Why this matters
Invoices are often your brand's most-read document, and how fast you get paid follows how professional and payable they are. A branded invoice with a working "Pay now" button and automatic reminders shortens the gap between doing the work and banking the money, and cash-flow gaps can sink even businesses that appear profitable.
What "done" looks like
- Invoices carry your logo, legal name, payment terms, and correct numbering
- A Pay now button offers card or bank payment via a connected payment service
- Automatic invoice reminders are on, with a schedule you chose
How to do it
- Brand the template in invoice settings, add your logo, set default payment terms (7 or 14 days beats 30 for small firms), and check the numbering sequence.
- Connect a payment service such as Stripe or GoCardless so invoices carry a Pay now button for card, direct debit, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, depending on your provider and region.
- Turn on invoice reminders and set the cadence (e.g., before the due date, on it, and a week after).
- Set default sales tax and account codes on invoice lines so nothing goes out miscoded.
- Send a test invoice to your own email and walk the payment flow end to end.
Common mistakes
- No online payment option, forcing customers into checks and adding weeks to collection
- Net-30 terms by default when your customers would happily pay on receipt
- Reminders left off out of politeness, automated nudges are expected, and they depersonalize the chase
Real-world examples
- Xero's Pay now flow with Stripe or GoCardless supports card, direct debit, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, depending on your provider and region, and online payments auto-reconcile against the invoice.
- Xero's built-in reminders can chase before, on, and after the due date automatically, which removes the awkward founder-written chasing email entirely.
From a founder's point of view
An invoice is a checkout page, not paperwork. Every extra step between "customer wants to pay" and "money arrives" is friction you chose. Make paying you the easiest thing your customer does that week.
Rule of thumb
Done means a stranger could receive your invoice and pay it in under a minute without contacting you.
