LotsInvoice

Help

LotsInvoice help

Guides and answers for getting paid online, sending and correcting invoices, estimates and your team. Ask AI in the dashboard reads the same answers.

Guides

Connect your Stripe account

Create a Stripe restricted key with three permissions and paste it in LotsInvoice. Payments go straight to your Stripe balance.

  1. In your Stripe dashboard, open Developers, then API keys. Choose test mode first if you want to try it without real money.
  2. Under Restricted keys, click Create restricted key. Name it LotsInvoice.
  3. Set Checkout Sessions to Write, Charges to Write (this lets you refund from LotsInvoice) and Webhook Endpoints to Write. Leave everything else at None.
  4. Create the key and copy it. It starts with rk_test_ in test mode and rk_live_ in live mode.
  5. In LotsInvoice, open Settings, Payment, set Mode to the same mode, paste the key under Stripe and click Connect Stripe.
  6. Tick Offer online payment on invoices and click Save online payments. Each sent invoice now gets a Pay button.
  7. To take real payments, set Mode to Live, connect a live key (rk_live_) the same way and click Save online payments. In Test mode payments are not real and never count toward an invoice.

Good to know

  • Only the business owner can connect a payment account, turn online payment on or off, or switch between Test and Live.
  • LotsInvoice only takes a restricted key. A full secret key (sk_) can do anything in your account, so it is refused.
  • We create the one webhook that tells LotsInvoice a payment went through. You do not set up anything else in Stripe.
  • Clients pay on Stripe's own page with the payment methods you have switched on in Stripe. Stripe's usual fees apply; LotsInvoice adds nothing.
  • Refund from the invoice in LotsInvoice (owner only) or in your Stripe dashboard. Either way it is recorded once and the invoice balance goes back up.
  • Never paste a key into a chat with an AI assistant. Paste it only in Settings, Payment.

Connect your Razorpay account

Approve LotsTech in your own Razorpay account. Payments, including UPI, go straight to your Razorpay settlements.

  1. In LotsInvoice, open Settings, Payment and set Mode to Test or Live.
  2. Click Connect Razorpay. You go to Razorpay and sign in to your own account.
  3. Approve access for LotsTech. You come back to LotsInvoice, which shows Finish connecting Razorpay with the account and mode.
  4. Check it is your own account and click Connect this account. Razorpay then shows as connected.
  5. Tick Offer online payment on invoices and click Save online payments. Each sent invoice now gets a Pay button.
  6. To take real payments, set Mode to Live, connect your account again in Live mode and click Save online payments. In Test mode payments are not real and never count toward an invoice.

Good to know

  • Only the business owner can connect a payment account, turn online payment on or off, or switch between Test and Live.
  • If you leave the Finish connecting Razorpay step, the request expires after 30 minutes; start again with Connect Razorpay.
  • Your settlements, KYC and bank account stay exactly as they are in Razorpay.
  • Keep automatic capture on in Razorpay (it is on by default).
  • Invoices in other currencies need international payments switched on in your Razorpay account, and the customer's email and phone in LotsInvoice.
  • Razorpay's usual fees apply; LotsInvoice adds nothing. Refund from the invoice in LotsInvoice (owner only) or in your Razorpay dashboard; Razorpay pays refunds from your Razorpay balance.

Questions

Is there an assistant in the dashboard?

Yes. Ask AI sits in the dashboard sidebar, and the full page is at https://agent.lotsinvoice.com. It works with your own role, so it can only do what you can do. Anything that sends or deletes shows a Confirm card first, and payments and credits stay in the dashboard.

How do I take online payments?

Open Settings, Payment. For Stripe, create a restricted key in your Stripe dashboard with Checkout Sessions, Charges and Webhook Endpoints set to Write, paste it and click Connect Stripe. For Razorpay, click Connect Razorpay, approve LotsTech in your own Razorpay account, then click Connect this account when you come back. Only the business owner can connect a payment account.

Why is there no Pay button after connecting?

After connecting, tick Offer online payment on invoices and click Save online payments. A new connection starts in Test mode, where payments are not real and never count toward an invoice. To take real payments, set Mode to Live and connect your live account. Only the business owner can change these settings.

Can I refund a payment?

Yes. The business owner can refund all or part of an online payment from the invoice page, or in the Stripe or Razorpay dashboard. Either way it is recorded once and the invoice balance goes back up. AI assistants can't refund. If you won't collect that amount again, issue a credit note.

