Invoice numbering is a critical aspect of maintaining organized records and ensuring that each invoice is uniquely identifiable.
In Productive, you can choose between manually entering invoice numbers or setting up an automatic numbering system that aligns with your specific requirements.
Whether you prefer a simple sequence starting from 001 or a more intricate format that matches your accounting software, Productive offers full flexibility.
You can customize your invoice number structure using different variables, allowing you to include elements like the current year, quarter, month, or even a company-specific code.
Keep in mind that invoice numbers are assigned once an invoice is finalized, and drafts won’t have a number until that stage.
Customizing your invoice number format allows for various possibilities to suit your needs. To do so, you incorporate the following placeholders:
{yyyy} - Current year (e.g., 2024)
{yy} - Shortened current year (e.g., 24)
{q} - Current quarter (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4)
{n} - Sequential invoice number (e.g., 1, 2, 3...)
{mm} - Month (e.g., 01, 02...)
{company_code} - By default, the first four letters of the company name (e.g., Digital Solutions = Digi). This code can be customized in the Settings. For more details, follow this link.
You can also use various characters, including numbers (1-9), letters (both uppercase and lowercase), symbols (/ _ - . < >), and whitespace, to customize your invoice numbers.
Pro Tips
If you prefer leading zeros in your invoice numbers (e.g., 01, 02, 03...), utilize the {nn} or {nnn} format.
Use the search function in the invoice screen to find invoices by number—just remember to exclude the # symbol when searching.
For instance, your invoice numbers could follow formats like:
{yyyy}/{mm}/{n}
{nnn}-{company_code}-{yyyy}
Setting up the Custom Invoice Number
To set up a custom invoice number format, navigate to Settings > Invoicing > Invoicing options in your Productive account.
Switch on the Autogenerate invoice number toggle, add the invoicing number format you prefer and select Save.
If your invoice number includes a sequential element ({n}), choose if you want the numbering sequence to reset each year.
You will have two options in the Reset sequence dropdown:
Reset sequence: Yearly
Each year the {n} part of the sequence will reset and start from one.
Reset sequence: Never
Each year the {n} part of the sequence will just continue from where it ended the previous year.
Custom Invoice Numbers and Subsidiaries
If you have multiple subsidiaries and want to customize the numbering scheme for some or all of them, follow these steps.
1) In the Invoicing options section, click on the subsidiary for which you want to add a custom numbering sequence.
2) Enable the "Autogenerate invoice number" toggle, then locate the "Invoicing number format" field.
3) Enter your desired format based on the parameters outlined earlier in this article.
4) Once you have finished configuring the format, click Save.
Manual Invoice Number Input
Leaving the "Autogenerate invoice number" toggle off will allow you to add the invoice numbers manually when finalizing your invoices.
Changing the Invoice Number
Whether the invoice number was added manually or via a custom numbering scheme, you can still adjust it before marking the invoice as sent.
Note: If you enter an invoice number that has already been used, you’ll receive a notification. While this won’t prevent you from saving the invoice with the duplicate number, it will alert you to the issue.
