# Creating an Invoice
**Create invoices through your Alternative Partner Dashboard and notify your customers of pending payments.**
***
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: [www.alternativepayments.io](https://www.alternativepayments.io/)
2. For a one-time invoice, select **Invoices** from the left side of the screen and select **Create invoice**.
3. For a recurring invoice, select **Recurring payments** from the left side of the screen and select **Add recurring payment**.
4. **Select a customer.** Search for an existing customer or add a new customer directly from the invoice creation screen.
5. **Set the due date.** Select a due date for the invoice. The due date cannot be set to a date in the past.
6. **Enter the amount.** Enter the invoice amount. The amount must be greater than zero.
7. **Add a memo (optional).** Include a memo or description to provide additional context about the invoice. This text is visible to the customer.
8. **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. |
9. 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](https://help.alternativepayments.io/automations/email-notifications-and-reminders/automatic-email-notifications) 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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