Invoicing & Quotes

Overview

Check-in DOG includes a complete invoicing system designed for grooming salons. You can create quotes for potential work, convert them to invoices when the work is confirmed, track payments, generate professional PDF documents, and send them directly to your customers. The system also includes cash register operations for managing your daily cash flow.

Quotes

Quotes (also called estimates or proposals) let you provide customers with a price before committing to the work. They are fully featured documents that can be converted to invoices with a single click.

Creating a Quote

To create a new quote, navigate to the Quotes section and click Create. You will need to fill in the following:

Customer Selection

Select the customer for whom this quote is being prepared. The dropdown is searchable -- type the customer's name to find them quickly.

Appointment Link (Optional)

You can optionally link the quote to an existing appointment. This is useful when you want to provide a quote for a specific upcoming grooming session. The link is informational -- it helps you track which quotes relate to which appointments.

Line Items

The heart of any quote is its line items. Check-in DOG uses a repeater interface that lets you add as many line items as needed.

Adding a Line Item

Each line item includes the following fields:

Auto-Population from Catalog

When you select an item from the catalog dropdown, the system automatically fills in:

• The item description.
• The selling price (before tax).
• The associated tax rate.

This saves time and ensures pricing consistency. You can override any auto-populated value for this specific quote without affecting the catalog entry.

Discount Handling

Discounts are applied per line item as a percentage. The allowed range is 0% to 50%. This prevents accidental entry of excessive discounts while still giving you flexibility for loyal customers or promotional offers.

Quote Totals

The system automatically calculates:

• Subtotal -- Sum of all line items before tax and after discounts.
• Tax -- Total tax across all line items.
• Grand total -- The final amount the customer will pay.

These totals update in real time as you add, edit, or remove line items.

Converting Quotes to Invoices

Once a customer approves a quote, you can convert it to an invoice with a single action. This process:

1. Creates a new invoice with all the quote's data (customer, line items, amounts).
2. Assigns an automatic invoice number (see below).
3. Preserves the link to the original quote for audit purposes.

Converting a quote does not delete the original quote. Both documents remain in the system for reference.

Invoices

Invoices are the primary billing documents in Check-in DOG. They share the same line item structure as quotes but include additional fields for payment tracking and accounting.

Invoice Numbering

Check-in DOG uses an automatic sequential numbering system for invoices. The format is:

FA2602XXXX

Where:

• FA -- The prefix (configurable per salon).
• 26 -- The year (2026).
• 02 -- The month (February).
• XXXX -- A sequential number that increments automatically.

How Numbering Works

• Numbers are sequential within each prefix and year-month combination.
• The system guarantees no gaps or duplicates within a salon.
• Each salon has its own independent numbering sequence.
• You never need to manually enter an invoice number -- it is assigned automatically when the invoice is created.

This format ensures compliance with most accounting regulations that require sequential, gap-free invoice numbering.

Invoice Fields

In addition to the line items (which work identically to quotes), invoices include:

Payment Method

Record how the customer pays:

• Cash
• Card
• Bank transfer
• Check

This helps with end-of-day reconciliation and financial reporting.

Paid Toggle

A simple toggle indicating whether the invoice has been fully paid. When enabled, the invoice is marked as paid and appears as such in reports and the customer's invoice history.

Date

The invoice date, which defaults to the current date but can be adjusted. This is the official date that appears on the document and is used for accounting purposes.

Linked Appointment

Like quotes, invoices can be linked to a specific appointment. This creates a clear trail from the appointment through to the billing record.

Notes

A free-text area for any additional information to include on the invoice. Common uses:

• "Thank you for your loyalty!"
• "Please remit payment within 30 days."
• Special terms or conditions.

Payment Terms

For invoices that are not paid immediately, Check-in DOG supports detailed payment terms tracking. This is particularly useful for business clients or payment plans.

Setting Up Payment Terms

Each payment term entry includes:

Multiple Payment Terms

You can add multiple payment terms to a single invoice. This enables payment plans:

Example: A 300 EUR invoice split into three payments:

The system tracks each term independently, giving you a clear picture of what has been collected and what is still outstanding.

PDF Generation

Every quote and invoice can be downloaded as a professional PDF document.

Generating a PDF

1. Open the quote or invoice.
2. Click the Download PDF action button.
3. The PDF is generated instantly and downloaded to your device.

