Invoicing Software for Auto Repair Shops

Every repair job starts with a repair order (RO), but the transition from RO to a finalized invoice is where many shops lose time and accuracy. Billed bridges this gap by letting you build the invoice directly from your repair order details. Enter the RO number, vehicle information, and authorized work when the car hits the bay. As technicians complete each task, add parts used with actual costs and labor time to the invoice in real time.

When mid-repair diagnostics reveal additional issues—a worn CV boot discovered during a brake job, for example—document the added scope as a new line item with customer authorization noted. The final invoice mirrors every approved repair order change, creating a single auditable document from intake to pickup. Customers see exactly what was authorized, what changed, and what they owe. No more handwritten ROs that get lost between the shop floor and the service counter.

Parts markup is where auto repair shops earn a significant portion of gross profit, but inconsistent pricing erodes margins fast. Billed lets you set standard markup percentages by parts category—OEM components, aftermarket alternatives, fluids, and shop supplies—so every invoice reflects your target margin automatically.

List each part on the invoice with its description, part number, quantity, and retail price. Customers see transparent pricing without needing to know your wholesale cost. When a customer requests an aftermarket alternative to an OEM part, swap the line item and the markup adjusts according to your category rules.

Tracking actual parts cost against invoiced price per job also reveals which suppliers deliver the best margins. If your brake pad supplier raises wholesale prices by 12% but your retail price has not changed in six months, job-level parts reporting flags the margin compression before it compounds across hundreds of repair orders.

Most auto repair shops bill labor using flat-rate time guides published by manufacturers or third-party providers like Mitchell or ALLDATA. These guides assign a standard number of hours to each repair task, regardless of how long the technician actually takes. Billed supports flat-rate billing by letting you define your shop's door rate and apply published labor times to each repair line item.

For example, if your door rate is $135 per hour and a timing belt replacement is listed at 4.2 hours, the labor charge calculates to $567 automatically. When a job requires diagnostic time not covered by flat-rate guides—intermittent electrical faults, drivability complaints, or check engine light diagnosis—add diagnostic labor as a separate line item at your shop's diagnostic rate.

This separation matters. Customers understand paying a published flat-rate labor charge differently than an open-ended diagnostic fee. Transparent labor billing reduces disputes and builds the trust that turns first-time visitors into long-term customers.

Warranty repairs are revenue, but only if you get reimbursed. Manufacturer warranty claims require specific documentation: the vehicle identification number (VIN), OEM part numbers for replacement components, labor operation codes, and the published labor time allowance. Missing any of these details delays payment or triggers outright claim rejection.

Billed structures warranty invoices with dedicated fields for VIN, mileage at time of repair, original part failure description, and replacement OEM part numbers. Labor lines reference the manufacturer's operation code and authorized time allowance rather than your standard shop rate, since warranty labor reimbursement rates are typically set by the manufacturer.

Keep warranty and customer-pay work on separate invoices to simplify your accounting. When a repair involves both warranty-covered and customer-pay components—a warranty engine replacement that also needs a customer-pay clutch, for example—Billed lets you generate split invoices from the same repair order. Your warranty claim goes to the manufacturer and the customer-pay balance goes to the vehicle owner.

Collision and comprehensive insurance repairs follow a different billing workflow than standard maintenance. Insurance adjusters work from estimates generated in tools like CCC ONE, Mitchell, or Audatex, and they expect your final invoice to reconcile against the approved estimate line by line. Supplements for hidden damage discovered during teardown must be documented and approved before the work proceeds.

Billed helps you create invoices that mirror the structure insurance adjusters expect: labor broken out by body, mechanical, refinish, and frame time categories, parts listed with OEM or aftermarket designation, and sublet charges for work sent to specialty shops. When you discover additional damage during repairs, add supplement line items with descriptions that support the additional claim.

Insurance jobs often involve deductible collection from the vehicle owner alongside the insurance payout. Billed lets you split payment sources on a single invoice so your receivables tracking shows exactly what the insurer owes versus what the customer pays at pickup.

Fleet customers—delivery companies, rental agencies, municipal vehicle pools, and corporate car programs—represent the most valuable recurring revenue stream for auto repair shops. They expect volume pricing, purchase order (PO) numbers on every invoice, vehicle-specific billing with unit numbers or VINs, and consolidated monthly statements for their accounts payable department.

Billed supports fleet billing workflows by letting you create client profiles with fleet-specific pricing tiers, required PO fields, and net payment terms like net-30 or net-60. Each invoice ties to a specific vehicle by unit number, VIN, or license plate, so fleet managers can allocate repair costs to individual assets in their own systems.

Automate recurring invoices for scheduled maintenance intervals—oil changes every 5,000 miles, tire rotations, brake inspections, and DOT-required safety checks for commercial vehicles. When a fleet vehicle comes in for unscheduled repairs, create a one-off invoice under the same account with the fleet's negotiated labor rate and parts discount applied automatically. Monthly statements roll up all activity for clean AP processing.