Overview
An invoice is a bill you send to a customer. It lists what they bought, how much they owe, and when they need to pay. In ninoPOS you build an invoice, save it as a draft or send it to the customer, and later record the money when it comes in.
This guide walks through the whole flow, step by step: pick a customer, add your items, set the dates, add notes, then save or send. Every button and field name below matches exactly what you see in the app.
CREATE SEND GET PAID ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ │ Draft │ ──▶ │ Sent │ ──▶ │ Partial/Paid │ │ (saved, │ │ (emailed │ │ (payment(s) │ │ not yet │ │ to the │ │ recorded) │ │ sent) │ │ customer)│ │ │ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────────┘
Where to Find It
In the left sidebar, open the Invoices menu. It has three items:
- All Invoices — the list of every invoice you have made
- Create Invoice — the form for a new invoice (this is where we are going)
- Refunds — money you gave back to customers
Click Invoices → Create Invoice. The page opens with the title New Invoice and the note "Create a new invoice for your client".
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ← New Invoice [ Save Draft ] [ Send Invoice]│ ├──────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────┤ │ INVOICE DETAILS │ CLIENT INFORMATION │ │ Invoice Number | Reference │ Select Client [ ▼ ] │ │ Issue Date | Due Date │ │ │ ───────────────────────────── │ INVOICE SUMMARY │ │ Line Items │ Subtotal ......... │ │ [ search product / custom ] │ Tax .............. │ │ Description Qty Rate Total │ Total ............ │ │ [ + Add Item ] │ Invoice Discount [ ] │ │ Notes │ Currency: TZS │ │ Terms & Conditions │ │ └──────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────┘
Step-by-Step: Creating Your Invoice
On the right side, under Client Information, open the Select Client dropdown (it says "Choose a client") and pick the customer this invoice is for. If you already have clients saved, the first one may be selected for you automatically — just change it if it is not the right customer.
Once you choose someone, their name, address, and email appear in a small grey box below the dropdown, so you can check you picked the right person.
At the bottom of the dropdown, click Add New Client. A window opens where you fill in the new customer's details. When you save it, that customer is selected automatically and you carry on with the invoice — no need to leave the page.
A customer is required. If you try to save without one, you will see the message "Please select a client".
In the Invoice Details box (left side), the top row has two fields:
Still in Invoice Details, the next row has two date fields:
After the due date passes and the invoice is still unpaid, ninoPOS marks it as Overdue so it stands out in your list. Set it to a date that matches the agreement you have with the customer (for example, "payment in 7 days").
Line items are the things you are charging for. Each item sits in its own box. A new, empty invoice already has one item box ready. For each item:
- Pick a product or type a custom line. The first field says "Search product or service, or type a custom item…". Start typing and a list appears. Click a product to fill in its name, price, and tax rate for you. Or click Custom line item at the top of the list to type your own free-text line (good for one-off charges like "Delivery" or "Labour").
- Description. The name of the item. If you picked a product it is filled in already; you can edit it. For a custom line, type what you are charging for.
- Quantity (Qty). How many. Use the − and + buttons or type a number. Decimals are allowed (for example 0.5 or 0.25) — useful for things sold by weight or hours.
- Rate. The price for one unit. If you picked a product, its price is already here; change it if you need to.
- Total. This box fills in by itself (quantity × rate, less any item discount, plus item tax). You cannot type in it.
Below each item is a second row for that item's own discount and tax:
- Discount type — choose the option with your currency symbol for a fixed amount, or "Discount (%)" for a percentage.
- Discount — the discount value for this item.
- Tax % — the tax rate for this item (0 to 100). If you picked a product, its tax rate is filled in.
To add another item, click + Add Item. To remove an item, click the red trash icon on its row (you cannot remove the last remaining item).
Every item needs a quantity greater than 0. If a quantity is empty or zero when you save, the box turns red and the invoice will not save until you fix it.
A fixed discount takes off a set amount of money (e.g. 5,000). A percentage discount takes off a share of the price (e.g. 10%). Use whichever is easier for that item.
