Smart Invoice Overview
A Smart Invoice is a transactional email sent by Novi with your association's branding and logo, custom messaging, and a specific call to action to "Pay Invoice Now". While the core functionality is the same for all types of Smart Invoices, there is extra functionality when sending dues renewal invoices with Smart Invoices. The differences are highlighted in this article.
Benefits of a Smart Invoice
Emails a direct link to pay online, without logging in
Link can be forwarded or shared to be paid by someone else
Pay by Credit Card or ACH
Opens and Clicks tracked in your Transactional Email Log
Configurable messaging in the email body
Attached PDF copy of the invoice
Opportunity to remove Optional Dues rules (when sending a dues invoice)
Smart Invoice Email - Member's Perspective
Here's an example from the member (or non-member) perspective of the Smart Invoice Email. It will reflect your name, branding, and logo, along with your email body message.
Send a Single Smart Invoice
From the Transactions list view or from a Member Record, you have an action to Send an open invoice.
Transactions List View:
Member Record:
Components of Sending a Smart Invoice
After clicking Send on a single open invoice, you'll get a pop up to review and adjust the messaging before you send the email.
Direct Link: This is the shareable URL to directly pay the invoice. This link is automatically, always, included in the Smart Invoice email, but sometimes you might want to copy this link to send to the member when sending them a personal email through Outlook, Gmail, etc.
Email: Novi has logic to default this field to the most appropriate email, but you can add or change email recipients before sending.
Novi's Default Email Logic: When the billable party is a person, their email will default in this field. When the billable party is a company, this field will default to one of these contacts, in this priority order if the first is not available: Billing Contact; Company Email; Primary Contact.
Email To Send: Smart Invoices are recommended for the features, automation, and ease of use they bring to the table. If you send the "QuickBooks Invoice Only", Novi will trigger QuickBooks to immediately send/re-send the Invoice as if you were doing it from within QuickBooks.
Novi Pay Note: Customers using Novi Pay as their payment processor will not see the "QuickBooks Invoice Only" option. If you need to use QuickBooks Payments for any reason, you can send the invoice from QuickBooks Online.
Subject: The subject of the transactional email is determined by the type of invoice you're sending.
Dues Renewal Invoice: The default subject dynamic based on the type of renewal email the member will receive. You can review and edit default renewal subjects in each member type settings.
All other Smart Invoices: The default subject is set by your QuickBooks settings. Learn how to edit Smart Invoice default messaging.
Body: There are two different default body messages. Both are editable before you send your email.
Dues Renewal Invoice: This default message is configured in each Member Type's settings. Learn how to edit Smart Invoice Renewal default messaging. This Smart Invoice type supports merge fields.
All other Smart Invoices: With the exception of Dues Renewal Invoices, all other Smart Invoice email body messaging defaults to your QuickBooks default messaging. Learn how to edit Smart Invoice default messaging. This Smart Invoice type does not support merge fields.
Invoice Preview: This is a preview of the invoice that will be attached as a PDF and available to pay online. This invoice template is determined by your QuickBooks settings.
Get Direct Payment Link
The direct link to pay an open invoice is automatically, always, included in the Smart Invoice email, but sometimes you might want to copy this link to send to the member when sending them a personal email through Outlook, Gmail, etc.
There are two ways to copy the direct link:
List View Action:
Send Invoice Email Modal:
Send Smart Invoices in Batch
When Batch sending open invoices, Smart Invoices are still utilized.
Novi Pay Note: If you are using Novi Pay, this batch action will automatically use the default settings for Smart Invoices and will immediately queue the emails to be sent.
If you are using QuickBooks Payments, you'll receive a pop up to confirm if you'd like to send Novi's Smart Invoice or if you'd like to send the QuickBooks email.
