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
Step 1: Connect Stripe
Step 2: Add a product
You need at least one item to put on the invoice. Let’s add a simple service.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
Step 3: Create the invoice
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.
Add a line item
Click + Line Item, search for “Strategy Consulting”, select. The product’s name, description, price, and tax flag pre-fill.
Step 4: Send to the client
Click Send
Hiveku generates the PDF, attaches it to an email, and sends to the client’s billing email with a portal link.
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.
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.Open the invoice email
Check the inbox of the contact you used. The email has a “View Invoice” button.
Click the link
You land on the client portal showing the unpaid invoice.
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:Switch Stripe to live mode
In
/dashboard/commerce/settings/, disconnect the test connection and re-connect Stripe in live mode.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.
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.