InvoiceHub accepts invoices, via email, from anyone. It extracts key data (invoice number, amount, etc.) from the invoice. Then it forwards the original to its intended recipient with a link inserted in the email to allow the recipient to view the extracted data, and zap it straight into their accounts software.
Here's an example:
Let's say I'm creating an invoice to send to a client. It doesn't much matter what software I use to create the invoice, as long as that software can produce a PDF which I can email to my client. Here's me creating an invoice in Xero. I'm invoicing a client called Eskimo Joe, for some supplies of ice:
I email that invoice, from Xero, to my client, Eskimo Joe:
His email address is eskimojoe@gmail.com. But rather than send it direct to his email address, I send it via InvoiceHub, to eskimojoe+gmail.com@invoice-hub.com.
When Eskimo Joe checks his email, he gets an email that looks pretty much as if I sent it direct to him. It has my invoice, and my text, and comes from me:
But, actually, it's already been through the InvoiceHub system, and InvoiceHub has already extracted the data from the invoice, ready for Eskimo Joe to import into his accounts software. Look at the link at the top of the email:
That link has been inserted into the email by InvoiceHub. The beauty of it is, though, that if Eskimo Joe doesn't care much for automagically importing stuff into his accounts software, he can just ignore that link and open the regular PDF attachment. But if Eskimo Joe clicks the link, this is what he'll see:
My invoice on the left, with key data (invoice number, date and so on) already extracted. All Eskimo Joe has to do is give InvoiceHub permission to import this invoice into his accounts system. Let's say Eskimo Joe uses KashFlow. He pops his KashFlow username and password on the screen here and InvoiceHub fetches his list of suppliers and account codes, so Eskimo Joe can say where he wants this invoice to go:
Then he clicks "Import to KashFlow". That's all he needs to do. When he later looks in his KashFlow account, the invoice will be already there:
Neither I nor my client needed to set up anything in advance. All I did was send the invoice to eskimojoe+gmail.com@invoice-hub.com instead of eskimojoe@gmail.com. Try it yourself, and let me know what you think. Is this a useful tool? Or just a solution looking for a problem?
