Pay invoice

The "Post payment" window appears when you have clicked on "Post payment" or "Interim invoice" located in the invoice overview.

[Book items] button

By clicking on the [Book items] button, all of the open charges and items will be booked with today's date. In this case, the invoice remains open, so that it can be edited later.

This function enables you to post a single payment. For example, this is very useful should you decide to select a particularly useful for instance when dealing with an advanced payment ( a so called deposit).

An additional open invoice amount will be shown in the invoice window to the right:

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 [Close] you will return to the Invoice summary or the room plan.

Proforma invoice

Does a guest need a comprehensive invoice before checking in? By means of the 'Proforma invoice', you can create a detailed payment forecast including the accruing value added tax amounts. The function of the proforma invoice is not to make guests pay, but rather functions purely as a receipt. It is thus not a true invoice.

Note: The Proforma invoice does not close the invoice!

Use case examples

A company needs an informative invoice including taxes after making the reservation in order to confirm cost coverage and/or for their financial accounting. The front desk user opens the invoice overview and selects "Print Proforma Invoice". The Proforma Invoice displays all estimated charges incl. VAT for the reservation.
A company makes a reservation for a group of 10 employees and is paying for accommodation and breakfast. They need a Proforma invoice that provides a summary of estimated charges. The Proforma invoice is not binding and can differ from the actual invoice the company receives after they checkout.

Print invoice window

Field	Function
Language	Select the language in which the invoice is to be compiled (the invoice form must be available in the selected language).
Template	Select a template (only required if the desired template deviates from the default template type). By means of the template, you can also set the language to be used for the confirmation.
Type	When printing the invoice, you can set how the booked articles are to appear on the invoice. Determine the sorting and whether or not each article is to be grouped individually or if the same articles are to be combined in the invoice being printed.
Dispatch type	Print as PDF (default): Creates an invoice as a PDF file.
	Send as email: Sends an e-mail with the invoice as a PDF attachment to the e-mail address of the recipient. The email address is taken from the contact data saved in the guest profile! A copy of the email will be automatically sent to the hotel’s email address (system data > My property > Email).
	Email preview (PDF): Creates a PDF as a preview. Select this option when wanting to check the contents of the PDF, before sending it as an email attachment (see above).
Recipient (only for selected Email transmission / Email preview option)	Invoice holder: Sends the invoice to the person who has been designated as invoice holder in the invoice summary. The email text for invoices saved in the system data will be used (System data > Text templates >Settings tab > Hotel management (Inv.)).
	Booker: Sends the invoice to the booker of the reservation. The email text for invoices saved in the system data will be used (System data > Text templates > tab > "Settings" > Hotel management (Inv.)).
	Profile: Sends the invoice to the guest selected by means of the booker of the reservation. The email text for invoices saved in the system data will be used (System data > Text templates > tab > Settings" > Hotel management (Inv.)).
	Email address: This is where you can manually enter an arbitrary email address to which the email is to be sent. A text field for entering the email text automatically opens (the email text for invoices saved in the system data will not be used in this case, because the program cannot translate the wildcards used for the salutation).
Additional text	Select the additional free texts check box: activate, if an additional text is to be printed to the invoice. The desired text can than be written into the additional free text field. HINT: The additional free text can be exported using the ${freetext} replacement code.
Email text	As long as the email address is not entered manually, protel Air will use the email text for invoices saved in the system data (see above). Set a check here if you want to edit the text.

Identify proforma invoices

To help identify pro forma invoices they are marked with a purple dot - see the following screenshots:

In the reservation overview / Invoice tab:

In the invoice dialog box (invoice overview):

In the Invoices list:

System setting: Generate invoice number for proforma invoices

Upon request, an invoice number can be issued for proforma invoices. The invoice number is not printed; instead it only appears in the invoice’s dialog box. The proforma invoice number is blocked for the actual invoice that is created at check out. Then, when the final invoice is created at check out, the already blocked invoice number is used for the final invoice. The proforma invoice remains in the system and you will then have a new final invoice at checkout. Both will have the same invoice number.

The allocation of the invoice numbers for proforma invoices requires a special system setting:

System data > System > XSetup: 'Generate invoice number for proforma invoice = true'.

Please contact the protel Cloud Support Team or your protel partner if you need further assistance or to have the respective settings done for you!

Proforma invoice example