Custom Invoices
"Can I buy one of those t-shirts?"
Memberships and PT packages aren't the only things you sell. There's merchandise at the front desk. Day passes for visitors. Workshop registrations. Equipment rentals. Late cancellation fees. NSF charges.
Custom invoices let you bill members for anything—with the same tracking and record-keeping as your regular membership invoices.
When You'll Use This
Beyond regular billing, here's what typically comes up:
- Merchandise — T-shirts, water bottles, supplements, branded gear
- Guest passes — Member brings a friend, you charge the member
- Workshop fees — Special events, seminars, nutrition classes
- Equipment rental — Heart rate monitors, boxing gloves, jump ropes
- Add-on services — Body composition scans, nutrition consultations
- Late fees — Bounced check fees, late cancellation charges
- Corrections — Missed charges from previous billing cycles
Creating a Custom Invoice
The Basic Flow
- Find the member — Search by name or email
- Add what they're buying — As many items as needed
- Choose when to charge — Now or later
- Add notes if helpful — Who bought it, any relevant context
- Done
Adding Line Items
For each item, you enter:
- Description — What they're buying ("Gym T-Shirt - Large")
- Quantity — How many (2)
- Price — Per item ($25)
The system calculates the total automatically.
Example:
Custom Invoice #INV-2025-0156
Line Items:
├── EFB Logo T-Shirt (Large) × 2 $50.00
├── Water Bottle $15.00
└── Guest Day Pass × 1 $20.00
─────────
Total: $85.00
Charging Now vs. Later
Charge Now:
- Card gets charged immediately
- Invoice shows as Paid
- Best for point-of-sale transactions
Create Pending:
- Invoice exists but isn't charged yet
- Charge later when ready, or accept cash
- Good for quotes or when you need approval
Real Scenarios
Scenario 1: T-Shirt Sale
Mike walks up to the front desk. "Hey, can I grab one of those hoodies? Large."
You do:
- Create custom invoice for Mike
- Add: "Gym Hoodie - Large" × 1 @ $45
- Click "Charge Now"
- Hand Mike the hoodie
- Done—invoice created and paid in one step
Scenario 2: Guest Day Pass
Lisa brings her sister who's visiting from out of town. Sister wants to work out with her.
You do:
- Create custom invoice for Lisa (not the sister—she's not in your system)
- Add: "Guest Day Pass" × 1 @ $20
- In the notes: "Guest: Jennifer (Lisa's sister)"
- Charge Lisa's card
- Admit the guest
Why charge the member? The guest isn't in your system, has no card on file. Billing the member keeps it simple and documented. Lisa can settle up with her sister however they want.
Scenario 3: Workshop Registration
You're hosting a nutrition workshop next Saturday. Slots are limited, and you need people to commit.
You do:
- Create custom invoice for each person registering
- Add: "Nutrition Workshop - Jan 20" × 1 @ $50
- Either charge now to confirm the spot, or create pending with a deadline
- Track who's registered by filtering for these invoices
Now you know exactly who's coming and who's paid.
Scenario 4: Equipment Rental
David wants to try using a heart rate monitor for a month before buying one.
You do:
- Create custom invoice
- Add: "Heart Rate Monitor Rental (Monthly)" × 1 @ $30
- Notes: "Monitor #HRM-042, return by Feb 15"
- Charge his card
- Record which monitor he took
The invoice documents the rental. When February 15th comes, you know who has what.
Scenario 5: Late Cancellation Fee
Rachel no-showed for her PT session last Tuesday. Your policy says no-shows get charged.
You do:
- Create custom invoice for Rachel
- Add: "Late Cancellation Fee" × 1 @ $25
- Notes: "No-show for PT session Jan 15 at 2pm"
- Charge her card or send as pending for her to pay
Everything's documented. If she asks "why was I charged $25?" you can show her.
Scenario 6: Bounced Check Fee
Tony's check bounced. You've already marked his original invoice as unpaid (see Cash Payments). Now you need to charge an NSF fee.
You do:
- Create custom invoice
- Add: "Returned Check Fee" × 1 @ $35
- Notes: "Check #4521 returned NSF on Jan 18"
- Either charge his card or add to what he owes
Now he has two things to settle: the original invoice and the NSF fee.
Managing Custom Invoices
Editing Before Payment
While an invoice is still pending, you can change anything:
- Add or remove items
- Change quantities or prices
- Update descriptions
- Delete the whole thing
Once it's paid? Locked. That preserves your audit trail.
Deleting Invoices
Made a mistake? If the invoice is still pending, you can delete it entirely.
Paid invoices can't be deleted—if you need to undo a paid custom invoice, issue a refund instead.
Finding Your Custom Invoices
They show up in your regular invoice dashboard. To see just custom invoices:
- Filter by type: "Custom"
- Filter by date range
- Search by member name
- Filter by status
Refunds
Sometimes you need to undo a sale.
Full Refund
- Find the paid invoice
- Click "Refund"
- Choose "Full Refund"
- Add a note explaining why
- Confirm
The entire amount goes back to the member's card. Invoice shows as "Refunded."
Partial Refund
Bought two shirts but returning one?
- Find the invoice
- Click "Refund"
- Choose "Partial Refund"
- Enter the amount ($25 for one shirt)
- Note: "Return - 1 shirt"
- Confirm
The invoice stays paid but shows the partial refund in its history.
Receipts and Documentation
What Members Get
After paying:
- Email receipt — Sent automatically or on request
- Printed receipt — For in-person sales
- Invoice PDF — Full breakdown if they need it for expenses
What You Keep
Every custom invoice tracks:
- Complete itemized breakdown
- Payment method and timestamp
- Who created it (your staff member)
- Any notes you added
- Refund history if applicable
If questions come up later, everything's documented.
Tips for Smooth Operations
Use Consistent Names
When adding items, consistency helps your reporting later:
Good:
- "T-Shirt - Small"
- "T-Shirt - Medium"
- "T-Shirt - Large"
Messy:
- "tee shirt sm"
- "T-Shirt"
- "Large tee"
Consistent naming means your sales reports actually make sense.
Keep a Price List Handy
T-Shirts: $25
Hoodies: $45
Water Bottles: $15
Guest Pass: $20
Locker Rental (month): $10
Late Cancel Fee: $25
NSF Fee: $35
No fumbling when someone asks "how much is that?"
Quick Repeat Sales
Selling the same things frequently? The system remembers your recent line items for faster entry on subsequent invoices.
What About Reporting?
At month-end, you can see:
- Total merchandise revenue — How much did those t-shirts bring in?
- Guest pass sales — How many visitors came through?
- Workshop revenue — Did that event pay for itself?
- Who sold what — Useful for commission tracking or accountability
Your accountant can export everything to CSV for reconciliation.
Related Topics
- Invoice Management — Full invoice overview
- Cash Payments — When they pay cash instead of card
- Invoice Audit Trails — Complete activity documentation
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