What hierarchical invoices solve
Construction, consulting, and professional-services invoices rarely fit a single flat table. Clients expect work packages with sub-items, a clear rollup total, and a chance to review before anything is locked. Hierarchical invoices on Invoicing on Capabilities keep that structure intact through share, confirm, and seal.
Free plans keep today’s simple path: issue and seal immediately with flat line items. Pro adds hierarchy, drag reorder, and a negotiation loop: Share → Confirm / Request changes / Reject → Issue when you are ready to seal and collect.
Invoice attachment chaos (and why email is not enough)
Teams call it invoice spam: look-alike PDFs, “corrected” attachments, duplicate filenames, and threads where nobody agrees which file is final. Even legitimate vendors resend totals — but without a shared source of truth, finance pays the wrong version or wastes days reconciling.
Worse: email attachments are easy to scam or replace. An attacker who spoofs a familiar sender — or quietly swaps a PDF in a long thread — can change the bank details or the total while the filename still looks right. Paying the latest attachment is not the same as paying the agreed invoice. That is the problem Opcilo Pro addresses before you seal.
Sealing still matters for the issued file — see same filename, real-looking code and why document fraud is a bigger problem for why verify links beat blind trust. Pro adds share-for-review and structured feedback so negotiation happens before the seal, not buried in email.
- 1
Invoice spam in the inbox
Risk pointLook-alike PDFs, “updated” files, familiar-looking senders
- 2
Attachment swapped or replaced
Risk pointSame filename; different totals or bank details — no shared record
- 3
Wrong payment or scam loss
Risk pointFinance paid the latest PDF, not the agreed invoice
Look-alike PDFs and swapped attachments in email make it easy to pay the wrong total or the wrong account.
Parent and sub line items
A parent row is a work package: description plus a computed rollup. Children are the billable lines (quantity × unit price). Invoice subtotal is the sum of child totals only — parents never double-count. A parent with no children is invalid when you share or issue.
In the Pro editor:
- Add item creates a new parent group.
- Add sub-item nests a billable child under that parent.
- Parent total is read-only rollup; edit quantities and prices on children.
- Depth stays one level — groups and lines, not nested groups of groups.
Reorder work packages and lines
Drag handles let you reorder parents among themselves and children within a parent so the PDF and verify card match how you present the work. Order persists with the draft as you edit — no separate “save sort” step.
Optional recipient address and metadata
Name plus email or phone remain the primary contact. Company name, tax ID, billing address, and up to five custom label/value fields (PO, cost center, project code) are optional extras. They never block draft, share, or issue.
- Addresses live on your address book for reuse, and are snapshotted onto the invoice when you select or save so Issued or Shared documents stay stable if the contact later changes.
- Custom metadata is invoice-specific in this release — shown on the Bill-to block of the PDF and verify card when present.
How the share-confirm workflow works
Created
Build lines and totals
Shared
One review link — not sealed yet
Confirmed
Client agreed on this version
Issued
Sealed and payable
Paid
Collected on the verify page
From Shared, the client can:
Confirm
Agreement — still not sealed
Changes requested
Comment required
You update
Edit, then share again
Loop back to Shared
Declined
Re-share to reopen
Share again → Shared
Created → Shared → client responds. Changes requested loops through You update → share again. Declined reopens the same way. Confirmed is agreement — Issue seals and enables Pay Now.
Structured feedback after review
Request changes is the primary path when numbers or scope need adjustment — the client must leave a comment so your team knows what to fix. Reject is available with an optional comment when the invoice is not acceptable. Either way, feedback is stored on the invoice and surfaced in your workspace with a status banner and notification, instead of disappearing in an email thread.
- 1
Client opens verify link
No account required on the public page
- 2
Request changes or Reject
Safe pathComment required for changes; optional for reject
- 3
Issuer workspace
Safe pathNotification + banner with status and comment snippet
Comments stay tied to the invoice record for the issuer.
Awaiting your review
Describe what should change…
Confirm, request changes, or reject — on the same verification page.
The Pro share → confirm → issue workflow:
Created
Build parent/sub lines, optional recipient address and metadata, and payment settings while the invoice is still editable.
Shared
Share for review publishes one preview link without sealing. You can keep editing and re-share until the client acts.
Client responds
On the public page the recipient can Confirm (agreement on this version), Request changes (comment required), or Decline (optional comment). Confirm does not seal — it marks Confirmed so you can Issue or update and share again.
Changes requested → You update
When the client requests changes, edit the invoice (the “You update” step), then share again to return to Shared. Declined invoices reopen the same way — Issue is blocked until they are shared again.
Issued and Paid
When you are ready to collect, Issue from Created, Shared, Confirmed, or Changes requested. Issue seals the document and enables Pay Now / mark paid on the same verify page — see sealed invoices and Pay Now.
Engagement timeline and Paid
When a seal or shared document exists, the invoice workspace can show the same engagement timeline used for documents: Sent, Link opened, Viewed, Downloaded — plus a Paid milestone driven by invoice Paid status. That keeps follow-up grounded in what the recipient actually did, not inbox guesses.
Pro invoicing feature checklist
What Pro adds beyond Free invoicing:
| Topic | Opcilo | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Line structure | Parent groups + billable sub-lines, drag reorder | Free: flat lines only |
| Recipient details | Optional Bill-to address + custom metadata on PDF/verify | Free: name + contact |
| Review loop | Share → Confirm / Request changes / Reject with comments | Free: Issue and seal immediately |
| Issuer feedback | In-app banner + notifications when client responds | Free: not applicable |
| Collect | Issue → seal → Pay Now / mark paid on verify page | Free: seal; Pay Now on Pro verify path |
| Engagement | Timeline through Paid on shared/sealed invoices | Free: no invoice engagement timeline |
Plans and availability
Frequently asked questions
Do parent lines get billed twice?
No. Children are billable; the parent shows a rollup only. Invoice subtotal sums child line totals so work packages never double-count.
Can I edit an invoice after I share it?
On Pro, Shared, Confirmed, Changes requested, and Declined invoices stay editable. Confirm is agreement, not a seal — Issue is when content freezes as Issued. Paid and Void remain terminal.
Is recipient address required?
No. Name plus email or phone are enough. Company, tax ID, billing address, and custom fields are optional and never block draft, share, or issue.
Which plan includes hierarchical invoices and client confirm?
Pro and Team. Free keeps Issue and seal with flat lines. After seal, payment on the verify page is covered in sealed invoices and Pay Now.
What happens when a client requests changes?
The invoice moves to Changes requested, stores the client’s comment, notifies you, and shows a banner in the invoice editor. Edit the draft, then share again to return to Shared for review.
Is Confirm the same as sealed or Issued?
No. Confirm is the client’s agreement on the current review version. Issue is when you seal the invoice and it becomes payable and immutable on the verify page.
How does this reduce fake or swapped invoice attachments?
Email attachments are easy to spam, spoof, or replace — look-alike PDFs and “updated” files can change totals or bank details while the thread still looks familiar. You share one review link before sealing, capture responses on-record, then Issue a single sealed PDF with a verification code. Recipients pay against that page — not an attachment that could be swapped later. See also document integrity on verify and document fraud overview.