Correct an invoice you've already sent
Bill more with a top-up, bill less with a credit note, or have a studio admin unlock a locked invoice or purchase order for one edit.
Once a client or supplier has a document, Techstyles stops it being changed silently. This is the same rule Xero follows. A Locked banner at the top of the document says why and what you can do instead.
What is locked
| Document | Locked when | Can an admin unlock it? |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice | Sent or Overdue | Yes |
| Invoice | Part paid or Paid | No. Remove the payments first. |
| Invoice | Void | No |
| Purchase order | Approved or Paid | Yes |
| Purchase order | Any of its items are on an invoice the client has been sent | Yes |
"Locked" covers what the document bills: its items, quantities, prices, VAT and delivery. On an invoice, the due date and bank details can still change. On a purchase order, the due date and delivery address can.
Before you unlock
Most corrections don't need an unlock:
- To bill a client more, create a top-up invoice.
- To bill a client less, raise a credit note.
Unlock only when the document itself is wrong and you will send the corrected copy.
Steps
- Open the document. The Locked banner is at the top.
- Click Unlock to edit. (If you see "Ask a studio admin to unlock it." instead, you don't have permission.)
- In Unlock for one edit, type the reason, at least 10 characters. For example, "Client confirmed 5 units, not 4".
- Click Unlock.
- Click Edit, make the change and save.
What happens next
- The banner changes to "Unlocked for one edit by …" with the time it runs out.
- The unlock lasts 24 hours, or until the first save that changes what was locked. Then it locks again.
- Your name and reason are recorded in the History, and the reason is attached to the edit.
- After saving an unlocked invoice you'll see "Saved. Send the client the corrected invoice." Use Send to Client to send it.
Good to know
- Only studio admins can unlock.
- Unlocking doesn't change anything in Xero. If Xero has already approved or paid the document, Xero won't accept the edit, and the Sync column shows Locked in Xero.
- A purchase order that is Sent isn't locked. Each change to its items or amounts makes it a new revision, printed as "Revision 1", "Revision 2" and so on. Re-send it so the supplier has the new copy.
- A purchase order's status can only move forward (Draft, Sent, Approved, Paid) unless it is unlocked.