Invoicing is the preliminary step of receiving payment; an invoice is made for every product or service sold and supplied. The times when payments were processed mainly in cash and transactions were recorded in books are long gone. In order to combat error invoicing and overdue accounts payable, modern businesses have adapted the financial technologies (e-transfer, card payment, and online payments). SME’s now enjoy the enormous advantages of the billing system, especially in terms of quick gains.
Suppose you want to relish the efficiency in productivity and robust the convenient functionalities for your overall business. In that case, you need to understand the types of accounting systems available out there in the market. This article is a part of our comprehensive invoice generator software guide, where we have discussed the core technology involved in the invoicing system. We have compiled various aspects, such as key features, advantages of billing system, types of invoicing solutions, features, and the know-how of invoicing software.
What is Billing & Invoicing Software?
Billing software is a tool that automates invoice generation for goods and services rendered. The integrated tools create a list of products and services and their related costs per tax calculations and send them to the respective recipient. The smart technology allows business owners to create invoices using ready-to-use templates that are also customizable. Templates on software are professionally designed, which saves the user’s time and effort.
What Does Billing/Invoicing Software Do?
Recently, several businesses are turning to e-invoicing due to the advantages of the billing system compared to manual invoicing or paper-based billing. Most companies specifically prefer saving the processing time and costs associated with the traditional billing system to better focus on other business operations. Billing software saves printing and postage costs, reduces deadlines, and streamlines business workflow through unified invoicing processing.
Efficiency gains and cost-saving are the most crucial advantages of billing system. Accounting scholars have identified that ideal invoicing software can improve working capital management and relationships with customers and suppliers. As a small business, you need not have a dedicated finance team to handle your daily accounting tasks. You can manage all the billing work solely.
Here, we have listed some of the basic accounting operations you can perform with invoicing software.
Create & Send Invoices
Modern billing software enables business owners to access their financial data from anywhere, anytime. The cloud-based invoicing software makes it easier to create, customize, and personalize invoices. It saves a lot of manual work; unlike manual invoices, you fill-up the information in the given fields. You can also automate the same for recurring invoices.
It is now easier than ever to brand your business, modify and insert brand logo or business icons on your invoices. Advanced billing software enables you to import customer database in just a click of a button. You can also convert client-approved quotations into invoices at your fingertips. The integrated system allows you to file GST returns directly on the online portal.
Simplified Billing & Payment
Online Invoicing Platforms facilitate the process of billing and payments without any additional setup. The online portal enables your customers to pay you instantly as they receive their invoices. An authorized billing system comes with multi-currency capability that allows you to accept payments in foreign currencies.
Updated online platforms allow integrating third party payment applications or credit card payments that simplify payment procedures and get paid faster. Billing software generally has features to handle multiple currencies, multiple languages, and tax adjustments.
Easy Reports Generation
Billing software helps create instant reports that enable business owners to keep track of their finances and monitor outstanding invoices. Automation allows you to create reports, export data through PDF files that you can share directly through email. The ease of reporting simplifies data analysis and provides relevant information concerning the invoicing operations, like, the number of outstanding invoices, the time-period of a payment cycle, the number of customers that pay on time, and visa-versa.
Summary
How does invoicing software work? Billing software generally is designed to automate and create accurate invoicing operations. If your business involves regular invoicing tasks, the billing system can help you handle the repetitive tasks alongside keeping the system organized and error-free. It is designed to help a business get paid faster through proper maintenance of records, transactions, and accounting database.
Advantages of Billing System
The importance of effective billing cannot be undermined. Invoicing operations play a vital role in enabling businesses to get paid on time. Automated invoicing software helps individuals manage the entire payment process, from gathering data to creating and sending bills. The system contains essential billing elements such as data entry and authentication, billing codes, payment tracking, and security.
The advantages of billing system are far-reaching. In addition to efficiently managing all the billing-related tasks, the best billing software should be able to provide the following benefits:
Reduce Late Payments
A convenient software solution can help you simplify the billing process and enable you to receive payments on time. With the organized and scheduled financial data, you can amplify your profitability by getting paid faster.
Minimize the Payments Delayed or Forgotten
By carefully monitoring and tracking your billing obligations, you can ensure that you do not miss out on any payments, which leads to positive end profits.
Maintain a Professional Image
Did you know a goods billing system can do a lot more than handing invoice related operations? For instance, Imprezz integrated accounting software offers digital marketing tools that help promote your business and brand.
An ideal billing solution thus boosts your business’ reputation. Most software programs offer support for custom logos and other design improvements for invoices and payment documents, which conveys a professional image when sent to clients.
Automation
Automating accounting and financial processes enable you to increase the efficiency of the overall business workflow. It helps you in cutting costs by reducing the number of employees assigned for billing tasks. Likewise, it also increases the cash flow by streamlining payment procedures and improving customer relationships.
Data Security
Optimum data security rids of fraudulent accounting. A sound billing system should be able to offer you bank-grade security features; for instance, Imprezz GST accounting software is SSL certified, German-based software host that offers automation with the 256 BIT SSL data security.
