Understanding Invoices
Invoices are automatically generated when:- A customer subscribes to a paid plan
- A recurring billing cycle completes
- Usage charges are calculated at period end
- Manual invoices are created via the API
Autumn uses Stripe for payment processing. All invoices are synced with your Stripe account.
Viewing Customer Invoices
Scroll to Invoices Section
On the customer detail page, scroll down to the Invoices table. This shows all invoices for the customer.
Invoice Statuses
Invoices can have several statuses:- Draft: Invoice created but not yet finalized
- Open: Invoice sent to customer, awaiting payment
- Paid: Payment successfully collected
- Void: Invoice canceled and not collectible
- Uncollectible: Payment attempts failed and collection stopped
Status badges in the dashboard use color coding: green for paid, yellow for open/draft, and red for failed states.
Viewing Invoice Details
View Line Items (Admin Users)
If you’re an admin user, clicking an invoice opens a detail sheet showing:
- Line items: Individual charges on the invoice
- Product breakdown: Which features or plans are included
- Discounts applied: Coupon or promotional discounts
- Tax information: Applied tax rates
Invoice Components
Each invoice can include:Base Subscription Charges
- Recurring plan fees
- Proration adjustments for plan changes
- Trial period handling
Usage-Based Charges
- Metered feature consumption
- Per-unit pricing
- Calculated at the end of billing period
One-Time Charges
- Setup fees
- Add-on purchases
- Manual charges
Discounts
- Coupon codes
- Promotional credits
- Customer-specific discounts
All charges are itemized separately on invoices, making it easy for customers to understand what they’re paying for.
Invoice Currency
Invoices are created in the customer’s billing currency:- Default currency is set at the organization level
- Individual customers can have different currencies
- All amounts on an invoice use the same currency
Working with Draft Invoices
Draft invoices are not yet finalized and can still be modified:- Created when a subscription starts
- Can be updated before being finalized
- Won’t charge the customer until finalized
- Useful for reviewing charges before collection
Invoice Links
Each invoice has a hosted URL where customers can:- View invoice details
- Download PDF
- Pay outstanding invoices
- Update payment method
Understanding Proration
When customers change plans mid-cycle, proration ensures fair billing:- Upgrade: Credit for unused time on old plan, charge for new plan
- Downgrade: Credit applied to next invoice
- Immediate invoicing: Some changes trigger immediate invoice creation
Proration calculations are handled automatically by Stripe and appear as separate line items on invoices.
Invoice Filters and Search
While invoices are displayed per-customer, you can:- Filter customers by those with unpaid invoices
- Search for specific invoice amounts
- Sort by creation date or total amount
Handling Failed Payments
When an invoice payment fails:- Status changes to “Unpaid” or “Past Due”
- Stripe automatically retries collection based on your settings
- Customer may lose access based on your grace period configuration
- Admin users can manually retry or void the invoice in Stripe
Invoice Best Practices
Admin Invoice Features
Admin users have additional capabilities:- View internal invoice IDs
- Access Stripe dashboard links
- See detailed line item breakdowns
- View invoice metadata and properties
Admin-specific features are indicated with special badges and hover tooltips in the interface.
Common Invoice Scenarios
New Subscription
- Customer subscribes to a plan
- Invoice created with subscription charges
- Payment collected immediately or at end of trial
- Invoice marked as paid upon successful payment
Recurring Billing
- Billing period ends
- New invoice generated with subscription and usage charges
- Stripe attempts payment with customer’s saved method
- Invoice paid or enters retry cycle if payment fails
Plan Change
- Customer changes subscription mid-cycle
- Proration invoice created immediately
- Charges for new plan, credits for old plan
- Next regular invoice resumes normal billing cycle
Next Steps
- Learn about customer management workflows
- Explore analytics to understand usage patterns
- Set up automated dunning for failed payments
- Configure invoice email templates in Stripe