How to Invoice a Customer in Blinko: Dictate It, Send It, Get Paid

You didn't start your business to do paperwork. But every job still needs a bill (itemized, accurate, sent to the right person), and at the end of a long day, typing one out is the last thing you want to do. Blinko's Create Invoice automation lets you dictate an invoice out loud, line by line, right inside a customer's conversation, then sends it with a payment request attached and nudges them automatically if they forget. You talk; Blinko writes the invoice, collects the money, and chases the stragglers.

Before you start: invoices collect into your own payment account, so connect Stripe or Square first. New to Blinko payments? Start with How to Get Paid in Blinko.

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What is the Create Invoice automation?

Create Invoice is a "you send" automation: you send it to one specific customer inside a direct message. It opens a multi-item invoice composer where you add each product or service (by typing or by voice dictation), and Blinko totals it up, attaches a payment request, and drops it into the conversation. The customer pays in the thread; the money lands in your Stripe or Square account, with 0% platform fee from Blinko.

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When to use it

• You want to bill before a job (a deposit or the full amount), or after the work's done or product's delivered.
• The bill has more than one line item — parts + labor, several services, a few products — that should add up to a clear total.
• You'd rather talk than type — and you don't want to chase anyone who forgets to pay.

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What you'll get

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How to send an invoice

Step 1 — Find your customer. Open the Customers tab and choose the customer (or start a new conversation).

Step 2 — Open the automation menu. In the conversation, tap the attachment button and choose "Send Automation."

Step 3 — Pick Create Invoice. Select Create Invoice. The multi-item invoice composer opens.

Step 4 — Dictate the line items. Tap the microphone and say what you're billing for — each product or service and its price ("two hours of labor at $80, one filter at $25"). Add as many line items as you need; Blinko itemizes them and adds up the total. You can type or edit anything by hand too.

Step 5 — Review and send. Check the total, then send. The invoice lands in the conversation with a payment request attached — your customer pays right there.

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What happens when they pay

Once the invoice is out, you don't have to watch it:

• When the customer pays, Blinko reconciles the payment automatically and marks it paid in your conversation.
• Blinko then offers to send a thank-you — one tap to approve, and your customer gets a branded receipt-and-thank-you.
• The full history is logged under the automation's analytics, and the money settles into your Stripe or Square account.

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If they haven't paid: the automatic nudge

You don't have to remember who still owes you. Turn on automatic reminders, and if an invoice goes unpaid, Blinko sends a gentle nudge right in the same conversation, on the schedule you choose, and stops the moment it's paid.

You set the policy once, and you're always in control:

• Turn it on — flip on "Automatically remind unpaid customers."
• When — choose how long to wait before the first reminder (say, 2 days) and how often to repeat.
• How many — cap the number of reminders (say, up to 2) so you're never a pest.
• What it says — keep the friendly default, or write your own.

Every reminder simply re-surfaces the original payment request in your thread with that customer (never a new charge), and the whole thing stops automatically the moment they pay. You'll see "Reminded 1×" on the invoice, so you always know exactly where things stand.

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Tips for better results

Dictate in plain language. "Two hours of labor at $80, one filter at $25" is enough — Blinko itemizes it.

Let the reminders do the chasing. Turn on automatic reminders once and you'll never have to send an awkward "just following up" again. Blinko handles it and stops as soon as you're paid.

Approve the thank-you. It takes a second and turns "paid" into a moment your customer remembers.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I have to type the invoice? No: tap the mic and dictate it. Blinko writes and totals the line items, and you can edit anything before sending.

Can one invoice have several items? Yes. Add as many products or services as you need; Blinko adds them into a single total.

How do I know when I've been paid? Blinko reconciles the payment automatically and marks it paid in the conversation, then offers you a one-tap thank-you to send.

What if a customer hasn't paid yet? Turn on automatic reminders and Blinko nudges them for you — a gentle reminder in the same conversation, on the schedule you set, stopping the moment they pay. You decide how long to wait, how often, and how many times. Prefer to handle it yourself? Just send a message in the thread anytime.

Will reminders charge my customer twice? No. A reminder only re-surfaces the original payment request and never creates a new charge. Once they pay, reminders stop on their own.

Does Blinko take a cut? No: 0% platform fee on every invoice. Your Stripe or Square account still charges its own standard processing rate, exactly as it would without Blinko; Blinko never adds to it.

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