You can create an invoice in Relay by filling in the details manually, or by uploading an existing invoice or estimate so Relay autofills the customer, line items, and memo.
What you need before you start
An active Relay account with access to Invoices
Your customer's name and email address
Line items ready to enter (description, quantity, and price), or an existing invoice, estimate, or document to upload
Any uploaded file must be 10 MB or less
Time to review autofilled details before sending, since scanned results can miss fields
How do I create an invoice in Relay?
Create an invoice from the Invoices section of your Relay account in nine steps.
Sign in to your Relay account.
Select Invoices in the left-hand menu.
Click Create an Invoice.
Choose a creation method: fill in the invoice manually, or upload an existing invoice, estimate, or document (up to 10 MB) so Relay can autofill contact information, line items, and memo.
Enter the Invoice ID, select your customer, and set the issue date and payment due date. Grow Plan and Scale Plan customers can toggle the recurring invoice option here.
Review and edit the line items section as needed.
Choose which payment methods to offer in the Payment method section. Grow Plan and Scale Plan customers can add a card surcharge option.
Select whether to deliver the invoice via email or a direct payment link.
Customize payment reminders, add an optional memo, review the preview, and select Send Invoice.
How does the file upload autofill work?
Relay scans the file you upload and pre-fills the customer contact details, line items, and memo based on what it detects. Always review the autofilled fields before sending, because scanned documents can miss information or misread values. If a field is blank or incorrect, edit it manually before continuing.
Tips for getting the best scan results:
Use clear, readable documents (typed PDFs beat photos of paper invoices)
Confirm every autofilled field against the source document
Fill in anything the scan missed before moving to the next step
Use the Preview and Email Preview tabs to see exactly what your customer will receive
Upload a new version of the document if the first scan pulled the wrong details
What settings are available while creating an invoice?
Every invoice includes core details (Invoice ID, customer, issue date, payment due date, line items, memo, and payment methods), plus optional settings depending on your plan.
Recurring invoices — available on the Grow Plan and Scale Plan; automate sending on a schedule
Card surcharge — available on the Grow Plan and Scale Plan; pass card processing fees on to the customer
Payment reminders — customize the schedule of automatic reminders sent to the customer
Delivery method — send by email, or share a direct payment link
Memo — add an optional note the customer will see on the invoice
Can I edit an invoice after uploading or sending it?
Yes, but the edit rules change once the invoice has been delivered.
Before sending: you can freely review and edit any autofilled or manually entered field on the invoice.
After sending, still editable: update invoice details or payment methods directly on the invoice if the status allows it.
After sending, locked: if the invoice has already been delivered and is no longer editable, cancel or void it and create a corrected invoice for the customer.
What are the common issues when creating an invoice?
Most invoice-creation issues fall into one of four buckets.
File is over 10 MB and won't upload — compress the PDF or export a lighter version before uploading
Autofill missed the customer or line items — fill the fields in manually, or upload a cleaner version of the document (typed PDFs scan better than photos)
Recurring invoice or surcharge option is missing — these features are on the Grow Plan and Scale Plan; upgrade your plan or use manual sending
Customer says the invoice looks different than the preview — the PDF Invoice, Payment Page, and Email tabs each show a different customer view; check all three before sending
What invoice statuses will I see after sending?
After you send an invoice, it moves through one of seven statuses: Draft, Unpaid, Scheduled, Processing, Paid, Overdue, and Cancelled. Track the status from the Invoices dashboard, where you can filter by status, customer, or date.
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