How to Email Invoices from QuickBooks

At Towerstone Accountants we provide specialist limited company accountancy services for directors and owner managed businesses across the UK. We created this webpage for business owners who want practical guidance on choosing and using accounting software, including day to day bookkeeping tasks, invoicing, bank feeds, and reporting. Our aim is to help you keep accurate records, reduce admin time, and stay compliant with HMRC and Companies House requirements.

Emailing invoices directly from QuickBooks is one of the simplest ways to get paid faster, keep proper records, and reduce admin. Despite that, I regularly speak to business owners who are either not using the feature at all or are unsure whether invoices are actually being sent, tracked, and received correctly. When set up properly, emailing invoices from QuickBooks is reliable, professional, and fully auditable, which is exactly what you want for both cash flow and compliance.

In this guide I will walk you through how to email invoices from QuickBooks, how to set everything up correctly, what happens behind the scenes when you send an invoice, how to customise emails, how to resend invoices, and the common mistakes I see in practice. This is written from a UK business perspective and based on how QuickBooks is actually used day to day, not just how it looks in screenshots.

Why emailing invoices from QuickBooks matters

Before getting into the steps, it is worth understanding why emailing invoices from QuickBooks is usually better than sending PDFs manually.

When you email invoices directly from QuickBooks:

• The invoice is linked to your accounting records
• You can see when it was sent and viewed
• Payment status updates automatically
• There is a clear audit trail
• Chasing late payments becomes easier

This is particularly important if you are VAT registered, dealing with disputes, or ever need to evidence when an invoice was issued.

What you need before you can email invoices

To email invoices successfully from QuickBooks, a few basics must be in place.

You will need:

• An active QuickBooks Online account
• A customer with an email address saved
• Your company email settings configured
• An invoice created and saved

Most problems occur because one of these steps has been missed.

Checking your company email settings

QuickBooks can send invoices using its own system email address or using your own connected email. I strongly recommend using your own email address where possible, as it looks more professional and improves deliverability.

To check or change this:

• Go to the Settings icon
• Select Company settings
• Choose Sales
• Go to Messages
• Review the email address used for invoices

Here you can choose whether invoices are sent from a QuickBooks address or your own connected email.

Connecting your own email address

If you want invoices to come from your own email address, you will need to connect it.

QuickBooks supports common providers such as:

• Outlook
• Gmail

Once connected:

• Invoices appear to come directly from you
• Customers can reply to your email
• Messages look more personal

This setup only needs to be done once.

Adding or checking a customer’s email address

QuickBooks will not email an invoice unless the customer record contains an email address.

To check this:

• Go to Sales
• Select Customers
• Click on the relevant customer
• Review the email field

If the email address is missing or incorrect, the invoice will not send properly.

Creating an invoice in QuickBooks

Before you can email an invoice, you need to create one.

To create an invoice:

• Go to Sales
• Select Invoices
• Click New invoice
• Choose the customer
• Enter the invoice date
• Add products or services
• Check VAT treatment if applicable
• Review the total

At this point, the invoice exists in QuickBooks but has not been sent.

Emailing the invoice at the point of creation

The most common way to email an invoice is immediately after creating it.

Once the invoice is complete:

• Click Save and send

QuickBooks will open an email preview screen.

Here you can:

• Check the recipient email address
• Edit the subject line
• Edit the message body
• Attach additional documents if needed

Once you are happy, click Send and close.

The invoice is now emailed and recorded as sent.

What happens after you send the invoice

Once an invoice is emailed from QuickBooks:

• The invoice status updates to Sent
• The email activity is logged
• The invoice is linked to the customer record
• Payment tracking begins

If the customer views the invoice online, QuickBooks may also show it as Viewed, depending on settings.

This status visibility is extremely useful when chasing payment.

Customising invoice email templates

One of the biggest advantages of emailing invoices from QuickBooks is that you can customise how they look and what they say.

To customise invoice emails:

• Go to Settings
• Select Custom form styles
• Choose Invoices
• Edit the style you use

Within this section you can customise:

• Email subject lines
• Email message text
• Branding and logos
• Invoice layout

This allows you to keep messaging consistent and professional.

Using polite but effective payment wording

From experience, clear and polite wording improves payment speed.

Good invoice emails usually:

• Clearly state the amount due
• Include the due date
• Thank the customer
• Explain how to pay

You can include this wording in your default template so you do not need to rewrite it each time.

Sending invoices with payment links

QuickBooks allows you to include online payment links, depending on your subscription and setup.

If enabled, customers can:

• Pay by card
• Pay by bank transfer
• Pay directly from the invoice

This can significantly reduce payment delays.

