Document Types

InvoicePDFs is a document API. An invoice is just one of seven document types — they are all created, rendered, and managed through the same /api/v1/documents endpoint, selected with the document_type field. The create payload, PDF rendering, and delivery flow are identical across types; what differs is the lifecycle, the number prefix, a couple of type-specific fields, and (for delivery notes) the line-item shape.

List them at runtime with the public endpoint GET /api/v1/reference/document-types. Each entry carries the metadata a client needs to build a type-aware form — number_prefix, payable, requires_source_document, supports_reason, line_item_type (standard vs shipped), and the lifecycle actions — so the comparison table below can be driven straight from the API.

At a glance

document_type	Name	Number prefix	Lifecycle	Line items
invoice	Invoice	INV-	Full (payable)	Priced
proforma	Proforma Invoice	PF-	Full (payable)	Priced
credit_note	Credit Note	CN-	Simple	Priced
quote	Quote	QUO-	Simple	Priced
receipt	Receipt	RCP-	Simple	Priced
purchase_order	Purchase Order	PO-	Simple	Priced
delivery_note	Delivery Note	DN-	Simple	Shipped (no prices)

Lifecycle (see the Invoice Lifecycle guide for the full state machine):

• Full (payable) — draft → finalized → sent → paid, plus void (from finalized/sent), mark-unpaid (paid → sent), archive, and restore. Only invoices and pro-formas are payable.
• Simple — draft → finalized, plus void (from finalized), archive, and restore. There is no sent or paid — these documents aren't collected on.

Creating any type

Every type is created the same way — POST /api/v1/documents with a document_type. Everything else (the number, parties, line_items, taxes, discounts, branding, etc.) is the shared document payload documented in the Documents API.

POST /api/v1/documents

{
  "document_type": "quote",
  "number": "QUO-2026-014",
  "issue_date": "2026-08-01",
  "currency": "USD",
  "business_profile_id": "biz_01ABC",
  "customer_id": "cus_01XYZ",
  "line_items": [
    { "name": "Website redesign", "quantity": "1", "unit_price": "8000.00" }
  ]
}

The types

Invoice (invoice)

The default type — a request for payment. Full payable lifecycle: finalize, send, then mark paid (or mark-unpaid to reverse). This is what the rest of the guides use as their running example.

Pro-forma invoice (proforma)

A preliminary bill sent before the final invoice (common for deposits, customs, or quotes-turned-orders). It shares the invoice's full payable lifecycle, so it can be finalized, sent, and marked paid — but its number prefix (PF-) and type make clear it isn't the final tax invoice.

Credit note (credit_note)

Issued to refund or adjust a previously finalized invoice. Two fields matter:

Field	Description
source_document_id	The original invoice this credit note is issued against
reason	Why the credit was issued (e.g. "Partial refund for overpayment")

Simple lifecycle (draft → finalized, then void/archive) — credit notes are issued, not collected on.

{
  "document_type": "credit_note",
  "number": "CN-2026-004",
  "issue_date": "2026-08-05",
  "currency": "USD",
  "business_profile_id": "biz_01ABC",
  "customer_id": "cus_01XYZ",
  "source_document_id": "inv_01ABC",
  "reason": "Partial refund for overpayment",
  "line_items": [
    { "name": "Refund: Consulting", "quantity": "1", "unit_price": "150.00" }
  ]
}

Quote (quote)

A price estimate offered to a customer before any work is agreed. Simple lifecycle — a quote is finalized and sent for approval, not paid. When accepted, create a separate invoice (or pro-forma) for the same line items.

Receipt (receipt)

Proof that a payment was received. Simple lifecycle. Often generated after an invoice is marked paid, as a standalone confirmation for the customer's records.

Purchase order (purchase_order)

An order you place with a supplier (the buyer-side counterpart of an invoice). Simple lifecycle — finalized and sent to the vendor.

Delivery note (delivery_note)

A packing slip / shipment manifest that travels with goods. It uses a different, price-less line-item shape — each line carries name, description, quantity, unit, and sku, but no unit_price, taxes, or discounts (a delivery note lists what shipped, not what it costs). Totals are therefore zero. Simple lifecycle.

{
  "document_type": "delivery_note",
  "number": "DN-2026-021",
  "issue_date": "2026-08-01",
  "currency": "USD",
  "business_profile_id": "biz_01ABC",
  "customer_id": "cus_01XYZ",
  "line_items": [
    { "name": "Widget A", "sku": "WID-A-001", "quantity": "40", "unit": "boxes" }
  ]
}

See also

• Documents API — the full create/read/update/ transition/render/deliver reference shared by all types.
• Invoice Lifecycle — the status state machine (full vs. simple) in detail.
• Calculation Logic — how totals are computed for priced types.