Why can't I send an invoice?

Before your first invoice goes out by email, confirm your business email by opening the link we send to that address. If it is the address you sign in with, it is confirmed already. Until then you can create, preview and share documents or mark them as sent, but not email them. The link lasts 7 days; you can send a new one from Home or Settings.

How do I correct a sent invoice?

Sent invoices are numbered and locked. Make a revision with a reason (the number stays the same), issue a credit note against it, or void it. An invoice that already has payments is corrected with a credit note. Drafts can be edited freely until you send them.

Can I send estimates and recurring invoices?

Yes. Your client accepts an estimate by typing their name, and you turn it into an invoice in one click. Recurring invoices repeat every so many weeks, months or years, either as drafts for you to check or sent on schedule.

Can my team use it?

Yes. Invite them to a business as an editor or a viewer, with no limit on team members. Only the owner can connect a payment account, turn online payment on or off, or refund a payment.

What does "I've sent payment" mean?

It tells you the client says they have paid. The invoice stays open until you see the money and record the payment.

Do LotsInvoice plans include LotsNotes Pro?

Yes. An active LotsInvoice Pro or Business plan includes LotsNotes Pro while it lasts; sign in to LotsNotes with the same email. Starter and pay as you go don't include it.

About LotsInvoice

Who is LotsInvoice for?

Small agencies, freelancers, consultants and small service businesses who invoice their own clients regularly and want invoices that look right and add up, without an accounting suite.

Can I make the invoice look the way my client or accountant wants?

Yes. Rename, reorder, hide or add columns, add item or accounting codes, custom fields, registration IDs, several taxes per line, declarations and a signature. Choose one of nine designs, or a custom template.

Does LotsInvoice take payments?

LotsInvoice never holds or moves your money. Connect your own payment account, switch on online payment, and every invoice gets a Pay button for its exact balance; the payment is recorded on the invoice by itself and your client gets a receipt. You can also show the options you already use, such as bank details, a pay link, Zelle or a mailing address for checks, and record those payments when they arrive.

Can clients pay online?

Yes. Connect your own Stripe or Razorpay account in Settings, Payment, tick Offer online payment on invoices and set Mode to Live. Each sent invoice then gets a Pay button for its balance, with a deposit or part payments if you allow them. The money goes straight to your account; LotsInvoice adds no fee and never holds it.

Can I use different payment details for one invoice?

Yes. In the invoice editor, open Payment details and choose Change for this invoice, for example bank details for a client abroad. Use business details switches back.

Can I use my own tax rates?

Yes. Taxes are yours to set: one or several named components per line, compound or inclusive. Presets for common setups are a starting point to check with your accountant; LotsInvoice does not give tax advice or certify any document.

What happens after I send an invoice?

Your client gets an email from your business name with the PDF and a private portal link, or you can share the invoice on WhatsApp or as a link. You see when they open it, and reminders follow up on your schedule. Online payments mark the invoice paid by themselves; you record other payments, such as bank transfers, when they arrive.

How is it priced?

You pay per business you invoice from. Inside a business, invoices, estimates, customers, items, templates and team members are unlimited. New accounts start with free signup credits.

Can I use it from an AI assistant?

Yes, if you want to. Once your business is set up, Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants can draft invoices from your setup. You choose what each assistant may do, and sending and payments stay off until you turn them on. The dashboard is where you check everything.

Is my data safe?

Your data is encrypted and backed up every night, with a locked copy at a separate provider, and we test our restores. You sign in with Google or an email code, so there's no account password to steal. You can export your data and delete your account at any time. Your customers pay you directly; LotsInvoice never holds your money or sees card numbers. How we protect it: www.lotstech.com/security

Pricing questions

What counts as a business?

One company or trading name you invoice from, with its own logo, numbering, customers and settings. A freelancer usually has one.

Is anything limited inside a business?

No. Invoices, estimates, credit notes, customers, items, templates, reminders and team members are unlimited.

What happens if I stop paying?

Your documents, PDFs and client portal links keep working and you can export everything. Creating and sending new documents needs a funded business.

Do you take a cut of my payments?

No. Clients pay straight into your own payment account or with the other options you choose. Your payment provider's usual fees apply; LotsInvoice adds nothing.

Still need help?

Contact us, request a feature or read the changelog at support.lotsinvoice.com.