> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs2.zenskar.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Step 5: Generate invoice

This is the final step where all your configurations — the customer, usage events, billable metrics, and contract pricing — come together to produce an invoice for your customer, ACME Inc.

***

## Prerequisites

An invoice is a document issued by a seller to a buyer that outlines the products or services provided, along with the amount due for payment. It serves as a formal request for payment, detailing the terms of the transaction, including the quantity, price, taxes, payment terms, and the total amount payable..

<Cards columns={1}>
  <Card title="Life cycle of an invoice in Zenskar" href="https://docs.zenskar.com/docs/life-cycle-of-an-invoice" icon="fa-info-circle" target="_blank">
    In Zenskar, the **life cycle of an invoice** refers to the stages that an invoice goes through from its creation to final payment.
  </Card>
</Cards>

***

## Generate invoice

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="From Contracts module">
    You will generate the invoice directly from the contract details page.

    1. Log in to your Zenskar dashboard.
    2. Navigate to **Contracts** > **Contracts**.
    3. Find and click on the `ACME Inc. Direct Billing Contract` you created in Step 4. This will take you to the contract's summary page.
    4. On the contract summary page, click the **GENERATE INVOICE** button, located at the top right.
    5. Confirm the billing period for the invoice.
    6. Zenskar will then process the usage data against the configured pricing for `Compute Usage` and `Storage Usage` products, and generate a draft invoice.

    You should now see a generated invoice displaying the calculated charges for ACME Inc. based on their tracked usage during the billing period.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="From Invoices module">
    You can also initiate invoice generation directly from the Invoices module.

    1. Log in to your Zenskar dashboard.
    2. Navigate to the **Invoices** > **Invoices**.
    3. Click **GENERATE INVOICES**.
    4. This action will open a **Generate Invoices** modal dialog.
    5. In the **Select Contract(s)** dropdown, choose `ACME Inc. Direct Billing Contract`.
    6. In the **Select Billing Cycle** dropdown, select the billing cycle.
    7. Click **CONFIRM**.
    8. Zenskar will process the usage data and generate the invoice for the selected contract.

    You should now see a generated invoice displaying the calculated charges for ACME Inc. based on their tracked usage during the billing period.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>