Email Management

The QuickBooks Invoicing integration provides flexible email management options for sending invoices to customers. You can send immediately, schedule for later, or handle email manually.

Overview

Email options when creating invoices:

• Send now: Immediate email delivery via QuickBooks
• Schedule send: Queue email for specific date/time
• Send later manually: Create invoice without emailing (send from QuickBooks later)

Key points:

• Emails sent by QuickBooks (professional templates)
• Recipient is the selected customer’s email address
• Email includes PDF invoice attachment
• Payment link included (if QuickBooks Payments enabled)

Email Options Explained

Send Now

What it does: QuickBooks emails the invoice immediately upon creation

When to use:

• Standard invoicing workflow
• Customer expecting immediate invoice
• Time-sensitive billing
• No approval process needed

Process:

1. Create invoice
2. Select “Send now” option
3. Submit invoice
4. QuickBooks sends email within seconds

Email delivery: Typically 1-2 minutes

Example use case: Consulting invoice for work just completed - client expects immediate invoice.

Schedule Send

What it does: Queues invoice email for future delivery

When to use:

• Sending invoice on specific date (e.g., 1st of month)
• Time zone considerations (send during business hours)
• Coordinating with other communications
• Delaying invoice until milestone confirmed

Process:

1. Create invoice
2. Select “Schedule send” option
3. Choose date and time
4. Submit invoice
5. Email queued in QuickBooks
6. Sent automatically at scheduled time

Scheduling options:

• Date picker: Select any future date
• Time picker: Choose specific time
• Time zone: QuickBooks uses your company’s time zone

Example use case: Create invoices at end of month, schedule to send on 1st of next month.

Send Later Manually

What it does: Creates invoice without sending email

When to use:

• Internal approval required before sending
• Need to review invoice in QuickBooks first
• Batch sending multiple invoices
• Special email customization needed

Process:

1. Create invoice
2. Select “Send later manually”
3. Submit invoice
4. Invoice created in QuickBooks but not emailed
5. Send manually from QuickBooks when ready

Manual sending:

• QuickBooks → Invoices → Find invoice → Send
• Allows customizing email message
• Can add CC recipients

Example use case: Create invoice on Friday, manager reviews Monday, send after approval.

Email Content and Templates

What’s Included in Invoice Emails

Invoice emails sent by QuickBooks include:

Email subject:

Invoice INV-1001 from [Your Company Name]

Email body:

• Personalized greeting (e.g., “Hello John,”)
• Invoice details (number, amount, due date)
• Professional message from your company
• Payment instructions
• Link to view invoice online
• Payment button (if QuickBooks Payments enabled)

Attachments:

• PDF invoice attachment

Customization: Email templates are configured in QuickBooks settings, not in the HubSpot integration.

Email Template Configuration

To customize email templates:

1. Log into QuickBooks Online
2. Go to Settings → Account and Settings
3. Navigate to Sales tab
4. Click Messages section
5. Edit invoice email template:
   • Subject line
   • Greeting
   • Message body
   • Signature

Best practices:

• Professional, friendly tone
• Clear payment instructions
• Include contact information for questions
• Add late fee policy if applicable

Step-by-Step: Email Options

Send Invoice Immediately

1. Create invoice (follow Creating Invoices guide)
2. Reach email option step
3. Select “Send now”
4. Submit invoice

What happens:

• Invoice created in QuickBooks
• Email sent within 1-2 minutes
• Customer receives invoice in inbox
• Invoice marked as “Sent” in QuickBooks

Verification:

• Check sent emails in QuickBooks (Invoices → [Invoice] → Email History)
• Confirm delivery status
• Optionally check with customer

Schedule Invoice Email

1. Create invoice

2. Select “Schedule send”

3. Date picker appears:

   • Click calendar icon
   • Select future date (e.g., December 1, 2024)

4. Time picker (if available):

   • Select time (e.g., 9:00 AM)
   • Uses your QuickBooks company time zone

5. Review schedule:

   • Confirm: “Email scheduled for Dec 1, 2024 at 9:00 AM”

6. Submit invoice

What happens:

• Invoice created immediately
• Email queued for future send
• QuickBooks sends automatically at scheduled time
• Invoice marked as “Scheduled” until sent

Managing scheduled emails: See Managing Scheduled Emails below.

Create Invoice Without Emailing

1. Create invoice
2. Select “Send later manually”
3. Submit invoice

What happens:

• Invoice created in QuickBooks
• No email sent
• Invoice marked as “Unsent”
• You send manually when ready

To send later:

1. Log into QuickBooks Online
2. Go to Sales → Invoices
3. Find the invoice
4. Click Send button
5. Review email, make any edits
6. Click Send

Managing Scheduled Emails

Viewing Scheduled Emails

In QuickBooks:

1. Go to Sales → Invoices
2. Filter by Scheduled status
3. See list of invoices with scheduled send times

Invoice details:

• Invoice number
• Customer name
• Amount
• Scheduled send date/time

Rescheduling an Email

To change scheduled send time:

1. QuickBooks → Invoices → Find invoice
2. Click invoice to open
3. Look for Scheduled email section
4. Click Reschedule or Edit
5. Select new date/time
6. Save

Limitations: Some implementations may require canceling and manually sending instead.

Canceling Scheduled Email

To prevent scheduled email from sending:

1. QuickBooks → Invoices → Find invoice
2. Open invoice
3. Look for scheduled email info
4. Click Cancel or Don’t send
5. Confirm cancellation

Result: Email will not send. Invoice status changes to “Unsent”. You can send manually later.

