Troubleshooting Common Issues in SASKIA INVOICINGSASKIA INVOICING is designed to streamline billing, automate recurring invoices, and keep financial records organized. Even so, users sometimes run into issues that interrupt workflow and delay payments. This article walks through the most common problems, how to diagnose them, and practical fixes—plus preventive measures to reduce recurrence.
1. Invoice not sending to clients
Symptoms:
- Sent invoices remain in “Draft” or “Queued” status.
- Clients report they didn’t receive the invoice email.
Quick checks and fixes:
- Verify client email address for typos or outdated addresses.
- Check email delivery logs in SASKIA: look for bounce messages or soft bounces.
- Confirm sender settings: ensure the configured “From” address is valid and authorized (especially if using a custom SMTP).
- SMTP configuration: if you use your own SMTP server, test credentials, port (usually 587 or 465), and TLS settings. Re-authenticate if needed.
- Spam filtering: ask clients to check spam folders and add your sending address to their safe sender list.
- Retry sending: re-send the invoice from the UI after correcting any issues.
Prevention:
- Validate client emails on entry using simple regex or confirmation emails.
- Use a reliable email provider or SASKIA’s hosted mail service.
2. Incorrect invoice totals or tax calculations
Symptoms:
- Subtotals, taxes, or grand totals differ from expectations.
- Rounding issues on line items.
Quick checks and fixes:
- Verify tax settings: ensure correct tax rates are applied per jurisdiction and per client.
- Check item-level tax flags: confirm whether taxes are set at the invoice, line-item, or client level.
- Currency and rounding settings: confirm the invoice currency and configured rounding rules (e.g., round at line level vs invoice level).
- Discount application order: validate whether discounts are applied before or after taxes.
- Recalculate: edit and save the invoice to force a recalculation, or use the Recalculate function if available.
Prevention:
- Standardize tax configuration templates for jurisdictions you bill regularly.
- Document and train staff on how discounts and taxes interact in SASKIA.
3. Payment processing failures
Symptoms:
- Clients attempt to pay but transactions fail.
- Payments hang at “Pending” or decline after submission.
Quick checks and fixes:
- Payment gateway configuration: confirm API keys, environment (sandbox vs production), and merchant account status.
- Supported payment methods: check that the client’s chosen method (card, ACH, etc.) is enabled.
- Error messages: capture gateway error codes and consult gateway documentation (e.g., card declined, insufficient funds, authentication required).
- PCI and 3D Secure: ensure 3D Secure flows are working if required by the card issuer.
- Retry or alternative method: ask client to try a different card or payment method; process manually if necessary.
Prevention:
- Monitor gateway dashboard for declines and alerts.
- Enable detailed logging for payment attempts and keep API keys rotated and secured.
4. Duplicate invoices created
Symptoms:
- Same invoice appears multiple times or clients receive multiple copies.
Quick checks and fixes:
- User actions: confirm whether a user manually duplicated or resent the invoice.
- Automations and webhooks: inspect automation rules or webhook handlers that create invoices on events—look for loops or repeated triggers.
- Idempotency: ensure API calls creating invoices use idempotency keys where supported to avoid duplicates on retry.
- System syncs: if you sync with external systems (ERP, CRM), check sync logs for repeated creates.
Prevention:
- Implement idempotency in integrations.
- Add safeguards in automations (e.g., check for existing invoice with same external ID before creating).
5. Unable to import customer or product CSVs
Symptoms:
- Import fails with errors or partial imports.
- Mismatched fields or malformed data.
Quick checks and fixes:
- Template adherence: use SASKIA’s provided CSV template—column order and headers must match.
- Required fields: ensure mandatory columns (e.g., email for customers, SKU for products) are present and populated.
- Data formats: check date formats, currency symbols, decimal separators, and remove non-UTF8 characters.
- Row limits: large files may time out; split into smaller batches.
- Preview errors: use import preview/error report to correct problematic rows.
Prevention:
- Cleanse and validate data before export/import.
- Provide staff with a simple checklist and a sample file.
6. Reports show incorrect or missing data
Symptoms:
- Revenue, aging, or tax reports don’t match expectations.
- Transactions missing from report results.
Quick checks and fixes:
- Date range and filters: confirm report filters (date, status, client groups) are set correctly.
- Transaction status: unpaid, refunded, or voided transactions may be excluded—verify which statuses the report includes.
