Invoice Generation and Management [Accommodation]

1. Purpose & Scope

Invoicing is how your property formally requests payment from a partner for bookings. The system gives you full control over the process — from building a draft, to adding booking line items, to sending the invoice through an approval process before it reaches the partner

This article covers generation of invoices manually.

Table of Contents:

1. Purpose & Scope

2. Pre-Requisites

2.1 Required Access or Tools

2.2 Other configurations

3. Create and configure your invoice drafts

3.1 Understanding the Invoice List

3.2 Creating a Draft Invoice

3.2.1 What Gets Created

3.2.2 Reference Fields

3.2.3 Invoice Timeline and Event Log

3.3 Edit your draft invoices

3.3.1 Billing and Address Information

3.3.2 Setting the Due Date

3.3.3 Editing recipient and currency

3.3.4 Delete drafts

3.4 Line Items

3.4.1 Adding line items

3.4.2 Taxes calculations

3.4.3 Editing or Deleting a Line Item

3.5 Sending the Invoice

3.6 Understanding the Approval Process

3.6.1 Path A — No Approval Required

3.6.2 Path B — All Approvers Can Approve

3.6.3 Path C — Multi-Level Approval

3.7 Additional Invoice Actions (Outstanding / Overdue)

3.8 Comments

4. Suspended Invoices

5. Troubleshooting & Edge Cases

6. FAQs

2. Pre-Requisites

Before you begin, make sure the following are in place. If any of these are missing or incomplete, certain features in the invoice module will not work correctly.

2.1 Required Access or Tools

• An active login to https://property.paydocker.com
• An operator account with permission to access the Sales section
• At least one active currency balance set up in Balance → Overview — this determines which currencies you can invoice in

2.2 Other configurations

These are areas of the platform that feed information into the invoice. They should be configured before you raise your first invoice. For some items, they are optional.

3. Create and configure your invoice drafts

3.1 Understanding the Invoice List

When you navigate to Sales → Invoice, you land on the invoice list. This is your central view of all invoices associated with your property.

Tabs at the top of the list help you filter by status:

• All — shows every invoice regardless of status
• Draft — shows only invoices that are still in draft (not yet sent)

This makes it easy to pick up where you left off or find a specific invoice quickly.

If you need to find a specific invoice or narrow down the list, use the Filter button on the list page.

The filter panel works on an AND basis — meaning if you select more than one filter option, only invoices that match all selected criteria will be shown. Here is what each filter option does:

Once you have set your filters, click Apply to see the results. 
To clear all filters and return to the full list, click Clear.

3.2 Creating a Draft Invoice

A draft invoice is the starting point for every invoice. Think of it as a working document — you can build it up, edit it, and review it before committing to send it to the partner. Nothing is sent or finalised until you explicitly choose to do so.

To create a new draft:

1. On the Invoice list page, click the Create button (top right).
   
    
2. The Create Draft Invoice popup opens.
   
   • Type: This determines the category of invoice you are creating. Currently, the only available option is Booking, which means the invoice will be for booking-related charges.
   • Currency: Select the currency you want to invoice in. The dropdown shows all currencies for which your property has an active balance. 
   • Partner: Search for the partner you want to invoice. You can search by partner name or partner code.
3. Click Cancel at any time to close the popup without creating anything.
4. Once you have selected a partner, the Create button (Field 5) becomes active. Click it to generate the draft.

3.2.1 What Gets Created

When you click Create, the system does several things automatically:

• A new row appears on the invoice list, the creation date is recorded based on your Master account timezone
• A unique Draft Invoice ID is assigned in this format: INV-[PropertyID]-DRAFT-[ProgressiveNumber]
  • Example: INV-HTL112.1-DRAFT-112
• The DUE column shows --- until a due date is configured

3.2.2 Reference Fields

These fields provide important contextual and legal information that links the invoice to specific agreements and configurations:

3.2.3 Invoice Timeline and Event Log

Every invoice has a running timeline that records a history of every significant action taken — from creation through to payment. This gives you full visibility and an audit trail at all times.

The timeline lives on the Manage Invoice page. Each entry shows:

• A descriptive sentence explaining what happened (e.g., "The invoice has been submitted for approval")
• The date, month, year, and time of the event, based on the Master account GMT
• The IP address of the user or system that triggered the event
• A map icon that, when clicked, opens the Location Details side panel

3.3 Edit your draft invoices

This is where you do all the detailed work on the invoice — setting billing information, choosing a due date, adding line items, and ultimately sending it.

1. Clicking on any invoice row in the list opens the Manage Draft Invoice page. 
   

3.3.1 Billing and Address Information

The Customer field on the invoice are pulled automatically from the partner's account data. They can display different information depending on what you need. This is useful because different partners or billing scenarios may call for showing the partner ID, the trading name, or the legal company name.

1. Click the toggle icon next to the field to cycle between three display options:
   

• Customer ID — Shows the Partner's unique ID in the system. 
• Customer Name — Shows the Partner's trading name. 
• Billing Name — Shows the Company Legal Name as stored in Setting → Account → Business Details

This setting only affects how the customer is displayed on the manage page and the invoice PDF — it does not change who the invoice is addressed to

3.3.2 Setting the Due Date

The due date tells the partner when payment is expected. 

