Overview
Managing invoice payments in Allison is essential for keeping your bookkeeping, customer records, and cash flow accurate. This guide covers everything you need to know about creating, sending, tracking, and managing invoice payments within Allison.
How Invoice Creation Works
Allison automatically creates invoices when jobs are completed (either marked as completed or everyone who is assigned clocks out of the job). This means your revenue reports always reflect work you've actually done, not just work you've scheduled.
What This Means:
You are not able to create invoices for jobs that haven't happened yet
Your earned revenue is always accurate
Invoices are system-generated based on completed jobs only
You can't manually create an invoice for work that hasn't been completed. This keeps your bookkeeping clean and your revenue tracking reliable.
Note: As of today, you cannot personalize or customize invoices within Allison. This is a capability that our team has on our roadmap. We'll keep you posted on updates!
Adding Images and Notes to Invoices
Help your customers see the value of your work by adding before/after photos and personalized notes directly to their invoices.
To Add Photos and Notes:
Open the invoice
Scroll to the bottom to find "Note for Customer" and "Photos"
Type your custom message in the notes field
Attach photos and label them with tags like "Before" or "After"
Your photos and notes will display prominently at the top of the customer's invoice, providing visual proof of your great work and reinforcing the professionalism of your service.
Automatically Send Invoices After Job Completion
You can configure Allison to automatically send invoices to customers as soon as a job is marked complete via email and/or SMS.
How to Enable:
Navigate to Settings
Go to Notifications
Find the When a job is completed... notification
Toggle on Email and/or SMS to automatically send invoices to customers
Important Consideration:
If you have a card on file for a customer and plan to charge them automatically, you may not want to enable this setting. Sending an invoice before charging the card could create confusion.
When Invoices Update Automatically vs. Manually
Understanding when Allison automatically updates invoice status versus when you need to take manual action will help you manage your invoices efficiently.
Automatic (No Action Needed)
When a customer pays an invoice via credit/debit card through Stripe, Allison automatically:
Marks the invoice as paid
Updates the invoice status in your system
Shows the invoice under Recently Paid Invoices on the Now screen
Sends a payment confirmation to the customer (if notifications are enabled)
Sends you an email notification (if that setting is turned on)
Manual "Mark as Paid" Required
When someone pays using alternative payment methods, you'll need to manually mark the invoice as paid in Allison:
Cash
Venmo
Zelle
Check
Any other non-credit card payment method
Payment Confirmation Notifications
You can automatically send payment receipts to customers whenever they make a payment toward an invoice.
How to Enable Payment Confirmations
Navigate to Settings
Scroll down to Notifications
Find the When a payment is applied to an invoice... notification
Toggle on Email and/or SMS to send payment confirmations through your preferred channel(s)
When enabled, customers will automatically receive a receipt anytime they make a payment, including:
Full invoice payments
Partial payments
Tips added after the original payment
Business Payment Notifications
Stay informed when customers pay their invoices through Stripe. If you want to receive email notifications whenever a customer makes a payment via Credit/Debit Card outside of Allison, turn this notification on.
How to Enable
Go to Settings > Notifications
Find the When a customer pays their invoice... under Business Notifications
Toggle on to receive an email notification whenever a customer pays via Stripe or credit card
Customer Tip Functionality
Customers can now add a tip after you've charged their card through Allison.
How It Works
When you charge a customer's card on file through Allison:
The customer receives an email confirming their payment (if this notification is turned on)
The email includes the payment details
The customer can add a tip directly from the email
This gives customers the flexibility to show appreciation for great service even after the payment has been processed.
Managing Paid Invoices
Viewing Payment Details
To see details about any paid invoice:
Navigate to the Now screen
Find the invoice under Recently Paid Invoices
Click on the invoice to view:
Payment status (Paid)
Payment method
Amount paid
Any tip included
Manually Sending Receipts
Even with automatic notifications enabled, you can still manually send a receipt to a customer:
Open the paid invoice
Click Copy Receipt Link
Send the link to your customer via email or your preferred communication method
Note: If you have payment confirmation notifications turned on (Email or SMS), customers will automatically receive their receipt without any manual action needed.
Need to Send an Invoice or Follow Up?
If a customer hasn't paid their invoice yet:
Click "Send" (if an email is on file) to send the invoice via email
Or click "Copy Customer Link" to manually send them the invoice through your preferred communication method
Customers will be able to:
View their invoice online
Complete the payment with a credit card
See all invoice details
Why Keeping Invoice Status Updated Matters
Maintaining accurate invoice payment status ensures:
Your accounting stays clean and accurate
You can easily track outstanding payments
Your dashboard and reports reflect real revenue
Customer communication is clear—you always know who owes what
Customer balances and payment history remain accurate
Summary
Allison's invoice management system helps you:
Automatically track Stripe credit card payments without manual intervention
Send automatic payment confirmations to customers
Stay informed about incoming payments through business notifications
Allow customers to add tips after payment
Manually manage payments from alternative payment methods
Keep accurate records for bookkeeping and reporting
All of these capabilities work together to help you run more efficiently while delivering the professional customer experience your cleaning business deserves.