Adding a bank account

Bank accounts hold the payment details Billow prints on invoices paid by bank transfer, so your client knows where to pay. You manage them in the Bank Accounts card on Settings → Accounting. Only owners and admins can add, edit or delete an account.

Add a bank account

1. Go to Settings → Accounting.

2. In the Bank Accounts card, click Add Bank Account.

3. Choose an Account Type: IBAN, US (ACH) or Other.

4. Fill in Account Name, Currency and the fields for that type.

5. Click Create Bank Account.

The account appears in the Bank Accounts card with its currency and details. There is no limit on how many accounts you add, and they can be in different currencies.

Once you have at least one account, you can add another while you write an invoice: click Add new next to the Bank Account field.

Account types

The fields change with the type. Account Type starts on US (ACH) if your workspace’s country is the United States, and on IBAN otherwise.

Use Other for anything that doesn’t fit the first two. Billow prints whatever you type on the invoice as-is.

Fields on every account

Edit a bank account

1. Go to Settings → Accounting.

2. Click the pencil icon on the account.

3. Change the details.

4. Click Update Bank Account.

Drafts pick up the new details. Invoices you already sent keep the details they were sent with.

The primary account

One account is the primary, marked with a Primary badge. The first account you add becomes the primary automatically.

The Bank Account field on a new invoice starts on the primary account. An invoice without an account of its own also uses the primary.

Change the primary account

1. Go to Settings → Accounting.

2. Click the pencil icon on the account you want as primary.

3. Tick Set as primary bank account.

4. Click Update Bank Account.

The Primary badge moves to that account. You can also tick Set as primary bank account when you add a new account.

Invoice currency and account currency

An invoice and its bank account don’t need the same currency. A EUR invoice can point at a USD account. When they differ, the invoice form shows a warning, for example “This account is in USD, but the invoice is in EUR. Your bank may apply conversion fees.” Nothing blocks you from saving.

Default payment method

An invoice carries one payment method: Bank Transfer or Card Payment (Stripe). If you have at least one bank account, new invoices start on Bank Transfer, even when Stripe is connected. Choose Card Payment (Stripe) on each invoice where you want it.

If you choose Bank Transfer before adding any account, the invoice form shows “You first need to add a bank account to use Bank Transfer” with a Set up now button.

Bank details on sent invoices

Billow copies your bank details onto an invoice at the moment you send it. Editing or deleting the account later doesn’t change a document your client already has.

Delete a bank account

1. Go to Settings → Accounting.

2. Click the trash icon on the account.

3. Click Delete Bank Account in the dialog.

The dialog reads:

Delete Bank Account Are you sure you want to delete [account name]? Invoices you have already sent keep the bank details they were sent with. This action cannot be undone.

If you delete the primary account, the oldest remaining account becomes the primary.

When deletion is blocked

You can’t delete a bank account while an unpaid bank transfer invoice uses it. Choose a different Bank Account on those invoices first. If it’s your primary account, make another account primary first, because invoices without an account of their own use the primary.

Billow tells you why after you confirm, for example:

Cannot delete: unpaid bank transfer invoices still use this account for payment details. Re-point those invoices to another account first.