ElectricalBossPro Blog — Billing & Payments

Billing Electrical Customers in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK in Their Own Currency

A lot of field-service software is built with one country in mind. Electrical contractors outside that country end up with invoices in the wrong currency, address forms that do not fit, and workarounds for everything. If you run an electrical shop in Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the UK, your billing software should treat your customers as normal customers, not as an exception.

The Same Billing, Wherever You Work

The previous guide, Billing as an Owner-Operator Electrician: Doing the Work and Getting Paid From One Phone, walked through a one-van shop's billing day. That day looks the same in Toronto, Brisbane, Auckland or Manchester as it does in Texas.

ElectricalBossPro works in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, and it bills customers in their own currency.

Invoices in the Customer's Currency

Your customers see their invoices in the currency they actually pay in. A homeowner in Canada sees Canadian dollars, a customer in the UK sees pounds, and so on. Line items come from your own service list at your prices, sales tax is applied from your settings, and the customer sees it all in the customer app.

That sounds basic, but it matters. An invoice in the wrong currency is confusing at best and looks unprofessional at worst. It also invites the “is this the right amount?” question that slows payment down.

The same goes for the rest of the billing record. Deposits, final invoices, monthly statements and plan visits all show in the customer's currency, so a property manager in Vancouver or a gym owner in Leeds reads their statement the same way a customer in Ohio would read theirs.

Every Billing Tool Works the Same

The full set of billing tools is available wherever you work:

• Invoices from the job with line items and tax, created when the tech taps Complete.
• Card on file, charged at completion or on a schedule.
• Online payment and card updates in the customer app.
• Deposits on big installs as their own invoice or line item.
• Maintenance plans that come due on the Waiting List and bill at completion.
• Monthly statements for property managers and commercial accounts, with every line labeled by address.
• Past-due follow-up and reports.

Tax Terms and Rules Differ

How tax works on electrical services is different in each country, and often within a country too. Names differ, rates differ, and so do the rules about what is taxable. That is a question for your accountant. Once you know what applies to your business, set it in your settings, and every invoice applies it the same way.

There is more on consistent tax handling in Sales Tax on Electrical Invoices: Set It Once So Every Invoice Gets It Right.

Texting: US and Canada

Texting features, including automated text reminders and alerts and two-way texting with customers, work in the US and Canada. Shops in Canada get the same texting setup as shops in the US, with the monthly text allowance on each plan.

Shops in Australia, New Zealand and the UK still have invoices, the customer app, online payment, card on file and automated email. The customer app is where customers see invoices and pay, regardless of country.

Addresses and the Map

Clients can have many addresses, and CSV import places imported addresses on the map automatically. That makes it practical to bring over an existing customer list from spreadsheets and paper, then start billing from the jobs you schedule. Equipment saved on each address works the same everywhere: panels, subpanels, meter base, generator, transfer switch, EV charger and more, with rating and phase.

One Price, Everywhere

ElectricalBossPro plans are Start, Pro and Crew at $59, $89 and $199 per month, each with a 14-day free trial and no credit card required to start. Billing is part of every plan.

The live demo is a fully stocked sample electrical company you can click through with no signup, which is a quick way to see how invoicing and payments work before you set up your own shop.

Your Customers, Your Currency

Electrical contractors outside the US should not have to bend their billing around software built for someone else. ElectricalBossPro bills customers in their own currency in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, with the same invoices, card on file and customer app everywhere. To see the full set of billing tools, visit the ElectricalBossPro electrical invoicing software page.