Sending Scheduled Email Immediately

To send now instead of waiting:

1. QuickBooks → Invoices → Find invoice
2. Cancel scheduled send
3. Click Send button
4. Send immediately

Email Tracking and Status

Email Status Values

Checking Email Status

In QuickBooks:

1. Go to invoice
2. Look for Email section or Activity tab
3. See email history:
   • Sent: [Date/Time]
   • Delivered: Yes/No
   • Opened: Yes/No (if tracking enabled)
   • Bounced: Reason (if failed)

In HubSpot (QuickBooks Invoices tab):

• Some implementations show email status
• May display “Sent”, “Scheduled”, or “Manual send”

Email Delivery Failures

Common causes:

• Invalid email address
• Customer’s email server blocking
• Spam filter caught invoice
• Mailbox full

Solutions:

1. Verify email address:

   • Check contact record in HubSpot
   • Correct typos or outdated emails

2. Resend manually:

   • QuickBooks → Invoice → Send
   • Try alternative email address if available

3. Alternative delivery:

   • Download invoice PDF
   • Send via personal email or mail

Email Best Practices

Timing Email Delivery

✅ Good timing:

• Business hours (9 AM - 5 PM customer’s time zone)
• First of month for recurring invoices
• Immediately after milestone completion
• Before due date reminders (e.g., 3 days before)

❌ Poor timing:

• Weekends (may get lost in inbox)
• Late night (appears unprofessional)
• Holidays (customer may miss email)
• Middle of night in customer’s time zone

Email Communication

✅ Do:

• Use professional email templates
• Include clear payment instructions
• Add contact info for questions
• Set expectations for due date
• Use consistent email formatting
• Personalize greeting with customer name

❌ Don’t:

• Send generic, impersonal emails
• Forget to include payment methods
• Send without reviewing details
• Use unclear subject lines
• Overwhelm with too many emails

Following Up on Invoices

Recommended follow-up schedule:

1. Invoice sent: Day 0
2. Gentle reminder: 3 days before due date
3. Due date reminder: On due date
4. Overdue notice: 3 days after due date
5. Final notice: 7 days after due date

How to send reminders (from QuickBooks):

1. QuickBooks → Invoices → Find invoice
2. Click Send reminder
3. Customize reminder message
4. Send

Scheduled Email Scenarios

Scenario 1: Monthly Recurring Invoices

Goal: Create invoices at month-end, send on 1st

Process:

1. Last day of month: Create all invoices
2. Schedule send: 1st of next month, 9:00 AM
3. Submit all invoices
4. QuickBooks sends automatically on 1st

Benefits:

• Batch invoice creation
• Consistent delivery timing
• Professional appearance (all arrive same time)

Scenario 2: Multi-Step Invoice Coordination

Goal: Schedule follow-up invoice to send after expected milestone

Process:

1. Create deposit invoice: Send now (today)
2. Create follow-up invoice: Schedule for 30 days from now
3. Create final invoice: Leave as manual send

Adjustment: If milestone delays, reschedule follow-up email.

Scenario 3: Approval Workflow

Goal: Create invoice, manager approves, then send

Process:

1. Create invoice: Select “Send later manually”
2. Submit
3. Notify manager: “Invoice INV-1001 ready for review”
4. Manager reviews in QuickBooks
5. After approval, manager sends email manually

Benefits:

• Quality control before customer sees invoice
• Correct any errors before sending
• Ensure accuracy for important clients

Troubleshooting Email Issues

Email Not Sent

Symptom: Selected “Send now” but customer didn’t receive

Possible causes:

• Email delivery lag (wait 5-10 minutes)
• Email bounced (invalid address)
• Spam filter caught email
• QuickBooks email service issue

Solutions:

1. Wait 10 minutes and check QuickBooks email history
2. Verify customer email in contact record
3. Ask customer to check spam folder
4. Resend manually from QuickBooks

Scheduled Email Didn’t Send

Symptom: Scheduled time passed but email not sent

Possible causes:

• Scheduled time in wrong time zone
• QuickBooks service interruption
• Schedule was canceled

Solutions:

1. Check invoice status in QuickBooks
2. Verify scheduled time and time zone
3. Send manually if schedule failed

Wrong Email Address

Symptom: Email bounced or sent to wrong recipient

Solutions:

1. Update contact email in HubSpot
2. Don’t create new invoice - use existing one
3. QuickBooks → Invoice → Send to corrected email
4. Update contact record for future invoices

Customer Says They Didn’t Receive

Solutions:

1. Check spam folder
2. Verify email address is correct
3. Resend from QuickBooks
4. Forward invoice manually from your email
5. Provide download link to invoice PDF

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send to multiple email addresses?

Not directly from integration. Create invoice with primary email, then manually add CC recipients in QuickBooks when sending.

Can I customize the email message per invoice?

Not in HubSpot. Create with “Send later manually”, then customize message in QuickBooks before sending.

What happens if I reschedule multiple times?

No issue. Reschedule as needed until email sends.

Can I cancel a scheduled email?

Yes, in QuickBooks. Cancel scheduled send and either send manually or leave unsent.

Does “Send now” mean instant delivery?

Near-instant. Typically 1-2 minutes for email to arrive.

Can I see if customer opened the email?

If QuickBooks email tracking is enabled, yes. Check invoice email history in QuickBooks.

What if customer’s email bounces?

Update email address in HubSpot contact record, then resend invoice from QuickBooks to corrected email.

Next Steps

Master Related Features

1. Creating Invoices - Invoice creation basics
2. Multi-Step Invoicing - Scheduling follow-up invoices
3. Best Practices - Email timing and workflow optimization

Advanced Topics

1. Invoice Tracking - Monitor invoice and payment status
2. Customer Sync - Understanding customer email sync

Additional Resources

• QuickBooks Email Invoices  - QuickBooks email guide
• Email Templates  - Customizing QuickBooks email templates
• Features Overview - All integration features