The NetSuite Invoice Groups feature gives you the option to send a group of invoices to your customers rather than sending each invoice individually. With invoice groups, customers with a high number of transactions will get all the information they need on their invoices without receiving an overwhelming number of emails. Let’s take a quick look at the basics of Invoice Groups in NetSuite.
Overview of Invoice Groups
First, here’s some background information on how the invoice/invoice group relationship works. Standalone invoices that are not connected with a sales order are still eligible to be grouped, and you are not limited on the number of invoice groups you can create for a single customer. Invoice groups do not post to the GL; rather, each individual invoice will. And you can use invoice groups for as many or as few customers as you wish. Turning on the Invoice Groups feature does not obligate you to create invoice groups for all your customers.
Setting Up Invoice Groups
How would you set up invoice groups in NetSuite? Let’s take a look.
Enable the Feature
First, you’ll need to enable the Invoice Groups feature, which you can do on the Billing section of the Transactions tab in Enable Features. Note that once you have actually created an invoice group, you cannot turn off this feature.
Invoice Group Numbering
NetSuite will number invoice groups sequentially by default, unless you set up a numbering system in Auto-Generated Numbers. To do that, navigate to Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers. On this page, select the Document Numbers tab and locate the Invoice Groups line. After adding your desired numbering scheme for invoice groups (prefixes, suffixes, minimum digits, etc.), select the Update Initial Number checkbox to restart invoice group numbering.
The Customer Record
If you plan to use invoice groups for a particular customer, you will need to designate that on their customer record. On the customer record, select the checkbox Group Invoices under the Financial subtab. Now, any invoices created for this customer are eligible for grouping. But don’t worry! This doesn’t mean you have to use invoice groups for all of this customer’s invoices. You will always have the option of excluding an invoice from invoice grouping on individual sales order records.
The Sales Order
When you select a customer that has been designated for invoice grouping on a new sales order, the checkbox For Invoice Grouping under the Classification field group will be automatically checked. Saving a sales order that has this box selected will ensure that the sales order is eligible for invoice grouping. Note, however, that simply having the checkbox checked does not automatically cause the sales order to be placed in an invoice group.
Creating Invoice Groups
How does NetSuite know which invoices to group together? NetSuite uses the following criteria to determine if invoices belong in a group: Customer, Terms, Currency, Billing Address, Subsidiary, and Account. When invoices share these criteria, they are eligible to be placed in the same invoice group. But when are invoice groups actually created? That happens in one of two places, either on the Process Billing Operations page or the Group Invoices page.
From the Process Billing Operations Page
You can create invoice groups when you’re running a billing operation. To do that, navigate to Transactions > Billing > Process Billing Operations. Select the Group Invoices checkbox under the Billing Operation Options section. If you are simultaneously doing a bill run and you do not wish for newly created invoices to be grouped, be sure to select the checkbox Do Not Apply Grouping for Bill Run. And if you only want to create invoice groups instead of billing sales orders simultaneously, deselect the Bill Run box.
From the Group Invoices Page
You can also create invoice groups from a designated Group Invoices page. To do that, navigate to Transactions > Sales > Group Invoices. On this page, you will see a list of all the invoices that are eligible for grouping. You can use the Customer dropdown at the top of the page to narrow down results if necessary. In the list, select the Group checkbox next to any invoices that you wish to group. You’ll be able to see in the Group Indicator column how invoices will be grouped. Any invoices that have the same number listed in the Group Indicator column will be placed in the same invoice group. When you’re finished, hit the Submit button to generate the Invoice Group records.
Managing Invoice Groups
To view and manage invoice group records, navigate to Transactions > Sales > Group Invoices > List. Here, you’ll be able to see all the invoice groups you have created. Select View next to the invoice group record you wish to review. On the invoice group record, you’ll be able to see and access all the invoices that are connected to that invoice group.
Conclusion
The NetSuite Invoice Groups feature allows you to easily group your invoices for an added layer of convenience to your customers. If this is a feature you would like to begin using in your account or if you have any other NetSuite needs, SuiteRep would love to come on board and help. Our diverse NetSuite experience enables us to provide NetSuite solutions tailored to your unique needs. Contact us to get the conversation started.