PDF Contents

The generated PDF includes:

• Your salon's name and contact information.
• The customer's name and address.
• The document number and date.
• A detailed table of line items with quantities, prices, taxes, and discounts.
• Subtotal, tax, and grand total.
• Payment terms (if configured).
• Any notes added to the document.

The PDF is formatted for A4 paper and includes all the information required for a legally compliant invoice in most European jurisdictions.

Sending Invoices by Email

Check-in DOG can send invoices directly to your customers via email.

How It Works

1. Open the invoice you want to send.
2. Click the Send by email action.
3. The system sends the invoice as a PDF attachment to the customer's email address on file.

Requirements

• The customer must have a valid email address recorded in their profile.
• If no email address is on file, the send action will be unavailable.

Tips for Email Invoices

• Always verify the customer's email address before sending the first invoice.
• Consider sending a test invoice to yourself to verify formatting.
• Follow up with customers who have not paid within the expected timeframe.

Cash Operations

The cash operations feature provides a simple cash register for tracking money flowing in and out of your salon.

Types of Operations

Cash operations fall into two categories:

• Deposits -- Money coming into the register (e.g., cash payments from customers, petty cash top-ups).
• Withdrawals -- Money leaving the register (e.g., bank deposits, supply purchases, petty cash withdrawals).

Operation Fields

Each cash operation includes:

Running Balance

The system maintains a running balance of your cash register. Each operation adjusts the balance:

• Deposits increase the balance.
• Withdrawals decrease the balance.

The running balance is displayed in the cash operations list, giving you an instant view of how much cash should be in the register at any point.

End-of-Day Reconciliation

At the end of each business day, you can reconcile your cash register by:

1. Reviewing all cash operations for the day.
2. Comparing the running balance to the actual cash in the register.
3. Creating a withdrawal operation for the bank deposit amount.

Invoice Workflow

Here is a typical invoicing workflow in Check-in DOG:

Standard Flow

1. Customer arrives for their appointment.
2. Grooming is performed as scheduled.
3. Create an invoice linked to the appointment.
4. Add line items from the catalog (services and products used).
5. Apply discounts if applicable.
6. Record payment -- mark the payment method and toggle paid status.
7. Generate PDF -- download or email the invoice to the customer.
8. Record cash operation -- if paid in cash, log the deposit.

Quote-First Flow

1. Customer inquires about pricing for a service.
2. Create a quote with the expected line items.
3. Share the quote (PDF or email) with the customer.
4. Customer approves the quote.
5. Convert to invoice with one click.
6. Complete the appointment and process payment.

Best Practices

Use the Catalog Consistently

Always select items from the catalog rather than manually typing prices. This ensures pricing consistency and makes your financial reports accurate. If you need a one-off item, add it to the catalog first, then select it.

Link Appointments to Invoices

Whenever possible, link invoices to the corresponding appointment. This creates a clear audit trail and makes it easy to verify that every appointment has been billed.

Record All Cash Operations

Even small amounts matter for reconciliation. Record every deposit and withdrawal, no matter how minor. This discipline prevents discrepancies from accumulating.

Review Payment Terms Regularly

If you use payment terms, set a regular schedule (e.g., weekly) to review outstanding terms and follow up on overdue payments.

Back Up Your PDFs

While Check-in DOG stores all invoice data, it is good practice to maintain a local backup of your PDF invoices, especially for tax filing purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit an invoice after it has been created?

Yes, you can edit invoices at any time. However, be cautious about editing invoices that have already been sent to customers or included in accounting records. For accounting compliance, it is generally better to create a credit note and a new invoice than to modify an existing one.

What happens to the invoice number if I delete an invoice?

Invoice numbers are assigned sequentially and are never reused. Deleting an invoice will leave a gap in the numbering sequence. For this reason, it is preferable to void rather than delete invoices whenever possible.

Can I customize the invoice prefix?

The invoice prefix (e.g., "FA") is configured at the salon level. Different salons can use different prefixes, which is useful if you operate multiple businesses with separate accounting.

Can I set default payment terms?

Currently, payment terms are configured per invoice. If you frequently use the same terms, you will need to set them up on each invoice individually.

Next Steps

To get the most out of invoicing, you need a well-organized product and service catalog:

• Product & Service Catalog -- Set up your items, families, taxes, and suppliers.