The software provides optimal security to the entire payment process and protects your financial data against hackers or prying eyes. Using integrated software is much reliable and safer than manual invoices that are sent as email attachments.
Features of Invoicing Software
The market today is increasingly competitive, regardless of your profession. Be it a freelancer or retailer; a business primarily depends on attracting and retaining the customers. Therefore, taking advantage of the billing system has become the key to expanding the business.
Billing solutions broadly vary as per their feature set, target audience, and pricing plans. However, invoicing software must contain the features mentioned below.
- Creating Invoices/GST E-Invoices
- Generating Customer Records
- Online Payment Processing
- Customizable Templates
- Multi-Currency Payment Settings
- Receive & Send Financial Data
- Tax, Payment & Invoice Reporting
- Remote Access & User Control
- Seamless Integration
Types of Billing Software
Not many business owners know what type of billing software is right for their business. Often, it is due to the lack of understanding that makes the choices unclear. Finding what software is right for you can be confusing due to the number of software providers that are available out there in the market today. You are in the right place if you are looking for various billing systems to know the best fit for you.
Here, we have listed the most vital billing software types to help small business owners make a clear decision.
Billing and Time Management Software
Companies indulged in professional services opt billing and time software. These companies usually deal with “desk” jobs, namely, law firms, accounting firms, marketing firms, and other similar service providers. Billing and time software is primarily designed to serve three vital features. Their characteristics include the potential to track time, manage bill hours, and facilitate both projects in hand.
Billing and time management software are basic types of billing systems offered by various software service providers out there. Not many business owners are an expert in managing accounting operations; to cover that up, these software systems offer extensive features that include records and documentation, scheduling, reporting, and other time-tracking tools.
Legal Billing Software
Most billing systems enter the market as billing and time software, but they gradually evolve and improvise their design with legal billing software features. Legal billing software is mostly used by large organizations that deal with fiduciary accounting, reporting, withholdings management, batch billing, and other similar business operations.
As mentioned earlier, legal billing software is most commonly used by large organizations that prefer licensing the entire billing system for managing legal practices. The legal billing software packages offer more than just billing features; these packages mostly include documentation, case schedule management, legal research system integration, and more.
Medical billing software
The functionalities of medical billing software are entirely different as it does not involve time management. The software is specifically designed to generate the billing amount of medical billing codes, standardly termed as CPT (Current Procedure Terms). The billing system operates as per the rate tables available to price each CPT code entered by the office staff or assigned individual.
Adjustments are carried out in the billing system when a doctor or the hospital has to present the bills to any insurance company for processing payments. Once the respective CPT codes are either approved, rejected, or reduced, changes are made in the invoice price accordingly concerning the insurance company’s rate schedule.
Inventory Billing Software
Inventory billing software is most commonly seen covering the programs for various corporate types; basically, those involved in the trade. Invoices generated through inventory systems are based on the prices of inventory items. Retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and other similar companies use inventory billing as it involves various methods and sources of billing.
An inventory system determines an inventory item’s price based on pricing lists, fluctuating prices, or markup amount. Unlike most billing systems, inventory software doesn’t require a unique customer record for each purchase made by an individual. Instead, inventory software creates a unique record automatically for each transaction.
Recurring Billing Software
As the name suggests, the recurring billing system is used by businesses that provide running subscription services or monthly services. These businesses include the IT service companies, house maintenance companies that bill the same items to its recurring customers. Automation bifurcates the time and efforts wasted on billing recurring invoices at each periodic interval.
Recurring billing software accumulates historical data of previous bills and enables business owners to use revenue projections and historical data comparisons. However, it is less likely that businesses opt for this system, as it only offers a single business operation discipline. Most companies prefer time and billing software as it provides recurring module along with other unique billing features.
Most common Loopholes of Billing Software
The billing system is considered one of the most advanced technologies of current innovations. It has come a long way since its initial forms as paperless e-invoices. Even now, however, the system has various loopholes that need to be addressed and changed. Here we have listed some of the most common loopholes of the billing system.
Universal Standard
In today’s modernized world, most businesses operate digitally. Thus, billing systems function in various billing environments as per the geographic region, tax calculation changes, and vague compliance requirements of e-invoices. Most global companies involved in international trade and business often get around the billing system’s complexities due to a lack of universal standards of billing.
Safe & Secure Billing System
Nothing on the internet is an impenetrable bulwark despite all the security mechanisms and protocols. Anything online can be hacked by individuals that are an expert in building systems. Before making your purchase decision, you might want to check with your service provider once regarding this concern. Make sure that your business database is integrated and secure.
Conclusion
Ideal online invoice software is one that fits your business. Before implementing the right system in place, it is vital to examine and familiarize yourself with all the current billing processes. You need to know what type of billing system will help you and your team grow your business effectively. Do not waste money paying for the features that are useless for your business type.
Weigh the advantages of your billing system against the loopholes. If your billing system isn’t doing its job, it’s time for you to switch to a better option. Do not make the mistake of choosing the wrong software, switching from one system to another, and implementing Imprezz accounting software.
We offer a 14 days free trial software program for small businesses in India. Issue bills that serve your business more than just generating invoices.
