Invoice Settings

Invoice settings control the defaults used when you create an invoice and the way client-facing invoice documents are presented.

Workspace administrators can open them from Invoices > Configure. The configuration page is divided into Company Information, Default Values, Numbering, Appearance, Messages, Estimates, and Item Types.

Service periods

The service period describes the dates covered by an invoice. Its start and end dates are optional.

When you build an invoice from time and expenses, Keito suggests a service period from the earliest and latest dated items included. You can change the dates or clear both of them before saving. Clearing both dates removes the service period from that invoice.

To hide service periods across all client-facing invoice documents:

  1. Go to Invoices > Configure > Appearance.
  2. Turn off Show the service period.
  3. Select Save appearance.

This setting applies to invoice PDFs, public invoice links, and printouts. It only controls presentation: any service-period dates already saved on an invoice are preserved, so turning the setting back on restores them.

Invoice appearance

Under Invoices > Configure > Appearance, you can configure:

  • the company logo;
  • whether the company name appears below the logo in invoice emails;
  • a neutral or brand-accented document theme;
  • amount and date formats;
  • the PDF filename pattern;
  • a reusable invoice footer;
  • whether to show the invoice title, service period, client address, or Keito footer;
  • item table columns;
  • customer summary documents; and
  • client-facing labels and default wording through invoice text overrides.

Appearance changes apply when Keito renders a public invoice, printout, or PDF. A PDF attachment that has already been sent remains unchanged, but a newly generated download uses the current settings.

Invoice text overrides

Invoice text overrides is a JSON object under Invoices > Configure > Appearance. It lets you replace client-facing labels and default wording without changing invoice data.

For example, this changes three labels:

{
  "invoice": "Tax invoice",
  "issueDate": "Invoice date",
  "amountDue": "Balance payable"
}

Only include the keys you want to change. If overrides are already present, add new keys to the existing JSON object; replacing the entire object also replaces the existing overrides. Keys and string values must use double quotes, and each entry except the last needs a comma. Unknown keys are ignored.

Remove the default payment sentence

When bank details are included, Keito normally displays:

Please pay the full invoice amount by the invoice due date, thank you!

To remove that sentence from invoice PDFs, set paymentInstruction to an empty string:

{
  "paymentInstruction": ""
}

To replace it instead, supply your preferred wording:

{
  "paymentInstruction": "Please include the invoice number with your bank transfer."
}

This default sentence is separate from the optional Payment Instructions stored on an individual bank account under Manage > Bank Accounts. Bank-account instructions are displayed in addition to the default sentence. Setting paymentInstruction to an empty string removes only the default sentence; any bank-account-specific instructions remain.

Combine label and wording changes

You can mix label changes, localisation, and hidden optional wording in the same object:

{
  "invoice": "Factuur",
  "invoiceId": "Factuurnummer",
  "servicePeriod": "Serviceperiode",
  "issueDate": "Factuurdatum",
  "dueDate": "Vervaldatum",
  "amountDue": "Te betalen",
  "paymentInstruction": ""
}

The Use Dutch labels button supplies a complete Dutch starting point. You can edit that object after inserting it.

Supported override keys

Area Keys
Invoice details invoice, from, invoiceId, servicePeriod, subject, poNumber, issueDate, dueDate, status, invoiceFor
Line items itemType, description, quantity, unitPrice, amount, totalHours
Totals subtotal, discount, tax, tax2, paid, amountDue
Online payment onlinePayment, payThisInvoiceOnline, payInvoiceOnline, secureCheckoutCardAch, secureCheckoutCard, secureCheckoutAch
Bank details usdPaymentNotice, accountHolder, routingNumber, accountNumber, accountType, accountAddress, ukGbpPayments, intGbpPayments, bank, sortCode, iban, bic, intermediaryBic, payments, paymentInstruction
Other document text notes, pageOf

pageOf supports the {page_number} and {total_pages} placeholders.

