Overview of creating Word template

Sample invoice templates

You can download the default sample invoice template and customize it as needed. 

Custom invoice template workflow

Use these instructions with the sample template to start creating your own invoice template.

First, create mail merge fields and use tables to add information to the default template and customize how the invoice displays the information. 

You can then use the advanced Mail Merge functionality to further customize your invoice template by doing the following:

• Define the format for date and number fields
• Change the sort order on a table
• Use a filter on a Previous Transactions table
• Display custom fields on the invoice
• IF Mergefields
• Configure the transaction table (transactions associated with this invoice)
• Use Barcodes on Invoice Templates
• Summarize Invoice Items

Use your invoice template to create an account statement

You can set up your invoice template to include account balance information that is useful for creating statements. There are two fields that can be used to configure your invoices to show full statement information, including the previous account balance, and new balance based on the application of charges on the invoice. These fields are:

• Account Previous Balance: This is a dynamically calculated field that represents the account balance before an invoice is posted. For example, if an account had one previous invoice with an outstanding balance of $100, and generates a new invoice for $75 showing the Account Previous Balance, this field would show $100 when displayed on the new invoice.
• Account New Balance: This field represents the balance on an account after the invoice has been posted. In the previous example, the Account Previous Balance was $100, the invoice balance of the invoice is $75, so Account New Balance = $100 + $75 = $175.

Upload an invoice template

After you have created an invoice template, you can upload it to Zuora:

1. Click your username at the top right and navigate to Billing > Manage Billing Document Configuration.
2. In the Manage Invoice, Credit/Debit Memo Templates tab, click Add New Word Template.
3. Enter a name for the template in the Name field.
4. (Optional): In Template Number, enter a natural or external key to support CRUD operations.
5. Select Invoice, Credit Memo, or Debit Memo as the Template Type.
6. Click Choose File in Invoice Template to browse and upload a word document as your template file.
7. (Optional): Select Do not display zero value invoice line items.
8. Click save.

If you have the Invoice Settlement feature enabled, see Upload Billing Document Templates for steps on how to upload invoice templates.

System default template

To see the system default template, click your username at the top right and navigate to Billing > Manage Billing Document Configuration. In the Manage Invoice, Credit/Debit Memo Templates tab, a template called System Default Template is the system default one. It can be renamed, but unlike other templates, it cannot be deleted.

The template file and settings for the system default template depend on whether you have uploaded any custom invoice templates.

If you have not uploaded any custom invoice templates, the template called System Default Template is set as the standard Zuora template file, which is available to download in the Manage Invoice, Credit/Debit Memo Templates tab. 

How to ensure a customer always uses the default template

The invoice template that is used for a particular customer is defined in that customer's profile. If you set a customer's profile to use the system default template, you can ensure that invoices sent to that customer will always use whichever template is linked to the system default template. This allows you to easily change the default template without having to update all your customer profiles each time.

<ns1:update xmlns:ns1="http://api.zuora.com/">
  <ns1:zObjects xsi:type="ns2:Account" xmlns:ns2="http://object.api.zuora.com/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
    <ns2:Id>40289262478a476401478a503411002b</ns2:Id>
    <ns2:InvoiceTemplateId>1028e262478a476401478a5034110c2b</ns2:InvoiceTemplateId>
  </ns1:zObjects>
</ns1:update>

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any problems, see Troubleshooting Custom Invoice Templates for a list of common problems and solutions. 

Avoid using complex invoice templates

Avoid using complex invoice templates to speed up invoice PDF generation. See Avoid Complex Invoice Templates for more information.

Supported merge fields

For information about the fields that you can include in your invoice templates, see the list of supported merge fields. 

Limits on Word templates for billing documents

The Word templates for billing documents have the following limits:

• For memo PDF files: Up to 20,000 line items are allowed in a single memo PDF file.
• For invoice PDF files:
  • A maximum of 100,000 usage charges can be processed to generate a usage nested table on a PDF file. 
  • A maximum of 100,000 invoice items can be processed to generate an invoice item nested table on a PDF file. 
  • A maximum sum of 20,000 invoice items, usage charges, and taxation items can be displayed in a detailed table or nested table on a PDF file. 
  • A maximum of 2,000 records are allowed for each of the following tables to be generated into a PDF file (2,000 is the default limit; the maximum limit is 10,000. Contact Zuora Global Support if you want to raise the limit: 
    •   Transactions
    •   Previous transactions
    •   Subscriptions

  When generating an invoice PDF file, you will receive an error message if the maximum number is exceeded.