Understanding Repair Quotes, Invoices and Payments

An early estimate from Smart Assist is only a guide showing a possible price range. The official quote is confirmed by a technician and is usually valid for 7 days. Invoices are payable within 14 days. Card payments are marked paid only after Stripe confirms the payment. Cash payments need admin confirmation. Customers cannot mark their own invoice as paid.

An estimate is an early indication of a likely price range. It is shown during the Quick Help intake or provided by Smart Assist to give the customer a general sense of what a repair might cost before the technician has reviewed the specific device and fault details.

Estimates are useful for planning purposes — they help customers decide whether to proceed — but they are not a fixed commitment. The actual cost may be higher or lower depending on the device model, the parts needed, whether additional faults are found on inspection and other job-specific factors.

An official quote is confirmed by a technician after reviewing the device details, confirming parts compatibility and assessing the full scope of work needed. The official quote is usually valid for 7 days from the date it is issued. It shows the agreed price and any payment terms before the customer approves it.

No repair work proceeds until the customer accepts the official quote. This is a clear rule that protects both sides — the customer knows what they are agreeing to pay, and the business has a confirmed record of what was accepted.

An invoice is issued after the relevant work or charge is ready. It shows the amount payable for the approved or completed work, the invoice number, the issue date and the due date. Invoices are normally payable within 14 days of the issue date unless a different arrangement has been agreed in writing.

Customers receive the invoice through a secure customer link — either by email or through the repair status page. The invoice page shows the amount, due date and available payment methods.

For larger jobs, staged invoices may be used — for example a deposit invoice on acceptance and a final invoice on completion. If staged invoices apply, the payment schedule is shown in the original quote so the customer can see the full picture before approving. See the guide on how staged invoices help larger service projects for more detail.

Card payments are processed through Stripe, a trusted payment provider. When a customer clicks the card payment button on an invoice, they are redirected to a Stripe-hosted checkout page where card details are entered. The business website never sees or stores card numbers.

After the payment, the invoice is marked paid only after Stripe confirms the payment was successful. The customer clicking Pay does not immediately mark the invoice paid — the confirmation must come from Stripe on the server side. This protects against browser errors, closed tabs and connection drops.

After successful card payment, a paid receipt email is sent automatically. The receipt shows the invoice number, amount, payment date and payment method. See the guide on why paid receipt emails should be automatic for more on what the receipt includes.

Not all payments can be confirmed automatically. Cash and bank transfer payments need admin to check that the money was actually received before the invoice is marked paid.

If a customer indicates they paid by cash — or plans to pay by cash — the invoice moves to a cash pending state. Admin confirms the cash was received before the invoice becomes paid. Customers cannot mark their own invoice as paid through a cash claim.

Bank transfer payments work similarly. A transfer may take time to arrive, may be sent with the wrong reference or may be for the wrong amount. Admin checks the bank account and confirms the correct funds have arrived before the invoice is updated. See the related guide on tracking cash, card and bank transfer payments for a full explanation of how each method is handled differently.

After payment is confirmed by any method, a paid receipt is sent to the customer with the payment details. The receipt shows the payment method — card confirmed by Stripe, or cash/bank transfer confirmed by admin — so the record is clear.