Most people think “invoice” when they’re talking about billing customers. But you can also create statements.
One of the 10 best things about QuickBooks is its invoice form. It’s easy-to-use, customizable and often uses data entered elsewhere in the program, eliminating the need for duplicate data entry.
Invoices are the preferred method of billing customers, and it’s easy to receive payment on them, even online. Statements can be useful for summing up a customer’s current balance if one or more invoices haven’t been paid; they can serve as gentle reminders of delinquent accounts.
But you can also enter statement charges directly in your customers’ accounts receivable (A/R) registers. You might want to use this method if, for instance, you bill customers frequently for products or services. If you’re unclear on the differences, it’d be a good idea to take a QuickBooks class that covers this topic.
To get started, open the Customers menu and select Enter Statement Charges. The customer A/R window opens. Choose the customer you want by clicking the down arrow next to the Customer: Job field at the top of the screen. Be sure that you’ve selected the correct job if there are multiple ones. There’s a separate register for each job in QuickBooks.
Change the date if you need to. If you’re preparing a monthly charge for, say, a health club of some sort, you might want it dated for the first of the month. And if you’re going to include a charge that you forgot to send previously, use today’s date, so it will be included when you print the new statement.
You can enter statement charges directly in a customer’s A/R register.
Enter a number if you want (this is optional) and select the item (or create a new one). Enter the quantity and rate, and a description and class if you want. QuickBooks enters STMTCH (statement charge) to describe the transaction. If you are billing the customer for time already recorded, click the Time/Costs icon and put a check mark in front of any entries that you want billed and click OK. Then click Record on the register screen.
Remember that there are many restrictions on billing statements as opposed to invoices. For example, you can’t record sales tax, percentage discounts or payment items on statements, nor can you group related charges and subtotal.
If you want to print or email the statement you just created, go to Customers | Create Statements. Be sure to change the date so your statement will appear and click the button next to One Customer in the lower left corner. Select the correct one from the drop-down list. In the upper right, click the button next to Print due date on transactions (QuickBooks will use the default terms you assigned to that customer).
Click the Preview button in the lower left to see what that charge will look like on a statement.
Your statement charges will appear like this on your statements.
Because they’re restricted yet can be used in more than one situation, you might consider taking a QuickBooks training course to learn more about this useful form.
