Programa's invoicing feature lets you create professional invoices directly from your project schedules and time entries, accept online payments through Programa Pay, and sync everything with QuickBooks or Xero. This guide lays out what to set up and in what order before you send your first invoice.
Before you begin
Invoices can be created at any stage of a project, you don't need products or time entries logged before you start. If you do want to pull items directly from your schedule or time entries logs, having that data ready first will make building your invoice much faster.
Important: Invoicing is available to Admin and Owner roles only. Team members with other access levels will not see the Invoices tab or be able to create and send invoices.
The setup sequence
Follow these steps in order before sending your first invoice:
(Optional) Connect your accounting platform
(Optional) Set up your tax rates
Configure your invoicing settings
(Recommended) Set up Programa Pay
Create and send your first invoice
Step 1: Connect your accounting platform (optional)
If you use QuickBooks or Xero, connect your accounting platform before creating your first invoice. This ensures invoices sync automatically as soon as they are created in Programa, including draft invoices.
See: [How to connect QuickBooks] or [How to connect Xero]
Step 2: Set up your tax rates (optional)
Before creating invoices, add your applicable tax rates (GST, VAT, or Sales Tax) so they are available to assign to individual line items.
Note: if you have connected your Quickbooks account, tax rates will be synced directly from QuickBooks.
Step 3: Configure your invoicing settings
Set up your studio logo, business information, invoice number format, default payment terms, and footer text. These settings apply to all invoices you create. Once you've completed your settings, you'll be redirected to your Invoices list where you can start creating your first invoice.
Step 4: Set up Programa Pay (recommended)
Programa Pay lets your clients pay invoices online by bank transfer, credit card, or debit card- directly from their invoice email. When the payment experience is simple, clients pay faster.
This step is optional. You can send invoices and manage payment collection manually without Programa Pay. However, Setting it up is worth it for a few reasons:
More flexibility at the point of payment. Offering card and bank transfer options removes friction for clients, making it easier for them to commit without delay.
Built-in chargeback protection. If a dispute is raised, you can view and manage it directly alongside the invoice and project it relates to — no separate platform needed.
Setup involves a one-time Stripe identity and business verification, completed entirely inside Programa.
See: [How to set up Programa Pay]
Step 5: Create and send your first invoice
Once your settings are in place, you are ready to create your first invoice.
See: [How to create Invoices]
Next steps
After sending your first invoice, these guides cover what comes next:
How to organise and share your invoices
How your clients pay an invoice
How to track invoices and manage payments in Programa Pay
Need help getting started? Contact our support team via live chat for personalized assistance.