Invoice based on delivered or ordered quantities

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1. Overview

Odoo supports two invoicing policies to cater to different business models:

  • Invoice what is ordered – the default mode; customers are billed immediately when a sales order is confirmed.
  • Invoice what is delivered – invoicing occurs only after delivery, ideal for businesses dealing with bulk goods like liquids, food, or raw materials where actual delivered quantities may vary from the ordered amount.

2. Enabling Invoicing Policies

 

Note: If you select “Invoice what is delivered,” the Automatic Invoice option (i.e., auto-generate invoices on online payments) becomes unavailable.

 

  1. Setting Policy at Product Level

Each product can have its own invoicing policy. In the product form (Sales → Products), under the General Information tab, choose the invoicing policy that best suits that product.

  1. Impact on Sales Workflow

Here’s how each policy affects your sales process:

  • Invoice what is ordered
    • Workflow remains straightforward: quotation → order confirmation → invoice generation.
    • Invoice is created as soon as the order is confirmed.
  • Invoice what is delivered
    • Entire or partial deliveries must be validated (manually or via the Inventory app) before invoicing.
    • Attempting to invoice before validation triggers an error: “There is no invoiceable line…”.

 

Once a sales order is confirmed, you can view both delivered and invoiced quantities directly on the order even with partial deliveries.

  1. Partial Deliveries & Multiple Policies
  • Odoo tracks delivered vs invoiced quantities in real-time.
  • When a product uses “delivered” policy, invoices reflect the actual quantity delivered—even if partial.
  • Sales orders containing mixed policies (some products invoiced on order and others on delivery) can generate multiple invoices in line with each product’s policy.
  1. Using Down Payments

Even with “Invoice what is delivered” policy, businesses can invoice a down payment (percentage or fixed) before delivery.
This adds flexibility, enabling partial billing ahead of delivery.

 

  1. Benefits & Considerations

Policy

Benefits

Considerations

Ordered Quantities

Faster billing and improved cash flow

May lead to customer dissatisfaction if goods not delivered

Delivered Quantities

Ensures accurate invoicing; customers pay only for delivered quantity

Might delay payments; requires inventory validation

These options enable businesses to balance financial control with customer satisfaction.

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