What each line item field means
| Field | Required? | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Product / custom line | ❌ No | Pick a saved product to auto-fill price and tax, or choose "Custom line item" to type your own |
| Description | Recommended | The wording the customer sees on the bill |
| Quantity | ✅ Yes (must be > 0) | How many units; decimals allowed |
| Rate | ✅ Yes | Price for one unit |
| Discount | ❌ No | Amount or percent off this item |
| Tax % | ❌ No | Tax rate for this item (0–100) |
Below the line items are two text boxes:
- Notes — a message to the customer, such as payment instructions or a thank-you. (Placeholder: "Additional notes or payment instructions...")
- Terms & Conditions — your terms, such as "Payment due within 30 days" or "Goods remain our property until paid in full".
Both are optional and both appear on the finished invoice.
On the right, the Invoice Summary box adds everything up as you work. It shows the Subtotal, any Item Discounts, the Invoice Discount, the Tax, and the final Total.
You can also add a discount to the whole invoice here, under Invoice Discount: choose the currency symbol (fixed amount) or % (percentage), then type the value. This is separate from the per-item discounts in Step 4.
┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ │ INVOICE SUMMARY │ │ │ │ Subtotal ............. 100,000 │ │ Item Discounts ....... −5,000 │ │ Invoice Discount ..... −10,000 │ │ Tax .................. +15,300 │ │ ──────────────────────────────── │ │ TOTAL ................ 100,300 │ └──────────────────────────────────────┘
The Currency shown in the summary (for example TZS) is read-only on this form. It comes from your store's settings, not the invoice. To change it, click the Store Settings link (next to the currency), which opens Settings → Currency. This keeps all your reports in one consistent currency.
At the top right of the page there are two buttons. They do different things:
| Button | What happens | Use it when… |
|---|---|---|
| Save Draft | Saves the invoice as a Draft. Nothing is emailed. You can come back and edit it later. | You are not finished, or you want to review it before the customer sees it |
| Send Invoice | Saves the invoice, then emails it to the customer and moves its status to Sent. | The invoice is ready and you want the customer to get it now |
After saving, ninoPOS shows a short confirmation ("Invoice saved as draft" or "Invoice created") and takes you to the invoices list.
"Send Invoice" emails the customer, so that customer must have an email address on file. If they don't, save it as a draft instead and share it another way (see below). You can add an email to the customer's record and send later.
After Saving: Send, Share and Print
Open any invoice from Invoices → All Invoices to reach its detail page. From there you have several ways to get it to your customer:
| Action | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Send to client / Resend to client | "⋯" More menu, or Quick Actions | Emails the invoice to the customer (with a copy attached) and marks it Sent. You can add a personal note first. |
| Green button in the header | Opens WhatsApp with a ready message: invoice number, amount, balance, due date, and a pay link. Uses the customer's phone if it's on file. | |
| Copy payment link | "⋯" More menu | Copies a public link the customer can open to view and pay the invoice. Paste it into any message. |
| Button in the header | Opens your device's print dialog to print or save a paper copy. | |
| Download | Button in the header | Saves a copy of the invoice file to your device. |
Recording a Payment
When the customer pays, record it so your books and reports stay correct. On the invoice detail page, click Record Payment (in Quick Actions, or in the "⋯" More menu). A window opens:
Click Record payment. The invoice updates: the Payment Progress bar moves, the amount due drops, and the status becomes Partial (if some is still owed) or Paid (once the balance reaches zero). Each payment is listed under Payment History.
A customer can pay in several instalments. Record each one as it arrives — ninoPOS keeps a running total and shows how much is still due.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why it's a problem | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Forgetting to pick a client | The invoice will not save | Choose a client, or add a new one, before saving |
| Leaving a quantity at 0 or blank | The box turns red and blocks saving | Enter a quantity greater than 0 on every item |
| Clicking "Send Invoice" with no customer email | The email cannot reach anyone | Add an email to the customer, or save as draft and share by WhatsApp / link |
| Expecting to change currency on the form | Currency is read-only here | Change it in Settings → Currency |
| Not recording payments | Reports show money still owed | Record each payment when it arrives |