Skip to main content

Invoicing Tab

The Invoicing tab controls how financial information is displayed on invoices and how invoice status is tracked throughout the billing lifecycle.

While many districts use invoicing only occasionally, others rely on it heavily for lost devices, damage charges, or internal cost recovery. Because of that, these settings are intentionally simple but impactful.

Permission Required

To access the Invoicing tab, you need the Manage Settings permission assigned to your role.

Invoice Management​

The Invoice Management section controls how cost information is presented on invoices generated within Manage1to1.

Showing Actual Cost on Invoices​

When enabled, invoices will display the actual unit cost of items listed on the invoice.

What this does:

  • Shows the unit cost field value on generated invoice PDFs
  • Provides transparency about actual replacement/repair costs
  • Helps justify charges to families

This setting is most commonly used by districts that:

  • Bill students or staff for lost or damaged devices
  • Require transparent cost documentation for audits or disputes
  • Recover costs internally between departments or schools

Before enabling this setting: Districts should ensure that unit costs are properly configured for all applicable devices and parts. If costs are missing or inconsistent, invoices may appear incomplete or misleading.

If costs aren't configured:

  • Invoices may show blank or $0.00 unit cost
  • Families may question charges that appear to have no basis
  • Internal cost tracking becomes unreliable

Alternative approach: Districts that prefer to handle cost disclosure outside of Manage1to1, or that use flat replacement fees, often leave this option disabled and rely on sale item pricing alone.

Impact: Changes to this setting apply to invoices generated after the setting is saved. Previously created invoices are not retroactively modified.

Invoice Status​

Invoice statuses allow districts to track where an invoice is in its lifecycle. These statuses are visual indicators used throughout the invoicing screens and reports.

Default Invoice Statuses​

Common default statuses include:

  • Unpaid - Invoice created, no payment received
  • 1st Notice - First reminder sent to family
  • 2nd Notice - Second reminder sent
  • Final Notice - Last reminder before collections or write-off
  • Paid - Fully paid, no balance remaining
  • Cancelled - Invoice voided or cancelled
  • Collections - Sent to collections agency or escalated

Color coding: Statuses can be color-coded to make it easier for staff to quickly identify invoices that require attention.

Examples:

  • Unpaid: Yellow
  • 1st/2nd Notice: Orange
  • Final Notice: Red
  • Paid: Green
  • Collections: Dark Red
System-Defined Statuses

The Unpaid, Paid, and Cancelled invoice statuses are system-defined and cannot be modified or removed. These statuses are used by Manage1to1 to control core invoice behavior, including balance tracking, reporting, and automated system actions. If additional workflow steps are needed, create custom invoice statuses instead of altering these defaults.

Custom Statuses​

Districts may modify up to 3 custom invoice statuses to align with internal processes or board-approved workflows.

Examples of custom statuses:

  • "Under Review" - Invoice pending administrative approval
  • "Payment Plan" - Installment payment arrangement in place
  • "Waived" - Board-approved fee waiver
  • "Written Off" - Balance deemed uncollectible
  • "Internal Transfer" - Cost transferred between district budgets

When to add custom statuses:

  • District has unique billing workflows
  • Board policy requires specific tracking steps
  • Collections process has multiple stages
  • Payment plans or hardship cases need identification

Editing custom statuses: Statuses can be edited as needed, but once a status is actively in use, care should be taken when renaming or removing it to avoid confusion in historical records.

What custom statuses don't do:

  • Change invoice balance calculations
  • Trigger automated emails (handled by email templates)
  • Modify financial data

What custom statuses do:

  • Organize invoices visually
  • Support filtering and reporting
  • Track workflow progression
  • Communicate status to staff at a glance

Invoice Status Workflows​

Typical Invoice Lifecycle​

1. Invoice Created → Status: Unpaid

  • Invoice generated for damage, loss, or fees
  • Emailed to parent/guardian
  • Outstanding balance tracked

2. First Follow-Up → Status: 1st Notice

  • 30 days after creation, still unpaid
  • Second email sent
  • Status changed to "1st Notice"

3. Second Follow-Up → Status: 2nd Notice

  • 60 days after creation, still unpaid
  • Third email sent
  • Status changed to "2nd Notice"

4. Final Escalation → Status: Final Notice

  • 90 days after creation, still unpaid
  • Final warning email
  • Status changed to "Final Notice"

5. Resolution → Status: Paid or Collections

  • If paid: Change status to "Paid" (or system auto-updates when balance reaches $0)
  • If not paid: Change status to "Collections" and escalate per board policy

Note: Districts define their own timelines and workflows. The above is an example only.

Best Practices​

Districts that use invoicing successfully tend to follow a few consistent practices:

✅ Do:

  • Clearly define when invoices are generated and by whom
  • Use status colors consistently to highlight overdue or escalated invoices
  • Train billing staff on when to change invoice statuses
  • Ensure unit costs are reviewed periodically if actual cost display is enabled
  • Document your status workflow so all staff handle invoices consistently
  • Filter reports by invoice status to identify invoices needing action

❌ Don't:

  • Change invoice statuses retroactively unless necessary
  • Use custom statuses for financial tracking (use status for workflow only)
  • Enable "Show Actual Cost" without configuring unit costs first
  • Rename statuses after they're in active use (creates confusion)
  • Create too many custom statuses (keep it simple)

Keeping invoice settings simple and predictable helps reduce confusion for both staff and families.

Common Questions​

Q: What's the difference between invoice amount and unit cost?

  • Invoice Amount (Sale Price) - What you charge the user (appears on all invoices)
  • Unit Cost - What the item costs your district (only appears if "Show Actual Cost" is enabled)

Example: District pays $300 for a Chromebook (unit cost) but charges families $350 (sale price/invoice amount) to cover handling and administrative costs.

Q: Can I change an invoice's status after it's created? Yes. Invoice status is a workflow indicator and can be changed at any time. It doesn't affect the invoice balance or payment records.

Q: What happens if I disable "Show Actual Cost on Invoices" after enabling it? New invoices will no longer show unit cost. Previously created invoices keep their original format (with unit cost displayed).

Q: Can I delete invoice statuses? You can delete custom statuses if they're not in use. System-defined statuses (Unpaid, Paid, Cancelled) cannot be deleted.

Q: What if an invoice has status "1st Notice" but then gets paid? Manually change the status to "Paid" or rely on the system to auto-update when balance reaches $0 (depending on configuration). The status is independent of payment tracking.

Q: How do invoice statuses affect reporting? Reports can be filtered by invoice status to show only invoices in specific stages (e.g., "Show all invoices in Collections status"). This helps identify invoices needing action.

Q: Can invoice status trigger automated emails? Not directly. Email automation is configured in Email Templates. However, staff can use invoice status to identify which invoices need reminder emails sent.

Q: What if we use a collections agency? Create a custom invoice status called "Collections" or "Sent to Collections." Change invoice status to this when handing off to collections agency. This tracks which invoices are no longer handled internally.

Q: Should we create separate statuses for payment plans? Yes, if your district frequently uses payment plans. A "Payment Plan" custom status helps identify these invoices and prevents collections escalation while installments are being paid.

The Invoicing tab provides simple but powerful controls over invoice presentation and workflow tracking. Properly configured invoice settings ensure transparency, support efficient billing workflows, and provide visibility into collection efforts.

Last updated on