Invoices vs. Statements

Invoices and Statements share some similarities, but serve different financial purposes in ALIS Billing. This guide explains the key differences between them and when each should be used.

Refer to these guides for more detailed information:

• ALIS Monthly Invoicing
• ALIS Statements

Key differences between Invoices and Statements

Invoices Overview

Invoices are generated for a specific billing period and are typically created automatically based on the community Billing Day of the Month configured in Billing Settings. Invoices can also be generated manually when needed. 

Communities can configure invoice settings such as:

• Billing Day of the Month which is the day invoices auto-generate.
• Invoice Due Date to control exactly when aging timers, late fees, and collections logic begin. 
• Invoice Comments or Payment Notes
• Auto-generation preferences by payer type

Before invoices generate, review billing details carefully to ensure recurring charges, incidentals, credits, and discounts are accurate. Communities commonly use the Billing Center, Invoice Preview tools, and billing reports to verify invoice accuracy before distribution.

Editing Invoices

Invoices can edited using the following options:

• Unapply: Removes a recurring charge from the invoice and returns it to the resident’s billing profile as a Future Invoice Charge. Use this when correcting invoices or planning to rebill the charge later.
• Delete: Permanently removes the recurring charge from both the invoice and the resident’s billing profile. Use this only when the charge should no longer exist.

Distributing Invoices

Invoices can be distributed by:

• Email
• Print and mail
• Hand delivery

For more information, refer to the How to send Invoices and Statements to payers guide. 

Invoices PDF Example

The Invoice PDFs include itemized charges, discounts, and fees, with columns for Unit Price, Quantity (Qty), and Amount. 

• The Amount column contains a clear financial summary, including Invoice Total, payments, credits, discounts, fees, or declined/NSF/voided transactions details. It also shows the Previous Balance and the Total Balance Due.

• If configured in Billing Settings, Comments and/or Payment Notes appear at the bottom left of the invoice.

For assistance, contact your Account Manager or the ALIS Customer Success Team.

Statements Overview 

Statements are not generated automatically and must always be created manually. 

Statements provide a point-in-time snapshot of account activity within a selected date range. They display all charges, payments, credits, discounts, fees, and account activity recorded up to the exact moment the statement is generated.

When generating a statement, you can choose whether to display:

• Account Balance Forward (all account items), or
• Payer Balance Forward (only items associated with a specific payer)

Statements can be viewed, generated, and managed from the Statement Preview tab of the Statements page or the Billing section of a resident's profile as needed. For more information, refer to this ALIS Statements guide

Distribute Statements via Email, Print and mail, and Hand delivery. Refer to this How to send Invoices and Statements to payers guide for more information. 

Statements PDF Example

Statement PDFs contain a chronological table of account activity for the selected date range, including:

• Payments 
• Credits 
• Discounts 
• Fees Declined, NSF, or voided transactions

Invoice line items, like rent or discounts, are itemized to show their individual Unit Price, Quantity (Qty), and Amount. The statement concludes with the final Balance Due. 

If configured in your Billing Settings, a Comments and/or Payment Notes section will appear below the table. 

Statements also include an Invoice Aging table that breaks down outstanding balances into: 0-30, 30-60, and 60-90, and 90+ ranges.

Related Articles: 

• ALIS Monthly Invoicing
• How to generate Invoices manually
• ALIS Statements 

For more assistance: 888.404.ALIS (2547)  |  support@go-alis.com