Invoice overview

In the invoice overview, you can take care of all of the tasks dealing with the invoicing procedure. You can book the charges and payments, finalize and print out an invoice, and check-it out with the respective reservation. You can also create informational or interim invoices, or open several partial invoices for a reservation.

There are numerous ways of accessing the invoice overview:

When you open an invoice, you will see the invoice overview. The following tutorial will walk you through this important dialog box and show you the elements of it's various sections.

Invoices

[Invoice overview > Left part of window "invoices"]

To the left of the invoice dialog box, you will find the invoices area - an exclusive invoice tab will be displayed for each invoice. In short, the invoice tab provides the invoice recipient with the current invoice balance and the room number.

For three or more invoice dialog boxes, you can view the details of the respective invoice by simply clicking on the invoice tab.

As need arises, the invoices window area can be closed: To do so, click the little arrow in the invoice list:

Display of Balance and Forecast

The invoice balance is displayed in bold, the expected total amount (forecast) appears in parentheses ().

The invoice balance also contains payments which have already made (e.g., deposits).

When the invoice balance is EUR 0.00, it either means that costs have not yet occurred because the guest has not yet checked in, or because the invoice has already been balanced.

If the expected total amount (forecast) is EUR 0.00, then all of the rooms in the reservation have already been checked out.

Generating amounts automatically

If you select several charges in the invoice window, the total amount of the marked charges will be shown at the bottom of the window.

What are the different statuses of an invoice?

New invoice

[Invoice overview > Left part of window "invoices" > "New invoice" button]

As need arises, several partial invoices are saved for a reservation which can be directed towards various invoice recipients. To do so, click the [New invoice] button.

For further information about "partial invoices", look here:
Hot Topics > Invoices > Numerous invoices/reservation.

Post charges

[Invoice overview > Left part of window "invoices" > "Post charges" button]

This function is only available for open invoices. The system will need to be also logged in with the cash register.

For each reservation / each room, additionally used items and services can easily be booked to the invoice(e.g., minibar, swimming pool fees, etc.).

1. Please click on the [Post charges] button located in the bottom left of the invoice dialog box. The "Book" view appears.

2. Select a room: The invoice item is based on the selected room, i.e., the first guest in the room. Only the rooms for the respective reservation will be offered for selection.

3. Enter item / service:

   • Click on the magnifying glass to open your item list in order to select the respective item by double-clicking on it.

   • Or enter the name of the item (or part of it) directly into the "Item search" entry field: protel Air automatically offers you a selection of items which correspond to the letters you entered.
     

4. Description: Shows additional information for the selected item.

5. Date: The date is automatically filled in and can be overwritten when required.

6. Currency: (Only available if your hotel works with multi currency)

7. Unit price: The price is automatically filled in and can be overwritten when required.

8. QTY (quantity).: Should the item be booked more than once, simply enter the number here.

9. INV (invoice): The item can be posted to the default invoice or to any other selectable invoice. Payment instructions are also being taken into account - or being explicitly ignored:

   • Automatic: Of there no payment instructions are defined, the item is posted to the default invoice. If there are payment instructions, the defined rules for postings are taken into account.

   • Select invoice: Select different invoice: If you select a specific invoice, the payment instructions are overridden and the charges are posted to this invoice.

   • New invoice: Creates a new invoice for posting the item.

10. Total: Shows the total amount that will be posted to the invoice.

11. Repeat steps 2) - 11) until you have selected all items that you would like to place on the invoice.

12. Click [OK] to add the selected items to the invoice.

As soon as an item has been added, it appears in the invoice overview and is then posted to the guest's invoice.

Video Tutorial: Post charges

Invoice dialog box

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box]

An invoice can contain numerous invoice dialog boxes - for three or more invoice dialog boxes, you can open any respective invoice dialog box by simply clicking on the invoice tab located on the left side of the dialog box.