3.3.3 Editing recipient and currency

If you need to change the partner or currency after creating the draft, you can do so at any point while the invoice is still in Draft status.

1. Click the Edit button (Point 23) on the Manage Invoice page.
   
2. The Edit Draft Invoice popup opens, showing the current selections pre-filled.
   
   • Update Currency and/or Partner as needed. 
   • Click Update to apply your changes — this button only becomes active if you have actually changed something.

After saving, the Last Updated timestamp (Point 5) will refresh to reflect the time of the edit.

3.3.4 Delete drafts

If you no longer need a draft, you can delete it. Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

1. On the Manage Draft Invoice page, click the Delete button.
   
2. A confirmation popup appears asking you to confirm the deletion.
   

   • Click Confirm to permanently delete the draft. You will be returned to the Invoice list.

     Important: Deleting a draft does not reset the progressive ID counter. The next draft you create will carry on from the next number in the sequence.

3.4 Line Items

3.4.1 Adding line items

Line items are the individual booking charges that make up the invoice. Until at least one line item is added, the invoice amount stays at 0.00 and you cannot preview or send the invoice.

1. On the Manage Draft Invoice page, click the Add Item button.
   
2. The Add Invoice Items popup opens.
   
   • Booking ID Enter the booking reference this charge relates to, maximum of 150 characters.
   • Number of Guests Use the selector to enter the number of guests for this booking, maximum of 999. 
     • If the number of guests is not relevant for this charge, leave the default selection of NA.
   • Check-in Date: You can choose any date from 5 years in the past up to 2 years in the future. 
     • If there is no check-in date to specify (for example, for a flat-rate or non-stay charge), tick the checkbox to disable the calendar and leave the date blank.
   • Number of Nights: Select the number of nights for this booking, maximum 999. 
     • If this field is not applicable, leave as NA.
   • Amount Before Tax: Enter the gross booking amount before any taxes are applied. 
   • Rate Select the rate category for this booking from: 1/1 (No split rates), 1/2, or 2/2.
3. Click Add (H) to save the line item and add it to the invoice table.

Once at least one line item exists in the table, two important buttons on the main page become active:

• ↓ Invoice PDF — Lets you generate and view the invoice as it will look when sent
  

  The issue date on the PDF is dynamic while the invoice is in Draft — it reflects the date you opened the preview. It only becomes fixed to a permanent date once the invoice is finalised and sent.
   

• Send Invoice — Lets you finalise and send the invoice to the partner

These buttons remain disabled if the table is empty, so always ensure you have added your line items before trying to proceed.

3.4.2 Taxes calculations

When you add a line item, the system automatically calculates several values for you based on the amount you entered and the tax configuration set up in Setup → Property → Taxes (Payable rows only).

Below the line items, you will see running totals that aggregate across all rows. These update automatically every time you add, edit, or remove a line item:

How taxes are calculated:

The system looks at all tax rows in Setup → Property → Taxes that are designated as Payable and applies each one as a percentage of the Amount Before Tax.

For example, if Before Taxes amount = 120.00 and there are three different tax rows configured:

City Tax       15%  →  120.00 × 15% = 18.00
Resort Fee     10%  →  120.00 × 10% = 12.00
Cleaning Fee   12%  →  120.00 × 12% = 14.40

Total Tax        = 44.40
Amount After Tax = 164.40

3.4.3 Editing or Deleting a Line Item

You can modify or remove any line item at any time while the invoice is still in Draft status. Once an invoice is Finalised, the items table is locked and cannot be edited.

1. Click the action icon on the right side of any line item row.
   
2. A small menu appears with two options:
   

• Delete: Removes the line item immediately from the table. 
• Edit: Opens the Edit Invoice Items popup, similar to when you're adding items

3.5 Sending the Invoice

When you are satisfied with the draft and ready to send it to the partner, use the Send Invoice button. This is a significant action — it moves the invoice out of draft and into the active invoicing process.

1. Click Finalise
   
2. A confirmation popup appears asking you to confirm. Click Finalise to proceed.
   

What happens immediately:

• The invoice is assigned a permanent Invoice ID, replacing the Draft ID. This new ID uses the format: INV-[PropertyID]-[ProgressiveNumber]
  • Example: INV-HTL123.1-112
• The invoice status and next steps depend on the Approval settings configured for your property

An example of the invoice after finalising: 

3.6 Understanding the Approval Process

Before an invoice reaches the partner, it may need to go through an internal approval process. This is controlled by the rules that you have set in Setting → Approval → Sales.

When you send an invoice, the system automatically checks which approval path applies. There are three possible paths:

3.6.1 Path A — No Approval Required

If no approval is required, the invoice skips the approval stage entirely and is sent to the partner immediately.

