Invoices and Estimates
This introduction explains the basics of invoicing in FreeDAM.
Please read this to get a good understanding of why invoices behave how they do.
The Account Codings section is important if the company is pushing invoices to Xero. Please read this section
Invoices and estimates are very similar. In fact the data is stored in the same way and the various parts (service fees, disbursements etc) of an invoice are the same for invoices and estimates. These instructions for invoicing throughout this help hold true for estimates also.
The difference between estimates are…
- Estimates do not have payment terms and print like an invoice but with the term ‘Estimate’ instead of invoice on it.
- Estimates cannot be ‘Posted’ (finalised) and cannot be sent to Xero
- An invoice can be created from an estimate
Case Types (affects invoicing)
When you enter a new case into FreeDAM you are able to select the type of case it is.
These are…
A Funeral Case – This is the most common and is for a deceased person for whom we are going to carry out services for.
A Monumental Case – this is for businesses that have a monumental side to their business. The FreeDAM name of the deceased should be the name on the monumental work. You can choose the cemetery and the birth and death dates and who you will be invoicing\.
A Sundry Case – This is for invoicing goods and service to a person who wants to be invoiced for something we are selling but is not a funeral or monumental case.
i.e Ash lockets or urns
A Company Case – This is for when we want to invoice another company for our services (A removal or if we own a crematorium – a cremation).
A Prepaid Case – This is for recording a person who is still alive and has prepaid for their funeral – and possibly lodged some monies with a trust. These cases become funeral cases upon their death.
A Prearranged Case – This is for recording a person who is still alive and has asked us to arrange their funeral – but have not committed any money to us. These cases become funeral cases upon their death.
Invoice types
FreeDAM also has several types of invoice. These are…
Full Funeral Invoice – This invoice type gets set automatically for you when you create an invoice for a funeral case. The text options available to choose from are from your ‘Full Funeral’ price settings.
Partial Funeral Invoice – This never gets set for you – but can be selected on the payment terms section of the invoice. It has been designed to allow the company to have a separate price structure for partial services carried out. This is rarely used these days.
Sundry Invoice – This invoice type has a different header and changes the professional services for pricing. Your invoice may have been programmed to have different text and payment terms on it
Monumental Invoice – This invoice type again uses different pricing options to allow for ease of invoicing monumental work.
What FreeDAM does when creating an invoice
For Funeral Cases
- FreeDAM will automatically create a funeral type invoice.
- The invoice will have the account address on it from the main details screen.
- The invoice will have the header text inserted particular to the case (using codewords).
- The invoice will have the Casket / Coffin and the price on it from the main details screen.
- The invoice will have the Urn and the price on it from the main details screen.
- A Second invoice generated for a funeral case will be a sundry invoice and not put the casket / coffin or urn on it.
- Your Funeral pricing and option will be available to enter.
- You are able to create an estimate for this case type
For Monumental Cases
- FreeDAM will automatically create a monumental type invoice.
- The invoice will have the account address on it from the main details screen.
- There are no casket /coffin or urns able to be selected on the main details screen so these do not get put on the invoice
- Your monumental pricing and option will be available to enter.
- You are able to create an estimate for this case type
For Sundry Cases
- FreeDAM will automatically create a sundry type invoice.
- The invoice will have the account address on it from the main details screen.
- There are no casket /coffin or urns able to be selected on the main details screen so these do not get put on the invoice
- Your sundry pricing and option will be available to enter.
- You are NOT able to create an estimate for this case type
For Company Cases
- FreeDAM will automatically create a sundry type invoice.
- The invoice will have the account address on it from the main details screen.
- There are no casket /coffin or urns able to be selected on the main details screen so these do not get put on the invoice
- Your sundry pricing and option will be available to enter.
- You are Not able to create an estimate for this case type
For Prepaid Cases
- You are only allowed to create an estimate for this case type.
- This estimate will have all your funeral pricing and option available to you.
For Prearranged Cases
- You are only allowed to create an estimate for this case type.
- This estimate will have all your funeral pricing and option available to you.