You will find fundamental information about the reservation in the upper part of the invoice dialog box:

By clicking the group symbol , the reservation's group master opens (only for group reservations) opens.

By clicking the reservation symbol , the reservation summary opens.

At the top right, you will see the recipients name and address data.

Click on the recipient's name to open the respective guest profile.

Change recipient

By clicking the magnifying glass next to the recipient, the guest profile search will open.

This is where you can allocate another person / company as an invoice recipient.

Invoice details

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Invoice lines]

All of the services which have been booked and which will supposedly be done during the guest's stay, will be displayed. Furthermore, all of the booked and voided payments will be displayed here.

Already booked charges will be displayed in black. This can also apply to charges which have been manually added today.

Charges appearing in grey are either charges that will occur in the future, or are fixed charges. Fixed charges are charges contained in a rate and are therefore booked automatically at the end of day.

Packages are marked with the package symbol .

By right-clicking on a line of the invoice, you can access detailed information as well as other useful functions (Invoice tasks and Item tasks - see below).

Detailed Information

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Detail button ]

Select an invoice line and click on the info icon or open the context menu and then on the Show details.

In the "detailed information" window, you can see all of the details about a posted charge which has been saved,  Amongst other things, the detailed information also shows the room to which the charges are to be posted - this information can be very helpful, especially if an item has been moved from one invoice to another. When charges have been voided, the voiding reason can also be viewed here.

When working with a package, the individual parts of the package will be displayed here.

Edit package

In the "detailed information" window, you can look at the individual parts of packages and, when required, remove them individually.

1. Select a package.

2. Open the context menu and select the "Show details" command.

3. In the following overview, all of the individual parts of the package will be listed.

4. By clicking on the [Remove] button, you can remove individual contents from the package.

Edit term and description

[Invoice dialog > Item tasks > Edit item]

You can edit the name and description for charges which have already been booked or manually added.

1. Select the item you want to edit in the invoice overview.

2. Open the context menu by right clicking the respective item and select "Item tasks > Edit item" - see the following figure.

3. Use the left mouse button to click directly into the Item field or its Description and enter a new one.

This can be very useful, if you’d like to indicate that the second booked breakfast is for a different person.

Check-out

[Invoice overview > Invoice window > Invoice tasks > Check out]

The check-out button posts a payment for all open items, closes the invoice, and results in the print-out of the invoice. This is required before a guest can be checked out.

In the invoice overview, click the check-out button to close an invoice.

Video Tutorial

Learn how to execute a checkout along with posting a payment and closing the invoice.

Invoice tasks

[Invoice overview > Invoice tasks]

Click the button or open the context menu and click on the Invoice tasks.

The invoice tasks contain the following sub-tasks:

• Post payment

• Deposit posting (only available in specific countries, e.g. for implementation of Cash Register Security Regulation, [RKSV]). A dedicated documentation can be requested.

• Fiscalize (only available in specific countries). A dedicated documentation can be requested.

• Interim invoice

• Reopen invoice (only available for closed invoices)

• Void invoice

• Print proforma invoice

Post payment

[Invoice overview> Invoice tasks > Post payment]

This option allows you to post a payment to an invoice without closing the invoice. For example, this is particularly useful when dealing with an advance payment ( a so called deposit).

Video Tutorial

Take a look at how to post advance payments and how to confirm those payments in the form of an information invoice.

Example

1. Open the invoice overview (e.g., by marking the respective reservation in the invoice list and click the [Open invoice] button).

2. In the invoice overview, click on the "Invoice tasks" button  (you will find the button at the bottom left of the invoice overview). Or you can open the context menu by right-clicking on an arbitrary position in the invoice and selecting the Invoice tasks command.

3. Click on  "Post payment".

4. The "Post payment" window opens.

5. In the "Book" area, select a method of payment - e.g., "cash" - from the "Method of payment" field. You can also select the method of payment using the <ARROW DOWN> key or typing the starting letter (e.g., c for cash) and press <Enter>.

