Have you ever been confused about the differences between invoices, transactions, and Woo orders? Are these three really different, or can they have a similar use case?
This documentation page aims to help you clarify any doubts about this topic.
Invoice vs Transaction
In Jetpack CRM, an invoice is a document that requests payment from a customer for goods or services provided, while a transaction is the actual record of the payment received or made.
In other words, an invoice is a payment request, and a transaction is the actual payment or refund.
You can easily add, edit, or allocate transactions within Jetpack CRM, and each transaction can be assigned to a contact or a company.
An example of transactions vs invoices
Let’s imagine you purchase something in an online store:
- One amount is charged to your card. This is the transaction. If you look at your bank statement, you might have clues as to what the purchase is in a transaction summary (e.g. the name of the merchant), but details are sparse.
- You receive a receipt with details of all the purchased items. This is the invoice. The invoice includes the transaction amount within it.
Jetpack CRM invoices vs WooCommerce imported orders
The main difference between an invoice in Jetpack CRM and a WooCommerce order is that Jetpack CRM invoices are designed to work alongside WooCommerce orders, but they are not intended to replace them.
When using Jetpack CRM invoices, the invoices are accessible from the Client Portal, and customers can download PDF versions of the invoices themselves if using Client Portal Pro. This provides a central location for customers to view and manage their invoices.
On the other hand, WooCommerce orders are created in your WooCommerce store and used for order fulfilment and payment management. The WooSync module in Jetpack CRM allows you to automatically generate invoices from your WooCommerce orders, which will be visible to customers in their Client Portal.
For example, if you had both an in-person shop and an online shop, you can add Jetpack CRM invoice and transaction to record an in-person purchase using cash that took place outside of WooCommerce; this won’t affect the way WooCommerce orders are synced, and their related invoices are shown in CRM.
In summary, while Jetpack CRM invoices work in conjunction with WooCommerce orders, they are not meant to replace the functionality of WooCommerce orders.
More about Invoices, Transactions, and WooCommerce
Here is a list of useful documentation pages to know more about Invoices, Transactions, and WooCommerce: