Sending your first invoice is a big milestone! We’ve made the process straightforward so you can focus on getting paid.
While you can send invoices via the Holvi mobile app, we recommend using the desktop browser version for your first invoice to get familiar with all the available options.
Contents
1: Start a new invoice
2: Add recipient details
3: Add invoice details
4: Add invoice breakdown
5: Add attachments (Optional)
6: Preview and send
FAQ
How do I add a discount to my invoice?
How can I add VAT rates from different countries?
Before you start
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Check your pricing plan: Invoicing is included in the following plans:
- 🇫🇮 Finland: Pro, Business, Zen, Zen+, Associations Pro
- 🇩🇪 Germany: Pro, Business
- 🇦🇹 Austria: Pro, Business
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Set up VAT (optional): To include VAT on your invoices, you’ll first need to add your VAT ID to your account settings.
🔗 How do I add my VAT number? -
Set up e-invoicing (optional): If you plan to send invoices directly to your client's finance software (e-invoicing), you need to activate this feature first.
🔗 How do I send an e-invoice?
Step 1: Start a new invoice
- Log in at Holvi.com.
- Navigate to Invoicing in the main menu.
- Click New invoice.
Step 2: Add recipient details
Fill in the details of who you’re billing, including:
- Recipient name: The person or entity receiving the invoice. Note: This cannot be changed after the invoice is sent.
- Company (Optional): Your client’s legal company name.
- VAT ID (Optional): Your client’s VAT ID.
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Send method:
Choose one of the following:- E-invoice: Sends the invoice directly to the client's financial software.
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Email: We’ll email the invoice directly to your client.
- Important note: Invoices sent via this method come from invoice@holvi.com, not your own email address. If you want the email to come from you, choose the option below.
- Download PDF and send manually: Download the file to your computer. You can then attach it to an email sent from your own email address.
Depending on the send method you choose, you’ll also need to add your client’s email address or e-invoice address and operator under “Delivery”.
💡 Tip: Saving contacts
If you want to save this recipient’s details for next time, be sure to tick “Save as new contact” at the bottom of the Recipient details section.
Step 3: Add invoice details
Define the "metadata" of your invoice.
- Subject: Appears as the main title/headline on the invoice.
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Issue date: Today's date is selected by default. To schedule your invoice for later, just adjust this to a future date.
- This date is used to calculate the due date based on your payment terms.
- Payment terms: How many days the client has to pay. Changing this here applies to this invoice only. (You can set default terms by going to Invoicing > Settings).
- Invoice number: Set your invoice number sequence.
- Invoice language: Change the language for a specific invoice, or head to Invoicing > Settings to change your default invoice language.
New: Recurring invoices
Under Recurrence, you can set the invoice to automatically repeat:
- Once
- Monthly
- Quarterly
- Every 6 months
- Yearly
You can also set an optional end date for the recurrence.
Open Additional details to add:
- Delivery dates: Specify when the work was performed or delivered.
- Buyer reference / Purchase Order: Essential for corporate clients to process your invoice correctly.
- Personal message: A short note to your client (e.g., "Thanks for your business!").
Step 4: Add invoice breakdown
List the products or services you’re selling.
| Field | Description |
| Item name | The name of the product or service. |
| Item description | Optional details describing the work done. Appears below the item name. |
| Category | Assign a bookkeeping category (e.g., "Sales") to keep your accounts organized. |
| Quantity | The amount of items/hours provided. |
| Unit | The unit type (e.g., hours, pcs, flat fee). |
| Price | The price per unit. We’ll automatically calculate the total. |
| VAT | If you can’t see this option, you’ll need to add your VAT ID to your account first. |
| Price incl. VAT | If you’ve already set the price and VAT, we’ll calculate this automatically. |
Quick tips:
Add new item: Click this to add multiple items to one invoice.
Inventory: If you sell the same product/service often, head to Inventory from the main menu and add items for easy access.
Step 5: Attachments (Optional)
You can upload up to 3 attachments (PDFs, images) to accompany your invoice. These are sent as separate files attached to the invoice email. Accepted file formats are png, jpeg, gif, and pdf.
Step 6: Preview and send
Always preview your invoice! Scroll to the bottom and click Preview. This allows you to see exactly what the client will receive, helping you spot typos or missing details.
Once you’re ready, click Send now in the bottom right corner.
Not ready to send? Click Save draft. You can find your drafts on the main Invoicing page. To edit it later, click the draft > Options > Edit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a discount to my invoice?
To give a discount, simply add a new item with a negative price (e.g., Price: -50.00). This will subtract that amount from the total.
How do I add late payment interest?
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If the invoice is overdue and you want to add late payment interest, credit the original invoice and create a new one with the late payment interest. You can use the original invoice as a template (Options > Use as template).
Add a manual Late Payment Interest item to the invoice and send the invoice.
If you want a late payment interest notice on all invoices, add it under Invoicing > Settings > Personal greeting. This way, the message will appear on every invoice.
How can I add VAT rates from different countries?
If you need to use a VAT percentage different from the country your business is registered in: contact our support team and let us know which country's VAT rate you need enabled. We’ll help you set it up!