6. Enter an amount and click on [Book payment].

7. Close the window.

The charge will be posted to the invoice and displayed in red.

The remaining amount is shown on the bottom right in parentheses.

Example:

The amount shown in bold displays the expenses incurred to date, minus the payments made. The amount in parentheses () depicts the expected total amount due, also minus the payments already made. By clicking the "Close window" button, you will return either to the invoice overview or the room plan.

Print payment receipts

[Check-out, Post payment]

When posting a payment in protel Air and your system has been configured for printing receipts, the receipt will be printed when posting the payment.

The printing of the receipt is controlled via the method of payment: The method of payment is then allotted to a receipt in the system data. As soon as a payment is booked with the respective method of payment, protel Air automatically prints the appropriate receipt.

Learn more: Configuring methods of payment for printing receipt

Fiscalization

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Invoice tasks > Fiscalization]

Interim invoice

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Invoice tasks >  Interim invoice]

Payment of all charges posted up until today and printing an interim invoice.

An interim invoice can be printed during a guest's stay and is only available when items have already been charged. It shows all the items that have been charged to date, incl. taxes/ VAT.

Video Tutorial

Example

1. Open the invoice overview (e.g., by marking the respective reservation in the invoice list and click the [Open invoice] button).

2. In the invoice overview, click on the "Invoice tasks"  button, (you will find the button at the bottom left of the invoice overview). Or you can open the context menu by right-clicking on an arbitrary position in the invoice and selecting the Invoice tasks command.

3. Select the menu item “Interim invoice”.
   You will only have this option, if the reservation has already been checked in. The amount due up to this point in time will automatically be entered into the amount line.
   

4. Select a Payment method (Pymt. meth.).

5. If required enter a booking text, e.g., "Interim invoice".

6. Confirm the payment by clicking the [Post payment] button.

7. Next, you can print the invoice in the section of the window to the right:

1. Click on [Print invoice] to generate  an interim invoice which shows all charged items incurred to date incl. VAT, excluding forecast items.

2. Click on [Proforma invoice] to generate an interim invoice which shows all items incurred to date (charged items)  and a forecast of upcoming charges, both incl. VAT.

8. Close the interim invoice as well as the 'Pay invoice' overview in order to return to the invoice overview.

Related topics

Info Invoice (Print button in Invoice overview)

Proforma Invoice (Invoice Overview > Invoice tasks > Print proforma invoice)

Reopen invoice

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Invoice tasks > Reopen invoice]

Closed invoices can still be opened on the same day in order to enter corrections, for example.

Open the invoice dialog box, click on the Invoice tasks button , or open the "invoice tasks" context menu, and then click on the Reopen invoice.

Void invoice

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Invoice tasks > Void]

You will have the possibility of voiding closed invoices afterwards. The voided invoice revokes a previous invoice and creates the opposite to the originally generated invoice.

Open the invoice dialog box, click on the Invoice tasks button , or open the "invoice tasks" context menu, and then click on void invoice.

Enter a voiding reason and confirm with [OK].

Invoice items contained in the previous invoice will be voided- the single and total price will now be displayed with a negative amount; payments made will be booked with a positive amount.

By means of the [New invoice] function, you can generate a corrected invoice, as need arises.

Void invoice and repost certain items

You can void an invoice and at the same time transfer individual invoice items to a new invoice.

At the bottom of the invoice dialog box, click on "Invoice tasks > Void Invoice"

In the void window, click the Void and repost items button - see figure.

In the next window, select the invoice item(s) being reposted- see figure.

By keeping the CTRL key depressed, you can also select several invoice items.

Click on OK to directly book the selected items to a new invoice.

A voided invoice is identified by a small red cross:

Video Tutorial | Void invoice

In this tutorial we will show you how you can void an invoice and repost the items.

