Send invoices automatically

Use this guide if you want every customer to get their invoice by email without you sending it. By the end, each new order gets its invoice PDF in the customer’s inbox, either right away or once the order is paid, fulfilled, or delivered.

Before you begin

• Automatic sending only covers new orders, placed after you turn it on. Orders from before that are never sent in bulk. To send older invoices, see Email invoices in bulk.
• Each invoice is sent automatically once. Later changes to the order don’t send it again.
• On the Free plan, automatic sending counts toward your monthly limit of 50 orders. When you reach it, automatic sending stops until the limit resets and Invoice Falcon emails you. See How the monthly invoice limit works.
• Sending only when an order reaches a status, and the tag rules, need the Pro plan. Sending right away, and the delay, are on every plan.

Choose your setup

Use this	When
Any status (the default)	You want the invoice to go out as soon as the order comes in.
Payment status	You only want to send once the customer has paid, for example Order is fully paid.
Fulfillment status	You want the invoice to arrive with the shipment, for example Order is completely fulfilled.
Shipment status	You want to send when the order is out for delivery or delivered.
Tags	Only some customers or orders should get an invoice, for example wholesale customers.

What customers will see

An email from your store with the invoice attached as a PDF, named after the order, like 1001.pdf. To change the name, see Change the PDF file name. The sender name is your Shopify store name. The address is invoices@invoicefalcon.com unless you change the sender address. Replies go to your store email.

The invoice uses your default template for orders. See Rename a template and set a default.

Set it up

1. Open your Shopify admin and click Invoice Falcon in the left menu.
2. Click Settings in the app’s menu. The Emails tab opens.
3. In the Invoice emails section, click Customize email. The invoice email editor opens.
4. In the editor’s sidebar, under Sending, click Automatic invoices.
5. Next to Send invoices automatically, click Turn on.
6. Optional: drag the Delay slider to wait up to 30 minutes after an order comes in before sending. Leave it at No delay to send right away.
7. Optional, Pro plan: under Only send when, pick a status type:
   1. Open the Order status dropdown and choose Payment status, Fulfillment status, or Shipment status.
   2. Open the Status is dropdown and choose the status, for example Order is fully paid.
8. Optional, Pro plan: under Tags, fill in any of Customer tags, Except customer tags, Order tags, and Except order tags.
9. Click Save in the bar at the top of the page.

Close the editor with the back arrow. The Invoice emails section now shows On and a summary of your rules, for example “Sent as soon as an order comes in. For every order.”

To change what the email says, click Subject and message in the same sidebar. See Customize your invoice emails.

How the rules work

• Delay. A short delay helps when another app adds details to the order (such as a tax ID or a PO number) just after checkout. The invoice is built at send time, so it picks those details up.
• Status. Only one status type can be active. With a status set, the invoice waits until Shopify reports the order has reached it, then goes out once.
• Tags. Write tags exactly as they appear in Shopify, separated by a comma and a space: wholesale, vip. Matching is exact and case-sensitive. A customer must have at least one tag from Customer tags to get an invoice, and none from Except customer tags. The order tag fields work the same way.

Check your setup

1. Place a test order in your store using your own email address. If you set a status rule, move the order to that status in Shopify.
2. Wait for the delay you set, plus a minute or two.
3. Check your inbox for the invoice email, and open the PDF.
4. In Invoice Falcon, open Orders. The test order now shows an Invoice #, and its email icon turns blue once the email is logged.

Troubleshooting

A new order didn't get an invoice email

Check these in order:

1. Send invoices automatically shows On in Settings > Emails.
2. The order reached the status in Only send when. An order that is never marked paid or fulfilled never sends.
3. The customer or order tags match your Tags rules exactly, including capital letters and the comma-and-space between tags.
4. The order has a customer email address.
5. You have not reached the Free plan’s monthly limit. Invoice Falcon emails you when automatic sending stops for that reason.

If all of these look right, see Troubleshoot invoice emails.

Orders from before I turned it on weren't sent

That’s expected. Automatic sending starts with the next new order. Send older invoices from Bulk actions. See Email invoices in bulk.

My tag rule matches nobody

Tags must be separated by a comma and a space. wholesale,vip is read as one tag called “wholesale,vip”. Change it to wholesale, vip and save.

I can't change Only send when or Tags

Both need the Pro plan, and both are greyed out while Send invoices automatically is off. Turn sending on first. To upgrade, see Invoice Falcon pricing and plans.

The invoice went out before the order was paid

With Any status, the invoice is sent as soon as the order comes in. To wait for payment, set Order status to Payment status and Status is to Order is fully paid.

FAQ

Does turning this on send invoices for my existing orders?

No. Only orders placed after you turn it on are sent. Existing orders are not touched.

Will a customer get the invoice again if I edit the order?

No. Each invoice is sent automatically once. If you change the order and want the customer to have the new version, send it again yourself from the order page. See Email an invoice to a customer.

Can I get a copy of every invoice email?

Yes, on the Pro plan. Turn on Send me a copy under Copies in the same editor. See Send copies of invoice emails.

Which template is used for automatic invoices?

The template set as the default for orders. To change it, see Rename a template and set a default.

Can quotes for draft orders be sent automatically?

No. Automatic sending covers orders only. Send quotes from the draft order’s page. See Send quotes for draft orders.

Can customers pay straight from the invoice email?

Yes, on the Pro plan. Turn on the Pay now button and the email gets a button to Shopify’s payment page while the order is unpaid. See Let customers pay with a Pay now link.

Related guides

• Customize your invoice emails, to change the subject and message.
• Change the sender address, to send from your own domain.
• Send payment reminders, which build on automatic invoices.
• Troubleshoot invoice emails, when a customer didn’t get theirs.