If the preferred delivery method of email applies to an invoice or credit note, the invoice/credit not can be distributed to the debtor by template-based email from the Billing > Manage Delivery screen.
When sending invoices/credit notes to a debtor via email you can select the relevant template that defines the format of the email. The format determines what text appears in the subject/topic line of the email as well as the text that is to appear in the body of the email message. You can edit the subject or message text that is predefined by the template prior to sending the message if necessary.
The message text can include merge tags that allow the contents of database fields to be output within the body of the email message. For example, a merge tag can be included within the body of a message to print the relevant invoice number. Merge tags can be defined within the email template and can also be added or removed from the body of the message prior to sending.
It is possible to add attachments to the email message. This can be any relevant electronic file to which you have access from your computer. This may be, for example, a PDF copy of an invoice/credit notice.
It is possible to email multiple invoices/credit notes to a debtor simultaneously. Only invoices/credit notes that have a preferred delivery method of email can be delivered to debtors via the email method. You can check which preferred delivery method applies to an invoice/credit note by viewing the Delivery Method column in the grid list on the Billing > Manage Delivery screen.
When delivering invoices/credit notes via email, you are prompted to set the Delivered flag on the invoices/credit notes you are emailing, if it is not already set.
When you choose to set the Delivered flag, you are confirming that the invoice/credit note is being distributed to the debtor. Once the Delivered flag is set, the system will consider the invoice/credit note to have been distributed to the debtor and it will not be possible to clear the flag.
Therefore, take care to only set the Delivered flag if you are confirming the delivery of the invoice/credit note to the debtor.
How to Distribute Invoices/Credit Notes via Email
To distribute invoices/credit notes to debtors via email, follow the procedure below.
How to Distribute Invoice/Credit Notes to Debtors via Email | |
In the Portal > Billing > Manage Delivery > Delivery screen, search for the relevant closed invoices/credit notes. The Delivery screen lists the invoices/credit notes matching the search criteria you specified. | |
In the list of invoices/credit notes within the Delivery screen, click the invoices/credit notes to be emailed. To select multiple invoices/credit notes that are listed in consecutive order, hold down the SHIFT key and click on the first invoice/credit note in the range and then click on the last invoice/credit note in the range. To select multiple invoices/credit notes that are not listed in consecutive order, hold down the CTRL key and click on each invoice/credit note to be selected. A tick appears next to each invoice/credit note you clicked to indicate that it is selected. | |
Click (Email Debtor).  Note that this button is available only if all of the invoices/credit notes you selected have a preferred delivery method of email. The Email Invoices To Debtors screen opens. The top of the screen lists each invoice/credit note you selected and the details of the debtor to which each document will be emailed. | |
In the Email Template field, select the name of the template to be used for the email message. | |
In the Subject field, modify the default subject/topic text of the email message if necessary. | |
In the Message field, modify the default body text of the message. Note that you can add merge tags or remove any default merge tags that are defined by the template. For more information, see Working with Merge Tags below. | |
If you want to add an attachment to the email message, click and use the dialog box that opens to navigate to and select the relevant file to be attached. Repeat this step as many times as necessary until you have added all relevant attachments you want to send with the email.  The selected files are listed within the Attachments field. | |
Click . The message is sent to the email addresses of the debtors corresponding to the invoices/credit notes you selected in the Delivery screen and a confirmation message opens. | |
Working with Merge Tags
When creating a new email message in the Email Invoices To Debtors screen you can add additional merge tags, which are not defined by the message template, to the message body text that is displayed within the Message field. To do this, follow the procedure below.
How to Add a Merge Tag to the Message Text | |
In the Message field within the Email Invoices To Debtors screen, click the position within the message text where you want the merge field to appear. | |
In the Merge Tags field, click the merge tag to be inserted into the message. BillingCompanyContactEmail RecipientFirstName Prints the given name of the contact, who is the recipient of the email, within the body of the email. This merge tag is available in v11.22 onwards. RecipientSurname Prints the family name of the contact, who is the recipient of the email, within the body of the email. This merge tag is available in v11.22 onwards.
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To the left of the Merge Tags field, click . The selected merge tag is added to the Message field at the point where you positioned the text cursor. | |
You can move any merge tag if necessary by copying and pasting the merge tag or using any other standard Windows text editing operations to shift the position of the tag.
Ensure that you move/copy the entire tag including the parenthesis surrounding the field name as the parenthesis designate the start and end of the merge tag.
You can delete any merge tag that has been inserted into the message or that is defined by default by the message template by selecting the entire tag and clicking DELETE.