Print proforma invoice

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Invoice tasks > Proforma invoice]

Related topics

Info Invoice (Print button in Invoice overview)

Interim Invoice (Invoice Overview > Invoice tasks > Interim invoice)

Item tasks

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Item tasks ]

Split item/package.

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Item tasks > Split item/package]

You can split the invoice items into several parts.

When is splitting useful?

How to proceed

1. Select the invoice item you would like to split.

2. Click on the button or open the "Item tasks" context menu and click on Split item/package.

3. In the “Split items” dialog you now have the following options:

TIPP:The executed splits are recorded in the action log in detail. Questions regarding the composition of certain invoice items can be answered immediately with the action log; splits can be traced in detail (Lists > Action log).

You can find additional information about transferring charges here:
Hot Topics > Everything about invoices > Numerous invoices / reservations.

Add Item to package

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Item tasks > Add Item to package]

Items can be added to an already existing package.

Keep the CTRL key depressed and select the package and the item.

Click on the button or open the "Item tasks" context menu and click on Split item/package.

The selected items will then be added to the marked package.

Create / delete package

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Item tasks > Create / delete package

Merge several charges in the invoice overview into one package. This can be useful, for instance, if a guest has consumed several items from the mini-bar and would like to have them show as one item on the invoice.

You will find a detailed description in the chapter entitled "Everything about invoices > Packages".

Move item

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Item tasks > Move

In the invoice overview you can very easily transfer an invoice item onto another invoice.

The function is only available for items and services which have already been posted.

1. Select the invoice items which you would like to transfer to another invoice.

2. Click on the button or open the "Item tasks" context menu and then click on Move.

3. Via the search function, you can select the invoice to which it is to be transferred. While doing this, several search possibilities will be offered to you, so that you can search for an explicit invoice.

With the "new invoice" command, the invoice items will be posted to a new invoice window. By means of the "Passerby invoice" command, you can also post to a new passerby invoice.

4. For group reservations, an invoice item can very simply be posted to the overriding group invoice.

Transfer invoice items via drag & drop

You can transfer an invoice item via drag & drop, if a reservation contains at least two invoice dialog boxes.

As need arises, new invoice boxes can be created with the [New invoice] button.

Void item(s)

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Item tasks > Void Item(s)]

Video Tutorial

Example

1. Select the invoice being deleted in the invoice overview (one, or use multiple selection for more than one)

2. Click on the button or open the "Item tasks" context menu and then click on Void.

The postings will be deleted, i.e., the respective counter entries will be automatically executed.

The counter entry can also be done manually:

1. Click on the "Post charges" button and select the respective service from the "Book services" view (either by entering the name or by clicking on the [...] button).

2. In the Unit price column, enter a negative value for the item and then confirm it by clicking OK.

Re-translate items

[Invoice overview > Invoice dialog box > Item tasks > [Retranslate item]

In protel Air, items and services can be saved in many languages. For example, if the guest speaks Spanish, the items and services will automatically be booked in Spanish (provided that a Spanish translation has been saved to the system data).

With the "Re-translate items" function, you can reload the language for the booked items and services whenever required. Has the guest's language been changed afterwards, all of the invoice items that are going to appear in the guest's language will need to be retranslated.

Select an arbitrary item on the invoice.

Click on the button or open the "Item tasks" context menu and then click on the Re-translate items.

Print button (info invoice)

After clicking the Print button an info invoice will be created. The info invoice solely serves to inform the guest and is not connected to any payment requirement. It will be created when the guest would like to know which about the incurred items and services to date (normally during stay). Info invoices can also be used as receipts for payments made. By default, info invoices do not consider taxes.

A requirement for an info invoice is that there are services which have already been booked. The info invoice will always only reflect the current state of the invoice and does not contain any services which might occur in the future.

Issue booking text with or without description

The booking text in the invoice can optionally be issued with or without a description.

Example:

Assume that the position “English - traditional” has been booked containing the description “Sausages, bacon, eggs...”.