- Sync delays: if SASKIA syncs with bank feeds or external systems, allow time for processing.
- User permissions: ensure you have access to required datasets—some reports are role-restricted.
- Refresh or rebuild: run a manual data refresh or reindex if available.
Prevention:
- Standardize reporting templates and define who can run which reports.
- Schedule regular reconciliations between SASKIA and accounting ledgers.
7. Access or permission errors
Symptoms:
- Users can’t see invoices or perform actions they should be able to.
- “Access denied” or missing menu items.
Quick checks and fixes:
- User role settings: review user roles and permission sets for the exact action (create/send/refund).
- Group or team restrictions: ensure user belongs to the right team if permissions are team-scoped.
- License limits: some features require specific subscription tiers—verify account plan.
- Session issues: have the user log out and back in; clear browser cache or test in an incognito window.
- Audit logs: check recent admin changes to permissions.
Prevention:
- Implement role templates and document permission matrix.
- Periodically audit user roles.
8. Webhooks and API integration failures
Symptoms:
- External systems don’t receive events; API calls return errors.
- Data discrepancies between systems.
Quick checks and fixes:
- Endpoint health: ensure your receiving endpoints respond with 2xx; some platforms disable webhooks after repeated failures.
- Auth and headers: confirm shared secrets, API tokens, and required headers match configuration.
- Payload changes: verify that schema updates haven’t changed field names or nesting; update integrations accordingly.
- Rate limits: check if you’re hitting the API rate limits and implement exponential backoff on retries.
- Replay and test: resend failed webhook events from SASKIA (if supported) and use API test consoles.
Prevention:
- Monitor webhook delivery metrics.
- Version your integrations to handle schema changes gracefully.
9. PDF invoice generation issues
Symptoms:
- Generated PDFs are missing logos, have broken formatting, or contain incorrect data.
Quick checks and fixes:
- Template settings: verify the correct template is selected and that placeholders map to available fields.
- Assets accessibility: ensure logos/images are hosted on accessible HTTPS URLs; embedded assets may be blocked.
- CSS or formatting overrides: custom CSS could break layout—revert to default to isolate.
- Character encoding: ensure fonts support special characters used in your invoice.
- Regenerate: re-export the invoice PDF after adjustments.
Prevention:
- Keep a backup of default templates and test template changes in a preview environment.
10. Performance and slow-loading UI
Symptoms:
- Pages or lists load slowly, time out, or hang.
Quick checks and fixes:
- Browser checks: clear cache, disable extensions, or test in another browser.
- Large datasets: pagination and heavy lists (invoices/customers) can slow the UI—use filters or saved views.
- Network: test network latency; try from a different network to isolate.
- Scheduled maintenance: check SASKIA status page for outages or maintenance windows.
- Report performance: if specific reports are slow, run them during off-peak hours or export raw data for processing.
Prevention:
- Archive old records and use indexing where available.
- Encourage users to filter lists and avoid loading massive result sets.
Troubleshooting workflow and best practices
- Reproduce: reproduce the issue consistently and document steps, screenshots, and timestamps.
- Isolate: test whether the problem is user-specific, account-wide, or system-wide (try another user, device, or network).
- Log collection: gather error messages, logs (email, API, webhook), and correlation IDs.
- Search: check SASKIA’s status page, help center, and support articles for known issues.
- Escalate: open a support ticket with SASKIA including steps to reproduce, environment details (browser, OS), screenshots, and logs.
- Temporary workaround: provide a manual process to keep billing moving until a fix is implemented.
When to contact SASKIA support
Contact SASKIA support if:
- The issue involves backend failures, unexplained data loss, or security concerns.
- You’ve collected logs and reproduction steps but can’t resolve the issue.
- You suspect a billing or merchant account problem that requires provider intervention.
Include in your ticket:
- Account ID, affected invoice IDs, timestamps, user IDs, error messages, and any recent configuration changes.
Final tips
- Keep a troubleshooting playbook with common fixes for your team.
- Maintain a staging environment for testing template, tax, and integration changes.
- Automate monitoring for failed payments, bounced emails, and webhook errors so issues are surfaced before clients notice.
If you want, I can convert this into a printable checklist, a step-by-step runbook for your support team, or tailor the troubleshooting guide to a specific SASKIA configuration (e.g., custom SMTP and Stripe).
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