Sending an invoice for a large party or buyout

Private events are different from public bookings. The guest contacts you about a date, you agree on terms, you send an invoice. ArtistryHost has a workflow built specifically for this.

When to use invoices vs the booking flow

Use the booking flow when the guest is buying a published experience at a published price. They click "book," they pay, they're confirmed.

Use an invoice when the price is custom. A corporate buyout, a bachelorette with add-ons, a private class with a specific menu. The guest can't self-serve through the standard flow because the price isn't on the website.

Creating the invoice

1. From the sidebar, open Invoices → New invoice.
2. Fill in:
   • Customer name + email. Required.
   • Venue location. If you have multiple locations.
   • Event date. When the experience happens.
   • Line items. Add the experience (e.g., "Custom Candle Pour. Private Event, 12 guests"), per-head pricing, add-ons (custom labels, themed cocktails, photographer), tax.
   • Deposit terms. Percentage of total (we default to 30%, adjust per event). Mark as non-refundable if that's your policy.
   • Due date. When the deposit is due (typically within 7 days of sending). The balance is due at the event.
3. Preview before send. This is important. The preview shows exactly what the guest will see, including the personalized note field. Read it. Catch the typo. Send.

What the guest receives

An email from hello@artistryhost.com (or your venue's address if configured) with:

• A summary of the booking
• The deposit amount and due date
• A secure payment link to pay the deposit
• The balance amount and "due at the event" note
• A reply-to address (yours, so they can ask questions)

The guest clicks Pay deposit, lands on a Square-hosted payment page, pays, and gets a confirmation receipt.

How paid status updates

When the guest pays the deposit:

1. Square sends a webhook to ArtistryHost.
2. The invoice marks Deposit paid.
3. You get an email notification.
4. The event is now confirmed on your calendar.

If the deposit isn't paid by the due date, the system sends a polite reminder. You can also resend manually from Invoices → [this invoice] → Resend.

Settling the balance

At the event:

1. Open the booking from the run sheet on event day.
2. Click Charge balance.
3. Enter the final amount (the deposit is already credited).
4. The card the guest used for the deposit is on file. One tap to charge.

The balance posts to Square as a card-present transaction (cheaper processing rate). Total revenue, tax, and tip lines all roll up to the same booking record in your reports.

Editing or canceling an invoice

• Before payment: edit freely from the invoice detail page.
• After deposit paid: edits to the price, date, or guest count require a confirmation step. We show the impact on Square (refund + recharge if needed) before applying.
• Canceling: if the guest cancels before the deposit due date, just void the invoice. If after, your cancellation policy determines whether the deposit is refundable.

Contract attachment

You can attach a PDF contract to the invoice (sample contracts at Settings → Templates → Contracts). The guest sees a checkbox to acknowledge the contract before payment. Their acceptance is timestamped and stored with the booking.