Invoices

Creating an Invoice

Invoices can be created from either the Invoices page or from within a Billing Account.

Before creating an invoice:

• A billing account must already exist.
• It is recommended that you create charges on the account first. Building invoices from charges ensures the invoice accurately reflects the fees owed and helps keep account statements organized.
• Customize your invoices with your school logo and other details, navigate to the Settings section under Billing and complete the required fields. See Billing Settings for more information.

Creating an Invoice from a Billing Account

1. Go to Billing → Accounts and open the desired account.
2. Select the Statements tab.
3. Verify that one or more charges have been created for the account. If needed, create a charge first. (Learn more about creating charges here.)
4. Click Invoice.
5. Select the charge(s) and line item(s) to include on the invoice, then click Continue.
6. In the Invoice Builder, review and update the invoice as needed:
   • Review line items. These are generated from the selected charges. You can edit, remove, or add additional line items.
   • Adjust pricing. Apply discounts, credits, or modify amounts if needed.
   • Set the Send Date and Due Date.
   • Review payment options. Payment methods can be customized for this invoice. Default payment settings are configured under Billing → Settings.
7. Click Save & Send to send the invoice immediately, or Save as Draft to finish it later.

Creating an Invoice from the Invoices Page

1. Go to Billing → Invoices.
2. Click + Add New Invoice.
3. Choose one of the following:
   • Build from Charges (recommended)
   • Blank Invoice
4. Select the billing account.
5. If building from charges, select the charge(s) to include on the invoice, or create a new charge if one doesn't already exist.
6. Review the invoice in the Invoice Builder. (See the steps above for details.)
7. Click Save & Send or Save as Draft.

Creating Invoices in Bulk

If you need to invoice multiple accounts at once, you can create invoices in bulk from the Account Charges page.

Before creating bulk invoices, make sure each account has one or more charges. Charges can be created individually within each account or in bulk from the Accounts page.

To create invoices in bulk:

1. Go to Billing → Accounts → Account Charges.
2. Select the charges you want to invoice.
3. Click Create Invoices.
4. Review the generated invoices and make any necessary adjustments.
5. Click Save & Send or Save as Draft.

This workflow allows you to quickly generate invoices for multiple accounts while ensuring each invoice is linked to the appropriate charges.

Editing Invoices

To edit an invoice that has been saved, locate the invoice in the Billing -> Invoices page or in the Account. Open the invoice and make changes as needed. Save your changes.

Note: Invoices that have been fully or partially paid online cannot be edited.

Saving and Sending Invoices

When your invoice is complete, select to either save and send, or save as a draft.

Save & Send:

Click Save & Send when the invoice is complete. This will:

• Email the invoice to the payer.
• Post the invoice on the Guardian Portal (if the account is linked to a guardian).
• Notify the payer.

Save as a Draft:

• If you need more time to make changes, click Save as Draft. This allows you to continue editing until you’re ready to send it.
• You can view how the invoice will look by clicking Download Invoice PDF.

Managing Invoices

Invoice Statuses

You can manually change an invoice’s status unless it has been paid online. Available status options include:

• Draft
• Paid Offline
• Uncollectable
• Void

To update a status, open the invoice, click the Invoice Status dropdown in the top-right corner, and select the new status.

Managing Invoices Paid Offline

If an invoice was paid outside of Spark (by cash, check, or another online processor), you can mark it as Paid Offline using the Invoice Status dropdown.

When marking an invoice as Paid Offline, you’ll have the option to enter the payment date, add any relevant notes, and send a receipt to the account holder. You can also update or add this information later in the Offline Payment Info section of the invoice.

Invoices support both private and public notes.

Private Notes

Private notes are visible only to staff and are never shown to the account holder.

To add a private note:

1. Open a draft or existing invoice.
2. Click + Add Internal Notes.
3. Enter your note and save your changes.

Each note is automatically stamped with the date it was created or last updated.

Public Notes

Public notes appear directly on the invoice and are visible to the account holder.

To add a public note:

1. Open the invoice.
2. Scroll to the Public Notes section, located beneath the Prices section.
3. Enter the message you want to appear on the invoice.
4. Save your changes.

Public notes are useful for including payment instructions, thank-you messages, or other information you want the account holder to see.