# Invoices, credit notes, and documents

After this page, you can find every document, retrieve it as a PDF or e-invoice, pay an open invoice, and know what a credit note means.

> **Type:** guide
> **For:** Owners who file, forward, or settle their organization’s documents.
> **Prerequisite:** **Owner** role. Managers see billing read-only, without the **Invoices** tab. Without a completed invoice profile, no invoice is created.
> **Where in the portal:** **Billing** › **Invoices** tab

There are three document types, each with its own number sequence: the **invoice** `INV-YYYY-NNNN` as a demand for payment, the **credit note** `GS-YYYY-NNNN` as a correction, and the **overdue notice** `MA-YYYY-NNNN` as a reminder. An overdue notice is not an invoice and shows no tax.

## Steps

### Find and open a document

1. Open **Billing** and switch to the **Invoices** tab. The list **Invoices and credit notes** has the columns **Number**, **Date**, **Period**, **Amount**, **Status**, and **Download**.
2. Narrow down with the filters: **All**, **Open**, **Overdue**, **Reminded**, **Paid**, **Credit note**, or **Voided**. If nothing fits, it says “No documents for this filter.”
3. For long lists, click **Load more**.
4. Click a row. The document shows **Invoice number**, **Invoice date**, **Service period**, **Due date**, **Paid on**, and **Your VAT ID**, below them **Line items**, the totals from **Subtotal (net)** via **VAT** to **Total due**, the legend **VAT codes** (`S`, `AE`, `O`, `E`, `K`, `G`), and the **History**: **Issued**, **Reminded**, **Dunned**, **Paid**.

### Retrieve a document

1. **PDF** opens the document as an A4 file with embedded invoice data.
2. **E-invoice** delivers the same details as XML according to UN/CEFACT CII.
3. **Print** sends it to your printer. If an overdue notice is running, its letter appears next to it as a PDF.

If it says “The document is created once the payment is booked.”, reload the page shortly afterwards.

### Pay an open invoice

With purchase on account, you transfer the money yourself. The **Payment** section names **Account holder**, **Bank**, **IBAN**, **BIC**, **Payment reference**, **Amount**, and **Due date**.

1. Open the open invoice.
2. Copy IBAN, payment reference, and amount with **Copy**, or click **Show EPC QR code** and scan it with your banking app. It contains payee, IBAN, amount, and payment reference.
3. Once the document is settled, it says “This document is paid. Nothing left to do.”

If the bank details are missing, the document says: “Bank details are available on request.”

Szenera also sends every document to the invoice email of the invoice profile. In the portal, **Go to invoice** takes you to the document.

## Options

### What a credit note means

A **credit note** corrects an invoice and is not a purchase of its own: It has its own number, negative amounts, and the tax of the corrected invoice. The document names it with number and date, so adjust your input tax deduction accordingly.

The amount is deducted from an open invoice (if that settles it, it counts as moot) or comes back: “We offset the amount against your next invoice. On request we transfer it back — write to `rechnung@szenera.com`.”

### The document for a contract change

An order under **Change contract** takes effect immediately. Which document that creates and when it appears in the portal depends on your payment way.

| Your payment way | With an increase | With a reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Charge by card or SEPA direct debit | The pro rata amount for the rest of the period is charged immediately. The paid document appears shortly afterwards on the **Invoices** tab. | No document of its own. The credit appears on the next regular invoice. |
| **Purchase on account** | An invoice of its own for the pro rata amount only, issued on the same day and with a payment term. It appears immediately on the confirmation under **Your document**. | No document of its own. The credit appears as a line of its own on the next regular invoice. |

With a pure reduction, nothing is created today: “No invoice was created for this change. The credit of €12.40 will appear on your next invoice.” A credit is offset, never paid out. The regular invoice of the following period arrives on schedule in both cases. The date is on the **Contract** tab in the line **Next invoice on**.

## Check the result

- The row shows the expected status: **Open · due …**, **Overdue**, **Paid on …**, or **Credit note**. The **History** ends with **Paid** as soon as your payment is booked.
- PDF and e-invoice carry the same number as the row.

## If something goes wrong

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| “No invoice yet.” | Nothing has been billed yet. | Nothing to do. If a date is given, the first invoice arrives on that day. |
| “The document could not be opened.” | The PDF could not be retrieved. | Reload the page and open the document again. |
| “The e-invoice could not be retrieved.” | The invoice data could not be retrieved. | Use the PDF instead. It has the same data embedded. |
| “The documents could not be loaded.” | The list did not come through. | Click **Try again**. Contract and next payment are not affected. |
| The **Invoices** tab is missing. | Your account is not allowed to see invoices. | Ask an Owner of your organization. |
| An invoice is **Overdue** or **Reminded**. | The amount did not arrive in time. | Settle it. The deadlines are under [Payment reminders, overdue notices, freezing, suspension](/docs/billing/overdue-payments). |

## Related

- [Invoice profile, VAT ID, and tax](/docs/billing/invoice-profile) — where the document goes and which tax appears on it.
- [Payment reminders, overdue notices, freezing, suspension](/docs/billing/overdue-payments) — what follows an open invoice.
- [Read the billing page](/docs/billing/read-billing-page) — tiles, tabs, and the **Next invoice** preview.