Back to guides

Import your previous invoices

Switch software without losing your history: the AI reads your invoices, you check them, and Bill Alps creates them with their number, dates and original file.

Billing11 min read
Table of contents+

Are you switching invoicing software? This import brings over the invoices you have already issued, from their PDF or image files. In Bill Alps you get back your clients, your history and the invoices still waiting to be paid, without retyping everything. No email is sent to your clients during the process.

1. Upload the files

  1. Open BillingBills, then click Import invoices at the top right. This button is reserved for members who are allowed to edit invoicing.
  2. Drag your files into the drop zone or click Choose files.
  3. Click Start the analysis.

Prepare one invoice per file, in PDF, PNG, JPG or WebP format, with a maximum of 10 MB per file. You can upload 200 files at a time (fewer if your remaining quota is lower), and one import holds 1'000 documents at most. A file that was already imported, or is already in the current import, is skipped even if it has been renamed, because Bill Alps compares its content.

2. Follow the AI reading

The Analysis screen shows each document and its state: Queued, Reading, Read, Set aside or Failed. The reading continues on our servers, so you can leave the page and come back later. If a document fails, click Retry next to it.

For each document, the AI extracts your details (address, UID, VAT number, phone, email, website, IBAN), those of the client, the number, the dates, the currency, the payment terms, the payment reference, any payment mention, the lines, and the discount, shipping costs, VAT and total as printed. Texts stay in the language of the document. If prices include VAT, they are converted to net.

Documents set aside

Only the invoices you issued are imported. Other documents move to the Set aside state, with the reason:

  • Credit note, Quote or offer and Payment reminder: these documents do not become invoices.
  • Several invoices in one file: split them, one file per invoice, then add them again.
  • Invoice received from a supplier: it belongs in your expenses instead.
  • Not an invoice: for example a delivery note, an order confirmation or an account statement.
  • Unreadable document: import a better scan (not counted against the quota): upload a better-quality version.

3. Check your company

When the reading is finished, Bill Alps compares what it read on your invoices with your profile, line by line: Address, UID, VAT number, Phone, Email, Website, IBAN, Default currency and Invoice numbering.

  • For each item that differs, choose Keep the current value or Use the value from the invoices. The card shows how many invoices carry the value and the date of the most recent one.
  • A value that differs from your profile starts on the current value, because an old invoice may carry an old address or a closed account. Change it only if the value found is the right one.
  • A field that is empty in your profile starts on the value from the invoices. Choose Leave blank to leave it empty.
  • You can still edit the chosen value in the Value that will be saved (editable) field.
  • Items that already match need no action: they are folded into a separate line.

The Invoice numbering line suggests the prefix of your most recent invoice and the number that follows the highest one. Choose this value so that the invoices you create afterwards continue your series.

The bottom of the screen sums up what will be saved. Click Save 2 changes and continue (the number varies), or Continue without changes to change nothing. Only an account administrator can change the profile: other members see the screen in read-only mode and click Continue.

4. Link or create the clients

Bill Alps groups the invoices by client, based on the UID, the email, or the name and postal code, and shows one card per client:

  • An existing client with the same UID, the same email, or the same name and postal code is linked automatically: the card reads Recognised and linked to followed by the client's name. Edit lets you change this choice. If the card offers to fill in the client's empty fields, tick the ones you want to use and click Fill in.
  • If only the name matches, or if it is close, the card reads Probable match or Possible match: click Link if it is the right client.
  • Otherwise, check the New client form, pre-filled with what was read. Choose Company or Individual, fill in the missing fields (the name and the address are required), then click Create the client. The client is created immediately.
  • Link to another client lets you choose an existing client yourself.
  • Ignore this customer and its invoices leaves all of its invoices out of the import.

Then click Continue. The invoices of a client you have not handled stay blocked in the next step.

5. Check the invoices and create them

The table lists the invoices to create. Start by choosing the Payment status: no invoice can be created without this choice. Bill Alps suggests an option based on the payment mentions read on the documents.

  • All paid: the payment date is the one printed on the document, otherwise the due date, or today if the due date is still to come. You can still change it for each invoice.
  • All open: no payment is recorded.
  • Case by case: each invoice takes the payment mention from its own document; with no mention, it stays open. The Paid checkbox in the panel lets you correct this.

If the Accounting module is active on your company, also choose the Sales account for the batch. Without it, the invoices stay blocked with the message Sales account missing.

  1. Hover over the Alerts column to read the details of a row.
  2. To correct an invoice, click the pencil icon at the right of its row. The panel shows the original document and, below it, the invoice fields. Enlarge shows it at full size and New tab opens it separately.
  3. Make your corrections, then click Save.
  4. Click Create 12 invoices (the number varies). Only the invoices that are ready are created; the bottom of the table shows how many are ready and how many are blocked.

Creation continues in the background. An invoice that fails shows Failed and the reason, without stopping the others: Retry puts it back among the invoices to create.

Blockers and alerts

A blocker prevents the invoice from being created. The most common ones:

  • The VAT or the total does not match the document: Bill Alps recalculates the invoice from its lines. The VAT must match to the centime and the total within 5 centimes. Correct the lines, the Net discount, the Net shipping, the Printed VAT or the Printed total, then click Save: the check is run again each time you save.
  • This number is already used by an invoice or This number appears twice in the import: a number can exist only once in your company.
  • Inconsistent dates (future date or due date before the issue date): correct the dates. A payment date must also fall between the issue date and today.
  • Client not resolved: handle the client in the previous step or choose it in the Client field of the panel.
  • Foreign currencies need a paid plan: on Starter, only invoices in CHF can be created.

Information that could not be read, such as a number, a date, a line or a total, can also be filled in the panel. An alert blocks nothing, but check it before creating the invoice: Due date not read: 30 days after the issue date, Prices including VAT converted to net, Unusual VAT rate for this date or Issuer not recognised: check that this is your invoice.

When everything is created, the import ends by itself. If some invoices remain that you do not want to import, click Finish the import: without any further confirmation, they are marked Not imported.

6. Find your imported invoices

The Import completed screen shows what was created, set aside or failed, with a link to each invoice. View invoices opens the list and New import lets you start again with other files.

An imported invoice works like this:

  • It keeps its number, dates and amounts. An icon marks it in the list, and the Imported badge on its page.
  • Its status is Sent if it is open and not yet due, Overdue if the due date has passed, Paid if a payment has been recorded.
  • The original file serves as the document: it is shown in place of the preview and Download the original retrieves it. Bill Alps generates neither a PDF nor a QR-bill for it.
  • Nothing that is printed can be changed. In More actions, Edit only opens the correction of the accounts, and the invoice cannot go back to draft.
  • Follow-up stays the same: Mark as paid, or Send reminder with the original file attached. Automatic reminders do not apply to it. The payment reference read on the document, if it is valid, is kept for bank reconciliation.
  • Duplicate creates an ordinary invoice, with a new number.
  • Delete erases the invoice and its file. You can then import this file again in a new import: it will count against the quota again.

Your next invoices follow your company's numbering. If a number is already taken by an imported invoice, Bill Alps moves on to the next one.

7. Interrupt or cancel an import

The import is saved at each step, and a company can have only one at a time. If you leave the page, Import invoices takes you back to the same screen. During the review, Back returns to the previous step, Add documents uploads more files without losing your choices, and Documents shows the list of documents again so that you can retry a failed one.

After 30 days without activity, an unfinished import is closed and its unused files are deleted.

Once your previous invoices are imported, move on to tracking payments and overdue invoices with the guide Track payments and reminders.