By means of the replacement code in your invoice forms, you can control if the booked articles are to be issued with or without the description.

Hint: In order to be able to change the replacement code in the invoice form, you will have to remove the protection from tables (right mouse-click in the table column > Menu “Cell” > Command “Remove protection”).

Related topics

Interim Invoice (Invoice Overview > Invoice tasks > Interim invoice)

Proforma Invoice (Invoice Overview > Invoice tasks > Print proforma invoice)

Delete invoice

An invoice which does not contain any postings can be deleted with this button.

Handling of exclusive taxes

Since protel Air is designed for worldwide use, the system offers extensive options for configuring the calculation of taxes. In this regard, the handling of exclusive taxes was significantly improved.

This enhancement only affects countries/businesses that levy exclusive taxes (e.g. Canada & USA). Exclusive taxes are not included in the product prices, thus the tax is added on top of the price on the bill.

Summarizing similar taxes when printing invoices

Invoices > Check-out / Print invoice

Tax amounts for similar invoice items can be combined for printing invoices. This feature was developed specifically for countries where several exclusive tax rates are levied on one price (e.g., US).

Benefits

The feature achieves fundamental improvements for printing invoices, especially when the room rate varies due to restriction values or when they have been adjusted manually.

Example: Due to a rate restriction, $35.00 is added to the price of an overnight stay. Due to the internal calculation logic, the corresponding tax amounts (lodging tax and sales tax) are printed twice on the invoice: once for the original posting and once for the difference item - see following illustration:

For a better overview, the items on the invoice can be combined when activating the Summarize taxes checkbox during checkout / printing the invoice:

Result: Taxes on similar invoice items (=same price and same item), are combined in the invoice printout - the invoice is much easier to understand than above:

XSetup

The Summarize taxes option has to be activated with the following XSetup. The logged-in user needs to have access to the XSetup entries in the system data.

System data > System > XSetup

• XSetup Name: Summarize invoice taxes per day

• XSetup Directory: Configuration > Client > Invoices > Print

Result: If the XSetup is activated, the Summarize taxes checkbox is available when printing invoices and checking out the invoice.

The checkbox is set by default, i.e., similar taxes are automatically combined on the invoice per day.

Summarizing similar taxes in the invoice dialog box

Tax amounts for similar invoice items ( = same price and same item) can be combined in the invoice dialog box. This feature was developed specifically for countries where several exclusive tax rates are levied on one price (e.g., US).

The feature can only be activated by protel Support staff!

• Name: ConsolidateExternalTaxes

• Configuration path: currentProperty/propData/Parameters/Invoice/ConsolidateExternalTaxes

Example

Tax amounts for similar invoice items are displayed separately ('ConsolidateExternalTaxes' is not set)

Tax amounts for similar invoice items are displayed in one line ('ConsolidateExternalTaxes' is set)

Allotting a tax item to a tax

System data > POS > Taxes

Taxes can be allotted to certain items. The allotted item is then used to post this tax to the invoice.

Example:

The tax item which is to be allotted can be created accordingly in the system data. The default item in the system data is called "Exclusive tax" (ID = 5).

Reduced option

System data > POS > Taxes

The tax amount is deducted from the item price on the invoice by using the Reduced option.

The item's net price then appears on the invoice and the tax amount will then be displayed separately.

Example: The gross price for an overnight stay is $100.00, the tax is 10% (= $10.00). If the option "Reduced" is activated, booked items are displayed on the invoice as follows:

NOTE: This option is only available if a tax is set up as exclusive tax.

Text replacement codes

For hotels operating with exclusive taxes, we recommend using the following text replacement codes to issue the gross and net price per item:

• ${item.netAmount} issues the net amount

• ${item.grossAmount} issues the gross amount

Example of use in the invoice template:

If you have any questions regarding the use of text replacement codes, protel Cloud Support or your local protel partner will be happy to be of assistance.