The invoice status changes based on the due date:

3.6.2 Path B — All Approvers Can Approve

If this option All Approvers Can Approve is selected, the invoice must be approved by at least one approver before it is sent. All listed approvers have equal authority — any single approver can approve the invoice.

Approval process for invoices:

1. The invoice status changes to Under Approval
2. The invoice timeline is updated with: "Invoice currently under approval" and the date/time of submission
3. Notifications will be sent to each approver
   • If the email notification option is enabled, an approval request email is sent to all approvers from noreply@paydocker.com, subject: Transaction Approval Request
   • Each approver receives an in-app notification: "Your approval is required for the transaction ID [ID]"
   • All approvers are listed in the Approvers table on the Manage Invoice page, each with a status of Pending and a level of NA (since all approvers are equal in this mode)
     
     
     The Remind button: While an approver's status is Pending, a Remind button appears on their row. Clicking it resends the approval notification and email (if enabled) to that approver and updates the Last Reminder date in the table.

3.6.3 Path C — Multi-Level Approval

This path works identically to Path B, with one key difference: instead of sending approval requests to all approvers at once, requests are sent one level at a time, starting from the highest level number.

Example with three levels configured:

Level 3 approver receives the request first
  → Once Level 3 approves →
Level 2 approver receives the request
  → Once Level 2 approves →
Level 1 approver receives the request
  → Once Level 1 approves →
Invoice is released to the partner

This creates a structured sign-off chain, ensuring senior approvers review first before the request cascades down.

3.7 Additional Invoice Actions (Outstanding / Overdue)

Once an invoice reaches Outstanding or Overdue status, two additional action buttons become available:

• Regenerate PDF: Generates a fresh copy of the invoice PDF at any time. Useful if you need to resend the PDF manually or keep an updated copy for your records. 
   
• Send Invoice by Email: Opens a popup that lets you manually send the invoice PDF to specific email addresses. This is useful for chasing payment or sharing the invoice with additional contacts.
  1. Click Send Invoice
  2. Fill in the send invoice instructional pop-up
     
  3. Enter up to 10 email addresses in the To field (Points 1–2) and up to 10 more in the CC field (Point 3).
  4. Click Send invoice to send the email — this button only becomes active when there is at least one valid address in the To field and all entered addresses (in both To and CC) are in a valid format

3.8 Comments

You can add internal comments to any invoice at any stage. Comments are a great way to leave notes for colleagues, document decisions, or track communications related to the invoice — all in one place.

1. On the Manage Invoice page, click the Add Comment button.
2. The Add Comment popup opens.
   

Editing a comment: The edit icon is only visible when you are logged in as the operator who wrote the comment. Clicking it opens an edit popup with the existing message and attachment pre-loaded. 

Deleting a comment: The delete icon is also only visible to the comment's original author. Clicking it removes the comment immediately — there is no additional confirmation step, so take care before deleting.

4. Suspended Invoices

An invoice can change status from Draft to Suspended if one or more of the eligibility conditions that were met at creation time are no longer satisfied. This is an automatic system check — you do not trigger it manually.

The three conditions checked are:

1. Partnership status (Partners → Connect → Booking) must remain Completed
2. Setup status (Partners → Setup → Booking) must remain Completed
3. Account setting status must remain Completed

What you will see when an invoice is Suspended:

• The Send Invoice and Preview PDF buttons are both disabled
• The status badge changes to Suspended
• An information icon appears next to the status badge — hover over it to see the specific reason(s) for suspension:

If more than one condition has failed, all relevant messages are shown on separate lines.

To resolve a suspension: Go to the relevant section(s) shown in the tooltip and restore the status to Completed. Once all three conditions are met again, the invoice will automatically return to Draft status and the action buttons will be re-enabled. You do not need to recreate the invoice.

5. Troubleshooting & Edge Cases

6. FAQs

Q1: Can I change the partner or currency after a draft invoice has already been created?

Yes — you can update both fields at any point while the invoice is still in Draft status. Open the Manage Draft Invoice page and click the Edit button. In the popup that appears, you can change the currency and/or the partner. Keep in mind that changing the partner will refresh all billing details, address information, Terms ID, and Model ID.

Q2: What is the difference between the Draft ID and the final Invoice ID, and why do they look different?

When you first create a draft, the system assigns a temporary Draft ID in the format INV-[PropertyID]-DRAFT-[ProgressiveNumber] (e.g., INV-HTL112.1-DRAFT-112). This ID has its own counter that tracks only draft documents for a specific partner. When you confirm sending the invoice, a permanent Invoice ID is generated in the format INV-[PropertyID]-[ProgressiveNumber] (e.g., INV-HTL123.1-112) — this uses a separate counter specific to the Property ID. The two counters are independent, which is why the numbers may not match. This separation allows the system to track how many drafts were created versus how many invoices were actually finalised.

Q3: If I delete a draft and create a new one for the same partner, will the ID numbers reset?

No — ID counters never reset. Deleting a draft permanently consumes its assigned number. The next draft you create for that partner will carry the next available number in the sequence. This is intentional, as it ensures every ID is unique and there are no gaps or overlaps that could cause confusion in your records.