Stock on invoices
Which documents take stock out when issued, how cancellation puts it back, and how to warn or block when stock would go below zero.
When you issue an invoice, Bilify takes the quantities of tracked products out of stock for you. This article explains exactly when that happens and how to stop an invoice from selling stock you do not have.
Which documents move stock
| Document type | Effect on stock |
|---|---|
| Invoice | Takes stock out when issued |
| Invoice (Article 32 reverse charge) | Takes stock out when issued |
| Offer | None |
| Pro-Forma Invoice | None |
| Advance Invoice | None |
Drafts never move stock. Saving a draft, editing it or deleting it changes nothing; only Issue does.
On an invoice, a line moves stock only when all of these are true:
- the line was filled in from a saved Product (typed free text does not count),
- that product has Track stock on,
- your package includes stock tracking.
Services and products with tracking off are left alone. Each line takes out its own Qty; two lines with the same product take out both quantities.
What you see while editing
When you pick a tracked product on a line, the line shows In stock with the current quantity. If the product is at or below its low stock threshold, the hint turns red and adds Low stock. The quantity is the stock right now; it does not yet count the draft you are editing.
Cancelling an invoice
Cancelling an issued invoice puts its stock back. Each product gets a Sale reversal movement with the same quantity, linked to the invoice, and recorded by System. See Cancel a document.
Converting an offer or pro-forma into an invoice moves stock only when the new invoice is issued.
When stock would go below zero
Choose what happens with Negative stock policy at the top of the Products & services list (you need the stock permission):
- Warn, but allow issuing (the default): the invoice is issued and the stock can go below zero. The warning is the In stock and Low stock hint on the line.
- Block issuing: if any line would take a product below zero, the invoice is not issued and stays an editable draft. You see a message naming the product, how many are in stock and how many were requested.
Fix a blocked invoice
Record the delivery that is missing as an Adjustment on the product, lower the quantity on the line, or switch the policy to Warn, but allow issuing. Then issue again.
The policy applies to the whole company and to every way of issuing, including the API and recurring invoices.
Things to know
- The sale is recorded with the invoice's issue, so the ledger shows who issued it in By.
- The stock taken out is based on the quantities frozen on the issued invoice. Editing the product later does not change past movements.
- If you switch a product's tracking off after issuing and then cancel the invoice, its stock is not put back. See Track stock.
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