Sending Invoices and Receipts
Sending an invoice emails it to the family and locks its amounts and line items from further editing. You can still update the due date while the invoice is sent or overdue. Once an invoice is paid in full, a receipt is
Sending an Invoice
Invoices start as drafts. A draft invoice is not visible to the family — it exists only in your billing records until you send it.
To send an invoice:
- Open the invoice from the invoice list or the student's billing screen.
- Review all line items and the total to make sure everything is correct.
- Select Send Invoice.
- Confirm the send.
In the send confirmation step, Octavia pre-fills the recipient email address for each invoice and lets you adjust it before sending.
Once sent, the document status changes from Draft to Sent, and the invoice is emailed to the family. Its amounts, line items, billing period, and recipient are now locked. You can still update its due date while it is sent or overdue. For other invoice changes, you will need to void the invoice and create a new one. See Voiding an Invoice.
Who Receives the Invoice
The platform resolves the invoice recipient automatically based on the student's family setup:
| Condition | Who Receives the Invoice |
|---|---|
| Student has a Family Hub account with billing access enabled | The invoice is sent to the student's email address |
| Student does not have billing access, or has no email | The invoice is sent to the payment-responsible parent |
| No payment-responsible parent is set | The invoice is sent to the first linked parent on record |
This resolution happens automatically each time you send — you do not need to set the recipient manually.
If no email address is available for an invoice, Octavia skips that invoice and shows it as not sent.
Payment Instructions
The invoice email includes your school's payment instructions, such as your bank account details or a Stripe payment link (if Stripe is enabled for your school). These details are taken from your billing settings at the time the invoice is created.
Online Payments via Stripe
If your school has Stripe connected, invoices include a Pay Now link that takes the family directly to a secure Stripe payment page. The family can pay by card without any manual reconciliation work on your end.
For more information about connecting Stripe, see Connecting Stripe for Online Payments.
When a Stripe payment is completed:
- The payment is automatically recorded in the platform.
- The invoice payment status updates immediately.
- If the payment settles the full balance, the invoice moves to Paid and a receipt is generated.
Online and manual payments use the same payment tracking and receipt system — there is no difference in how the invoice looks or how the receipt works.
Sending a Receipt
Once an invoice reaches Paid status — whether by online payment, bank transfer, cash, or a combination — a receipt is generated and sent automatically. You can view or resend the receipt from the invoice detail screen.
On a paid invoice, the send action becomes Send receipt or Resend receipt.
If a manual payment has just completed the invoice, Octavia may briefly show that the receipt will be sent automatically shortly.
To send a receipt:
- Open the paid invoice.
- Select Send Receipt.
- Confirm the send.
The receipt is emailed to the same recipient as the original invoice.
Resending an Invoice or Receipt
If a family says they did not receive an invoice or receipt, you can resend it at any time:
- For an invoice: open the sent invoice and select Resend Invoice.
- For a receipt: open the paid invoice and select Resend Receipt.
Resending does not change the invoice status or create a new invoice — it simply re-delivers the existing document.
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