Go to Invoices and click Create an invoice.
Select a client from your CRM database. Their details (name, email, address, VAT number) are automatically carried over to the invoice.
Fill in the invoice details:
Title (e.g. "Dupont wedding photo session")
Invoice lines: description, optional detail, quantity and unit price. You can add as many lines as needed and reorder them. Negative amounts are allowed to apply discounts.
Due date: 30 days by default, modifiable
Notes: free text visible to the client at the bottom of the invoice
If you have saved line templates (recurring services), you can insert them in one click
The invoice is created with Draft status. No number is assigned at this stage: it will be generated automatically at the time of sending, in the format FAC-2026-0001, with sequential numbering without gaps (compliant with legal obligations).
You can also create an invoice directly from a client's record in the CRM, via the Invoices tab. The client's information is pre-filled automatically.
When a quote is signed by your client, you can convert it into an invoice directly. The quote lines (descriptions, quantities, prices) are automatically carried over into the new invoice, as well as the client's information. The quote keeps the link to the generated invoice.
From the detail of a draft invoice, click Send. Two options:
By email: an email is sent to the client with the invoice summary and a link to view it online and download the PDF. You can personalise the accompanying message and put yourself in copy (CC). The final invoice number is assigned at this moment.
Mark as sent: if you have transmitted the invoice through another channel (in person, post, etc.), this option assigns the number and changes the status to "Sent" without sending an email.
You can also resend an invoice that has already been sent, for example to remind a client in the event of a late payment.
Each invoice follows a life cycle that you can track on the detail page thanks to a visual timeline:
Status | Detail |
Draft | Invoice being drafted, modifiable and deletable |
Sent | The invoice has been transmitted to the client |
Viewed | The client has opened the invoice link (detected automatically) |
Partially paid | One or more payments recorded, but the total has not yet been reached |
Paid | The invoice is fully settled |
Overdue | The due date has passed without full payment |
Cancelled | The invoice has been cancelled (the number is kept, the invoice is no longer modifiable) |
When your client opens the link to their invoice, you receive a real-time notification and the status automatically changes from "Sent" to "Viewed".
When an invoice is overdue, a banner appears on the detail page indicating the number of days late and the amount due. A Send a reminder button lets you resend an email to the client directly from this banner.
The invoice list page lets you filter by status (Draft, Sent, Paid, Overdue) and search by title, name or email of the client. For each sent invoice, three indicators are displayed: the total, the amount paid and the balance due.
Your clients have two ways to pay your invoices:
1. Online payment (Stripe)
If your Stripe Connect account is configured, your client can pay directly from the link to their invoice by clicking Pay online. The payment is processed by Stripe Checkout and recorded automatically on the invoice. The status changes to "Paid" (or "Partially paid" if the remaining balance due is greater than zero).
2. Other payment method (transfer, card, cash, cheque)
From the invoice detail, click Record a payment. This button is available on any invoice that is neither draft, nor paid, nor cancelled. Fill in:
The amount (a button lets you pre-fill the remaining balance due)
The payment method: transfer, card, cash or cheque
An optional reference (e.g. transfer number)
You can record several payments on the same invoice (payment in instalments). The status updates automatically according to the total amount received.
If you need to partially or fully cancel an invoice that has already been sent, you can issue a credit note. The credit note is attached to the original invoice and contains:
A reason for cancellation
The lines concerned (description, quantity, amount)
The automatic calculation of the subtotal, VAT and total
The details of the client and the photographer
The credit note has its own sequential numbering, its own sharing link and can be sent by email to the client.
The invoice PDF is generated automatically and contains all the required legal information: your details (name, address, business registration number, VAT number), those of the client, the invoice number, the date of issue, the detail of the services, the amounts excluding tax / VAT / including tax and the payment terms.
You can download the PDF at any time from the invoice detail.
Pelli includes a system of NF525-compliant traceability: each action on an invoice (creation, modification, sending, payment, cancellation) is recorded in an immutable audit log with cryptographic chaining (SHA-256). This mechanism guarantees the integrity of your accounting data.
In addition to invoices, the Payment links page lets you generate a quick payment link without creating an invoice. This is useful for collecting a deposit or a one-off supplement. The link has the format https://yourname.pelli.io/pay and can include a pre-filled amount (fixed or free), a title and the client's details.
