto-populates with full deal amount
  • Or enter a percentage (e.g., 100% for full amount)

If “Deposit” or “Follow-up” is selected:

  • Enter percentage (e.g., 30 for 30%)
  • Amount calculates automatically

Example:

  • Deal amount: $1,000
  • Invoice type: Deposit
  • Percentage: 30%
  • Calculated amount: $300

Manual override (if supported):

  • Some implementations allow manual amount entry
  • Useful for adjustments or custom amounts

Tip: Verify the calculated amount looks correct before proceeding.

Step 6: Select Customer

Choose which HubSpot contact should be the invoice recipient:

  1. Click the Customer dropdown

  2. You’ll see:

    • Primary contact associated with the deal
    • Other contacts associated with the deal or company

  3. Select the appropriate contact

What happens next:

  • Integration checks if contact exists in QuickBooks
  • If found: Uses existing QuickBooks customer
  • If not found: Creates new QuickBooks customer with contact’s information

See Customer Sync for details on how contacts sync.

If dropdown is empty:

  • Deal has no associated contacts
  • Add a contact to the deal first
  • Refresh and try again

Step 7: Select Tax Code

Choose the appropriate tax code for this invoice:

  1. Click the Tax Code dropdown
  2. You’ll see tax codes from your QuickBooks company
  3. Select the appropriate tax code

Common tax codes:

  • Sales Tax (X%): For taxable sales
  • Non-Taxable: For tax-exempt sales
  • Out of State: For interstate sales
  • Tax Exempt: For exempt customers

If default tax code is configured:

  • Tax code will be pre-selected
  • You can change it if needed for this invoice

Tip: When in doubt, check with your accountant about which tax code to use.

Step 8: Select Product/Service

Choose the product or service for the invoice line item:

  1. Click the Product dropdown
  2. You’ll see products and services from QuickBooks
  3. Select the appropriate one

Common products/services:

  • “Services” - General services
  • “Consulting” - Consulting work
  • “Sales” - Product sales
  • “General” - Catch-all category

If default product is configured:

  • Product will be pre-selected
  • You can change it if needed

Purpose: Products categorize revenue in QuickBooks for reporting.

Step 9: Set Payment Terms

Choose when payment is due:

Common payment terms:

  • Due on receipt: Payment due immediately
  • Net 15: Payment due in 15 days
  • Net 30: Payment due in 30 days
  • Net 60: Payment due in 60 days

Custom terms: Some QuickBooks companies have custom terms

Default: If not specified, QuickBooks uses your company’s default payment terms.

Step 10: Set Due Date (Optional)

Alternatively, set a specific due date:

  1. Click the Due Date field
  2. Select a date from the calendar
  3. Or enter manually (MM/DD/YYYY format)

Interaction with payment terms:

  • If you set a due date, it overrides payment terms
  • Or payment terms auto-calculate due date

Step 11: Add Memo/Notes (Optional)

Add internal notes or customer-facing message:

  1. Click in the Memo field
  2. Enter text (up to 4,000 characters)

Examples:

  • “Project: Website Redesign - Phase 1”
  • “Invoice for consulting services rendered in October”
  • “Thank you for your business!”

Visibility: Memo appears on the invoice sent to customer.

Step 12: Select Email Option

Choose how the invoice should be delivered:

Email Options:

  1. Send now:

    • QuickBooks emails invoice immediately upon creation
    • Email sent to contact’s email address
    • Uses QuickBooks email template

  2. Schedule send:

    • Choose date and time to send
    • Email queued for future delivery
    • Can reschedule or cancel before send time

  3. Send later manually:

    • Invoice created but not emailed
    • You send manually from QuickBooks later
    • Useful for approval workflows

For your first invoice, choose Send now (simplest option).

See Email Management for detailed email features.

Step 13: Review Invoice Details

Before submitting, review all fields:

  • Invoice type: Correct (Deposit, Follow-up, or Final)
  • Amount: Calculated correctly
  • Customer: Correct contact selected
  • Tax code: Appropriate for this sale
  • Product: Correct categorization
  • Payment terms or due date: Set correctly
  • Email option: Chosen appropriately
  • Memo: Any necessary notes added

Tip: Double-check customer email address is correct, especially if choosing “Send now”.

Step 14: Submit Invoice

  1. Click the Create Invoice or Submit button
  2. Modal shows “Creating invoice…” progress indicator
  3. Wait for confirmation (typically 2-4 seconds)

What happens during submission:

  1. Contact synced to QuickBooks (if new customer)
  2. Invoice created in QuickBooks
  3. Invoice number assigned by QuickBooks
  4. Email sent (if “Send now” selected)
  5. Invoice details returned to HubSpot

Step 15: Verify Invoice Creation

After successful creation:

  1. Success message displayed:

    • “Invoice created successfully”
    • Invoice number shown (e.g., “INV-1001”)

  2. Invoice appears in card:

    • Scroll down in QuickBooks Invoices tab
    • See newly created invoice in list
    • Shows invoice number, amount, date

  3. Verify in QuickBooks:

    • Click “View in QuickBooks” link (if available)
    • Or log into QuickBooks → Sales → Invoices
    • Find the invoice by number

  4. Verify email sent (if “Send now” selected):

    • Check your email (if you’re the customer)
    • Or verify in QuickBooks → Invoice → Email status

Invoice Creation Examples

Example 1: Simple Consulting Invoice

Scenario: Bill client $2,000 for completed consulting

Steps:

  1. Open deal (amount: $2,000)
  2. QuickBooks Invoices tab → Create Invoice
  3. Type: Final
  4. Customer: John Doe (from deal contact)
  5. Tax: Non-Taxable
  6. Product: Consulting Services
  7. Terms: Net 30
  8. Email: Send now
  9. Submit

Result: Invoice created for $2,000, emailed to John Doe, payment due in 30 days.