PDF filename template

The default filename is INVOICE_{invoice_number}.pdf. The Appearance section supports these variables:

  • {invoice_number}
  • {company_name}
  • {company_slug}
  • {client_name}
  • {client_slug}
  • {issue_date}

For example, {company_slug}-{invoice_number}.pdf could produce NorthstarStudio-INV-2026-0042.pdf.

Invoice numbering

Under Invoices > Configure > Numbering, choose how Keito generates invoice numbers.

Single workspace sequence

The workspace sequence uses one counter across all clients:

  • INV-{YYYY}-{####} generates numbers such as INV-2026-0001 and INV-2026-0002.
  • {YYYY} inserts the current year.
  • Hash characters insert the sequential number at the chosen width.
  • Next number controls the next value in the sequence, which is useful when migrating from another system.

Existing workspaces keep their current numbering behaviour unless an administrator deliberately changes this setting. Changing the mode does not renumber existing invoices.

Separate sequence per client and calendar year

This optional mode gives each client an independent annual sequence in the fixed form YYYY-CLIENT-NN. For example, a client with code 120 receives 2026-120-01, then 2026-120-02. A client with code 200 starts independently at 2026-200-01.

The year comes from the invoice’s Issue date, not the date the draft is created. Each client’s sequence starts again at 01 for a new issue-date year. The suffix has a minimum width of two digits, so 99 is followed by 100.

To enable it:

  1. Go to Manage > Clients and open a client.
  2. Enter an Invoice code under the client’s invoice defaults.
  3. Use 1–10 letters or numbers. Keito trims the value and stores letters in uppercase; spaces and punctuation are not accepted. A code can be used by only one client in a workspace.
  4. Repeat this for every client you intend to invoice.
  5. Return to Invoices > Configure > Numbering.
  6. Select Separate sequence per client and calendar year, confirm that the intended clients have codes, and save.
  7. Leave Invoice ID blank when creating a draft so Keito allocates the next number.

The expected Invoice ID shown while creating an invoice is a preview. Keito assigns the authoritative number only when the draft is created. If a selected client has no code, creation is blocked with guidance to add one. A committed number is not reused if its draft is later deleted.

You can change or clear a client’s invoice code until Keito has used it for that client’s first annual sequence. After that, the code is locked so an issued numbering series cannot be reassigned. Historical invoice numbers remain unchanged.

Client/year numbering cannot be enabled while Xero is configured to control invoice numbers. If Xero currently synchronises invoice numbers, turn off that option before enabling this mode. QuickBooks receives the Keito invoice number as its document number; QuickBooks limits that value to 21 characters.

Default payment terms

Under Invoices > Configure > Default Values, choose the payment terms used for new invoices:

Option Due date
Upon Receipt Immediately
Net 15 15 days from issue
Net 30 30 days from issue
Net 45 45 days from issue
Net 60 60 days from issue
Custom Your configured number of days

You can override the terms on an individual invoice.

Documented work before approval

By default, Keito only includes approved billable time and expenses in uninvoiced reports and invoice creation.

If your billing process needs to include work as soon as it is documented, turn on Include documented billable time and expenses before approval under Default Values. This includes unsubmitted, submitted, and approved billable time and expenses while excluding rejected items, running timers, and items that are already billed.

Keito still shows pending-work warnings during invoice creation so administrators can see which included items are not yet approved.

See Documented Work Before Approval for the full behaviour and deletion rules.

Tax configuration

Configure up to two tax rates under Default Values. Each has a client-facing label and percentage, and each invoice line can include or exclude either rate.

Common labels include VAT, GST, Sales Tax, State Tax, and PST. Text overrides can localise the rendered tax and tax2 labels further.

Email templates

Under Invoices > Configure > Messages, customise invoice email subjects, email body text, reminders, and thank-you messages. These messages are separate from invoice document text overrides.

Bank accounts and online payments

Add bank-transfer details under Manage > Bank Accounts. Keito can select an account that matches the invoice currency, and you can select the bank account used on an individual invoice.

For online payments, connect Stripe to accept cards and US ACH. See Stripe Payments for setup instructions.