Payment links are included automatically if online payments are turned on.

How to resend an invoice

If a customer says they have not received an invoice, or you need to send it again, you can resend it easily.

To resend an invoice:

• Go to Sales
• Select Invoices
• Open the invoice
• Click Save and send again

You can amend the email message if needed before resending.

The resend is also logged in the invoice activity.

Sending invoices in bulk

QuickBooks allows you to send multiple invoices in one go, which is useful if you invoice regularly.

To do this:

• Go to Sales
• Select Invoices
• Tick the invoices you want to send
• Click Batch actions
• Choose Send

QuickBooks will send each invoice individually but save you time.

How to check whether an invoice was emailed

You can always check whether an invoice was sent.

Open the invoice and look for:

• Invoice status showing Sent
• Activity log showing email sent
• Date and time of sending

This is particularly helpful if a customer disputes receiving an invoice.

Common reasons invoices fail to send

When invoices do not send, it is usually due to one of the following:

• No customer email address
• Invalid email address
• Email provider not connected
• Temporary email delivery issue

QuickBooks will usually show an error message if an email fails.

What to do if an invoice email fails

If you see an error:

• Check the customer email address
• Try resending the invoice
• Check your email connection in settings

If problems persist, you can download the invoice as a PDF and send it manually as a temporary workaround.

Downloading an invoice as a PDF

Sometimes you may need to send an invoice manually.

To download an invoice:

• Open the invoice
• Click Print or Preview
• Download the PDF

This does not replace emailing from QuickBooks but can be useful in specific situations.

Emailing invoices and VAT compliance

For UK VAT registered businesses, emailing invoices from QuickBooks helps with compliance.

This is because:

• Invoice dates are fixed
• VAT calculations are locked
• Audit trails are preserved
• Digital records are maintained

This is especially important under Making Tax Digital rules.

Emailing invoices versus attachments from your inbox

Many business owners still create invoices in software and then email PDFs manually. This works, but it has drawbacks.

Compared to manual emailing, QuickBooks emailing:

• Tracks delivery status
• Links invoices to accounts
• Reduces human error
• Simplifies credit control

For most businesses, sending directly from QuickBooks is the better option.

Emailing recurring invoices

If you invoice the same customer regularly, QuickBooks allows you to automate the process.

With recurring invoices you can:

• Set up a template
• Choose frequency
• Automatically email invoices

This is ideal for monthly services or subscriptions.

Setting up recurring invoice emails

To do this:

• Create an invoice
• Select Make recurring
• Set the schedule
• Choose Automatically send emails

Once set, QuickBooks handles the rest.

Who can email invoices in QuickBooks

User permissions matter.

Only users with appropriate access can:

• Create invoices
• Send invoices
• Edit email templates

If you cannot see the send option, check user permissions.

Best practice for emailing invoices

From experience, the businesses that get paid fastest usually:

• Send invoices promptly
• Use clear subject lines
• Include payment links
• Use polite follow up messages
• Monitor invoice statuses regularly

QuickBooks supports all of these if used properly.

Common mistakes I see in practice

The most common issues include:

• Forgetting to click Save and send
• Assuming an invoice was emailed when it was only saved
• Using outdated customer email addresses
• Not customising email templates
• Not checking invoice status

These are simple issues but can cause cash flow delays.

Should you email invoices or post them

For most UK businesses, emailing invoices is faster, cheaper, and more reliable than posting them.

However, some customers still require paper invoices. In those cases, you can:

• Email and post
• Or download and print

QuickBooks supports both.

What your accountant sees

When invoices are emailed from QuickBooks, your accountant can see:

• When invoices were raised
• When they were sent
• When they were paid

This improves accuracy and reduces queries at year end.

Security and professionalism

QuickBooks emails are secure and professional when configured correctly.

Using your own email address and branding:

• Builds trust
• Reduces spam filtering
• Looks more credible

This matters more than many people realise.

Final thoughts

Emailing invoices from QuickBooks is not just a convenience feature, it is a core part of running an efficient and professional business. When set up correctly, it improves cash flow, reduces admin, and creates a clear audit trail that protects you if questions arise later.

The key is understanding that creating an invoice is not the same as sending it, checking email settings, and making use of templates and automation. Once those pieces are in place, emailing invoices from QuickBooks becomes second nature and saves significant time over the long term.

You may also find our guidance on how to pay a quickbooks invoice and what is quickbooks helpful when exploring related accounting software tasks. For a broader overview of software options and setup guidance, you can visit our accounting software hub.