Create service invoices or credit memos
Ease in invoicing your service orders is a key feature of Business Central. You can set up your Business Central so that a service technician in the field can create an invoice for a service that isn't connected to a contract or order. Alternatively, set up Business Central so that you invoice service contracts periodically. The invoice period for each contract defines how often you invoice it.
To invoice several service contracts
- Choose the icon, enter Create Service Contract Invoices, and then choose the related link.
- Set the filters you want to apply.
- In the Posting Date field, enter the date to use as the posting date on the service invoices.
- In the Invoice to Date field, enter the date up to which you want to invoice contracts. The batch job will include the contracts with the next invoice dates, up to this date.
- In the Action field, choose Create Invoices.
- Choose OK to create the service invoices.
You can also invoice a service contract directly from the Service Contract page, if the next invoice date on the contract is earlier than the working date.
To invoice a service contract from the Service Contract page
- Choose the icon, enter Service Contracts, and then choose the related link.
- Choose the service contract to invoice, and open the contract card.
- Choose Create Service Invoice action.
- Choose Yes to create the service invoices.
Note
You can't create service invoices for the service contract when the Change Status field value is set to Open.
To post an invoice from a service order
The following procedure describes how to define the part of service that you'll charge the customer for.
Choose the icon, enter Service Orders, and then choose the related link.
Choose the service order to invoice, and open the order card.
Choose the Service Lines action.
Find the required entries, and then specify the quantities for which you will charge the customer in the Qty. to Invoice field.
Note
You can invoice the customer for the registered service either fully or in parts. If you choose to invoice the customer fully, the value in the Qty. to Invoice field must equal the value in the Quantity field. You can post a full invoice together with a full shipment, and you can post a full invoice for an already posted full shipment that isn't invoiced or consumed.
When you post a partial invoice, there are two ways of specifying the quantity to invoice. If you're going to post the service with the Ship and Invoice option, the value in the Qty. to Invoice field must equal the value in the Qty. to Ship field. If you want to invoice an already posted shipment, the quantity to invoice must not be larger than the value in the Quantity Shipped field.
Choose Post, and then either Invoice or Ship and Invoice. To learn more, go to Posting in Service Management.
The service line you selected is posted. You can post several service lines at the same time by selecting them and choosing Post. If you do, make sure you fill in all the necessary information on the lines.
When you post the order with the Invoice option, a posted service invoice is created along with the corresponding ledger entries and updates to the relevant fields on the service lines of the order. Also, previously posted shipment documents are updated with the invoiced quantities. If you select the Ship and Invoice posting option, a posted shipment is created.
To create a service invoice manually
Typically, after you post a service order with the Invoice or Ship and Invoice option, a service invoice is posted automatically. Yet, you may need to issue an invoice that isn't linked to a service contract or order. This procedure explains how to issue an invoice at the same time that the customer receives the service.
Choose the icon, enter Service Invoices, and then choose the related link.
Create a new service invoice.
Fill in the No. field.
Note
If you have set up number series for service invoices on the Service Mgt. Setup page, you can select Enter to select the next available service invoice number.
In the Customer No. field, enter the number of a customer. Select the relevant customer from the list.
The customer fields are filled in with information from the Customer card.
Enter a date in the Posting Date field. This date will appear on the posted entries. This field shows your current work date, but you can change the date.
In the Document Date field, enter a date that will appear on the printed invoice and be used to calculate the due date.
Fill in the service lines of the invoice. Fill in the Type, No., and Quantity fields to register items, resources and costs that have been used in servicing.
To create an invoice that combines posted shipment lines from one or more service orders
You might need to create a service invoice for a service that's already shipped, either from one or several service orders, but not yet invoiced or consumed. You can fill in the invoice lines automatically with the selected posted shipment lines for a specific customer.
- Choose the icon, enter Service Invoices, and then choose the related link.
- Fill in the fields on the line as necessary. Hover over a field to read a short description.
- Create invoice lines for services shipped but not invoiced. Alternatively, you can use the Get Shipment Lines action to add posted shipment lines to the invoice.
- Post the service invoice.
The posted service invoice and the corresponding ledger entries are created. Previously posted shipment documents update with the invoiced quantities and the quantities on the service lines of the source orders.
To create a service credit memo
You typically use a service credit memo document when a customer returns an item. However, you can also use them to reimburse a customer or to correct a invoice that was a mistake.
- Choose the icon, enter Service Credit Memos, and then choose the related link.
- Fill in the fields on the line as necessary. Hover over a field to read a short description.
- The Posting Date and Document Date fields display the work date. If needed, you can change it.
- On the credit memo lines, enter information about the items that have been returned or removed, or the compensation that will be given to the customer.
Correct errors in service invoices
You can delete service invoices that have service ledger entries associated with them. This means that you can correct errors or make changes to service invoices without getting stuck or losing data. For example, if you forget to assign a product posting group to a G/L account, you can add it later and recreate the service invoice.
Use the action to delete a service invoice.
When you delete a service invoice, the following things happen:
- Post a corrective service ledger entry
- Restore the invoicing date and period in the contract, which lets you create the invoice again.
Note
You can revert several invoices, but you must do so sequentially, starting from the last invoice.
You can't delete a service invoice if its details, such as the invoicing period or the Prepaid toggle were changed in the related service contract. Make sure that you delete invoices before you change settings on the service contract.
See also
Post Service Invoices
Setting Up Service Management
Service Posting