Prerequisites: a Hiveku account with the Commerce module enabled and a Stripe account (free to create). If you’d rather use Authorize.Net, the steps are similar — see Payments.
What you’ll do
1
Connect Stripe as your payment processor
OAuth flow, takes 60 seconds.
2
Add a product or service to the catalog
The thing you’re invoicing for.
3
Create the invoice with line items
Pick the client, add the product, set tax and terms.
4
Send to the client
They get an email with a portal link.
5
Watch them pay (or pay it yourself as a test)
The invoice auto-flips to paid via Stripe webhook.
Step 1: Connect Stripe
1
Open Commerce settings
Go to
/dashboard/commerce/settings/.2
Click Connect Stripe
You’re redirected to Stripe’s OAuth page.
3
Sign in to Stripe and authorize
Pick the Stripe account you want to connect (test or live mode).
4
Confirm the connection
You’re redirected back to Hiveku. The settings page should show “Stripe — Connected” with your account ID.
Step 2: Add a product
You need at least one item to put on the invoice. Let’s add a simple service.1
Go to Products
Navigate to
/dashboard/commerce/products/.2
Click New Product
Top right of the products list.
3
Fill in the basics
- Name: “Strategy Consulting”
- Description: “Two-hour strategy session with summary doc”
- Price:
500(in dollars; stored as cents internally) - Recurrence: One-time
- Taxable: depends on your jurisdiction; check if your services are taxable
4
Save
The product is now available for line items.
Step 3: Create the invoice
1
Go to Invoices
Navigate to
/dashboard/commerce/invoices/.2
Click New Invoice
A blank draft opens.
3
Pick the client
Search by name or company. If they’re not in CRM yet, click + New Contact and add them — at minimum a name and a billing email.
4
Add a line item
Click + Line Item, search for “Strategy Consulting”, select. The product’s name, description, price, and tax flag pre-fill.
5
Set quantity
Default is 1. Change if you’re billing multiple sessions.
6
Set payment terms
Net 15, Net 30, etc. Pick what your business uses. Net 30 is a common default.
7
Review the totals
Subtotal, tax, total. The PDF preview button shows you exactly what the client will see.
Step 4: Send to the client
1
Click Send
Hiveku generates the PDF, attaches it to an email, and sends to the client’s billing email with a portal link.
2
Confirm the send
A confirmation modal shows the recipient email. Double-check it’s right (typos here are the #1 cause of “they didn’t get my invoice”), then confirm.
3
Watch the status flip to Sent
The invoice’s status badge updates immediately. The activity log shows the send timestamp and email ID.
Step 5: Pay the test invoice
To verify the full flow works, pay the invoice yourself. In test mode, this doesn’t move real money.1
Open the invoice email
Check the inbox of the contact you used. The email has a “View Invoice” button.
2
Click the link
You land on the client portal showing the unpaid invoice.
3
Click Pay Now
The portal payment form appears.
4
Use a test card
4242 4242 4242 4242, any future expiry, any 3-digit CVC, any ZIP code. Submit.5
See the success page
The portal flips to “Paid” and an emailed receipt is sent.
6
Check the invoice in Hiveku
Back at
/dashboard/commerce/invoices/, the invoice’s status should now be Paid (within seconds — Stripe webhooks fire fast).Verify it worked
The invoice’s activity log should show:- Created (draft)
- Sent — with email recipient and timestamp
- Email delivered — confirmation from your email provider
- Email opened — when the client viewed the email
- Portal viewed — when they clicked through to the portal
- Payment received — Stripe transaction ID and amount
- Marked paid — automatic on payment success
Going live
When you’re ready to send a real invoice for real money:1
Switch Stripe to live mode
In
/dashboard/commerce/settings/, disconnect the test connection and re-connect Stripe in live mode.2
Re-create your product if needed
Test-mode products from Stripe don’t carry over. Hiveku’s products are fine, but if any references Stripe price IDs, regenerate them in live.
3
Send a small real invoice
Pick a friendly client or yourself. Real card, real money. Refund yourself afterward.
Troubleshooting
Stripe Connect fails with 'access denied'
Stripe Connect fails with 'access denied'
Your Stripe account may be in a state that doesn’t allow OAuth connections — restricted, under review, or with 2FA missing. Log into Stripe Dashboard and resolve any verification flags first, then retry the OAuth flow.
Invoice email didn't arrive
Invoice email didn't arrive
Check the invoice’s activity log — if the email shows “delivered,” it’s in their inbox or spam. If it shows “bounced,” the email address is wrong or doesn’t exist. If it shows “send failed,” your sending domain isn’t fully verified — see Email Domains.
Test card declined
Test card declined
Common causes: typo in the card number (use exactly
4242 4242 4242 4242), expired test mode session, or the connection switched to live mode while you were testing. Re-check the connection mode in settings.Payment went through but invoice still says Sent
Payment went through but invoice still says Sent
The Stripe webhook didn’t reach Hiveku. In
/dashboard/commerce/settings/, click Test Webhook to verify the connection. If it fails, re-authorize Stripe. Once webhooks are healthy, manually mark the test invoice paid to keep your data clean.Tax shows zero but I expected it to apply
Tax shows zero but I expected it to apply
Three checks: (1) the product’s taxable flag, (2) the client’s tax-exempt flag, (3) tax rates configured for the client’s billing jurisdiction in settings. Edit the draft, fix what’s missing, and re-send.
What’s next?
Create and Send an Estimate
Quote work before you bill it.
Set Up Recurring Subscriptions
Bill retainers automatically each month.
Track AR Aging
Stay on top of overdue invoices.
Set Up the Client Portal
Brand the portal and add a custom domain.