Example 2: Project Deposit

Scenario: $10,000 project, requesting 30% deposit

Steps:

  1. Open deal (amount: $10,000)
  2. Create Invoice
  3. Type: Deposit
  4. Percentage: 30%
  5. Calculated amount: $3,000
  6. Customer: Jane Smith
  7. Tax: Sales Tax (8%)
  8. Product: Professional Services
  9. Terms: Due on receipt
  10. Email: Send now
  11. Submit

Result: Deposit invoice for $3,000 ($10,000 × 30%), emailed immediately.

Example 3: Manual Email Invoice

Scenario: Create invoice but send after manager approval

Steps:

  1. Open deal → Create Invoice
  2. Type: Final
  3. Amount: $5,000
  4. Customer: ABC Corp
  5. Tax: Non-Taxable
  6. Product: Software License
  7. Terms: Net 15
  8. Email: Send later manually
  9. Submit

Result: Invoice created in QuickBooks but not emailed. Send manually after approval.

After Creating an Invoice

What Happens in QuickBooks

  1. Invoice record created:

    • Invoice number assigned (sequential)
    • Customer field populated
    • Line items added
    • Tax applied

  2. Invoice status: “Sent” (if emailed) or “Unsent”

  3. Customer balance updated:

    • Customer now owes the invoice amount
    • Accounts Receivable increased

  4. Email sent (if “Send now”):

    • QuickBooks sends professional invoice email
    • Includes PDF attachment
    • Payment link (if QuickBooks Payments enabled)

What Happens in HubSpot

  1. Invoice added to CRM card:

    • Invoice appears in list on QuickBooks Invoices tab
    • Shows invoice number, amount, date

  2. Deal updated (optional, depends on implementation):

    • Custom property may track invoice number
    • Timeline event may be created

  3. No automatic deal stage change:

    • Creating invoice does NOT move deal to different stage
    • Update deal stage manually if needed

Troubleshooting Invoice Creation

”Cannot create invoice: No customer selected”

Solution: Select a contact from the Customer dropdown. If empty, associate a contact with the deal first.

”Cannot create invoice: Deal amount is zero”

Solution: Set a deal amount in HubSpot. Edit the deal and enter an amount.

”Tax code not found”

Solution: Selected tax code was deleted in QuickBooks. Choose a different tax code or create it in QuickBooks.

”Email sending failed”

Cause: QuickBooks email settings or customer has no email address

Solutions:

  1. Verify contact has email address in HubSpot
  2. Check QuickBooks email configuration
  3. Invoice is still created - send manually from QuickBooks

Invoice created but not visible in card

Solutions:

  1. Refresh the QuickBooks Invoices tab
  2. Check QuickBooks directly to verify invoice exists
  3. Check browser console for errors

Best Practices

Before Creating Invoices

✅ Do:

  • Verify deal amount is correct
  • Ensure contact has valid email address
  • Double-check tax code for this customer/product
  • Review payment terms align with customer agreement
  • Test with your own email first

❌ Don’t:

  • Create invoices for incomplete deals
  • Send invoices without reviewing details
  • Create duplicate invoices (check QuickBooks first)

During Invoice Creation

✅ Do:

  • Read each field carefully
  • Use appropriate invoice type (Deposit, Follow-up, Final)
  • Add memo for clarity
  • Verify calculated amounts are correct

❌ Don’t:

  • Rush through the form
  • Assume defaults are always correct
  • Skip review step

After Invoice Creation

✅ Do:

  • Verify invoice in QuickBooks
  • Confirm email was sent (if applicable)
  • Update deal stage if needed
  • Note invoice number for reference

❌ Don’t:

  • Assume invoice sent without verification
  • Forget to check payment status later
  • Create second invoice if unsure (check first)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit an invoice after creation?

Not directly in HubSpot. Invoices must be edited in QuickBooks Online. Click “View in QuickBooks” to open and edit.

What if I enter the wrong amount?

If you notice before submitting, correct it in the form. If already submitted, edit the invoice in QuickBooks or void and recreate.

Can I create invoices for deals without contacts?

No. A contact must be associated with the deal to serve as the QuickBooks customer.

What if the customer’s email bounces?

Invoice is still created in QuickBooks. Resend manually with corrected email address from QuickBooks.

Can I create multiple invoices for one deal?

Yes. Multi-step invoicing allows creating Deposit, Follow-up(s), and Final invoices for the same deal. See Multi-Step Invoicing.

Does creating an invoice change the deal stage?

No. Deal stages are not automatically updated. Change stages manually based on your workflow.

Can I delete an invoice from HubSpot?

No. Invoices must be deleted (or voided) in QuickBooks. Changes sync to the CRM card.

Next Steps

Master Advanced Features

  1. Multi-Step Invoicing - Learn deposit and milestone billing
  2. Email Management - Schedule invoice emails
  3. Best Practices - Optimize your workflow

Understand the Details

  1. Customer Sync - How contact syncing works
  2. Invoice Tracking - Monitor invoice status

Troubleshooting

  1. Invoice Creation Issues - Common problems and solutions
  2. Support - Get help if needed

Additional Resources

Last updated on
OverviewMulti-Step Invoicing