Creating an Invoice

Create invoices through your Alternative Partner Dashboard and notify your customers of pending payments.

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If you're not using any integrations and plan to create invoices directly in Alternative Payments, this guide will show you how to create an invoice. Here's how:

Steps to Create an Invoice

1. Log in to your Alternative portal: app.alternativepayments.io
2. For a one-time invoice, select Invoices from the left side of the screen and select Create invoice.

1. For a recurring invoice, select Recurring payments from the left side of the screen and select Add recurring payment.
2. Select a customer. Search for an existing customer or add a new customer directly from the invoice creation screen.
3. Set the due date. Select a due date for the invoice. The due date cannot be set to a date in the past.
4. Enter the amount. Enter the invoice amount. The amount must be greater than zero.
5. Add a memo (optional). Include a memo or description to provide additional context about the invoice. This text is visible to the customer.
6. Choose a payment option. Select one of the following payment timing options:

Payment Option	Description
Charge later	Creates the invoice without charging the customer. The invoice will appear in their portal and you can send a notification or reminder to prompt payment.
Charge now	Immediately charges the customer's default payment method on file when the invoice is created. The customer must have a valid payment method saved.
Charge on due date	Automatically charges the customer's default payment method on the invoice due date. If Auto-Pay is enabled for the customer, this is the default behavior.
Email payment link	Sends the customer an email with a direct link to pay the invoice. The customer can choose their preferred payment method at the time of payment.
Charge method on file	Charges a specific payment method already saved on the customer's account. You select which payment method to use during invoice creation.

1. Click Create invoice.

Validation Rules

• Due date must be today or a future date. Past dates are not accepted.
• Amount must be greater than $0.00.
• Customer is required. You cannot create an invoice without selecting or creating a customer.
• Payment method on file is required if you select "Charge now," "Charge on due date," or "Charge method on file." The customer must have a valid payment method saved.

Notifying Your Customer

After creating the invoice, you can notify the customer in two ways:

• Manual notification -- Click the "Send" button on the invoice to send an email notification immediately.
• Automatic reminders -- Set up automatic email reminders so customers are notified automatically when invoices are created and reminded as the due date approaches.

Customers receive a branded invoice notification in their email. To make a payment, they log into their account through the email and use a saved payment method to pay their invoice in just 2-3 clicks. Through Alternative, customers are paying in 2 minutes or less, much faster than any other option.

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