In short: When you put several shifts on one invoice, each line still needs to trace back to a real shift: the right date, the right support item code, the right rate type, and travel or expenses attached correctly. Check these before sending, not after a plan manager asks questions.
Short answer: batching shifts onto one invoice saves time, but it only works if every line still tells the truth on its own. A plan manager or support coordinator reading that invoice should be able to match each line back to a specific shift, on a specific date, at the right rate, with nothing fudged to make the numbers tidy. Here is a practical checklist to run through before you hit send.
Why bundling shifts can go wrong if you rush it
One invoice covering a week or a fortnight of shifts is normal and efficient. The risk is not the bundling itself, it is what slips through when several shifts get added quickly. A weekend rate applied to a weekday shift. A travel claim that does not match the shift it belongs to. A support item code that was right for one shift but got copied onto all of them. None of these are dramatic mistakes, but they are the kind that cause a payment query or a request to resubmit, which costs you more time than the batching saved.
Before you start building the invoice
- Confirm the date range you are invoicing for matches the shifts actually worked, not just the shifts remembered
- Check that a shift note exists for every shift you are about to invoice, so there is a record behind each line
- Note which shifts had anything unusual: a public holiday, extra travel, an expense, a different support item
Building the invoice: what to check line by line
In Scribe, you pick a client and a date range, then add the shifts. Each line carries the NDIS support item code and rate for that shift, and weekday, evening, weekend and public holiday rates are handled automatically based on when the shift fell. Run through this before sending:
- Each shift line shows the correct date and the correct support item code for what was actually delivered
- The rate type on each line matches when the shift happened (weekday, evening, weekend, public holiday)
- Any shift that needs a rate outside the standard list has the right custom support code selected, not a standard code stretched to fit
- Travel kilometres for a shift are added using Add Travel on that shift, so the travel line sits against the correct date
- Any expense added to the invoice has a clear description, not just a dollar figure
A final read-through before you send
Once the invoice is built, read it the way the recipient will. Does every line make sense against a shift that actually happened. Are there any duplicate lines from adding a shift twice by mistake. Is the invoice going to the right place, whether that is the participant directly, their plan manager or their support coordinator. Scribe invoices go out as a PDF, so what you see before sending is what they will see.
There is no logo upload in Scribe, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The invoice format is built to meet what plan managers check for, and keeping it simple helps it get through those checks consistently without a design element adding nothing to the traceability.
After the invoice goes out
Keep your own copy of the PDF with the shift notes it relates to, so if a question comes back weeks later you are not reconstructing the week from memory. If you are on the Vault plan, Xero sync can help keep the invoice and your bookkeeping lined up, and the Receipt Vault with kilometre log keeps travel records together for tax time, separate from what gets billed to a client. What you can actually claim at tax time is a question for your accountant, not something an app should answer for you.
The checklist in one place
- Shift note exists for every shift being invoiced
- Dates on each invoice line match the actual shift dates
- Support item code is correct for what was delivered on each shift
- Rate type matches when the shift happened
- Custom support codes used where a shift needs a rate outside the standard list
- Travel added via Add Travel against the correct shift
- Expenses described clearly, not just listed as a figure
- Invoice reviewed line by line before sending
- Sent to the correct recipient
- PDF copy kept with the matching shift notes
Frequently asked questions
Can I put several shifts for the same client on one invoice in Scribe?
Yes. You pick the client and a date range, then add the shifts you want included. Each line keeps its own date, support item code and rate, so the invoice stays itemised even though it covers several shifts.
What if different shifts in the same invoice need different rates?
That is handled per shift. Weekday, evening, weekend and public holiday rates are applied based on when each shift fell, so one invoice can correctly mix rate types across its lines.
Can I add travel for more than one shift to the same invoice?
Yes. Enter the kilometres against each shift and use Add Travel on that shift. When the shift is invoiced, that travel is copied into the travel log automatically, so it stays linked to the correct date.
One of my shifts needs a rate that is not in the standard list. What do I do?
Create a custom support code with the rate you need and select it on that shift. Custom codes sit alongside the standard codes on the invoice, so the rest of the invoice is unaffected.
Does the invoice need a logo to look professional to a plan manager?
No. There is no logo upload in Scribe. The invoice format is built to meet what plan managers look for and keeps things simple, which helps it get through their checks consistently.