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    Automated invoicing produces an invoice from the job record instead of retyping the details, sends it, and tracks whether it was paid. For a Malaysian business it also sits inside the e-Invoice rules of the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN). This post covers the steps from quote to payment, then those rules.

    From quote to payment

    Each step reads from the job record, so details are entered once.

    Invoicing steps and what automation does at each.
    StepAutomated action
    Quote acceptedCreates an invoice draft from the quote
    Draft preparedFills in the customer and the job from the CRM, then applies the tax and payment terms the business sets
    Staff approvalA person checks the amounts before the invoice goes out
    SentDelivers the invoice by WhatsApp or email
    PaymentRecords whether the invoice is paid
    Recurring workRaises the repeat invoice and a renewal reminder

    Where a quote starts as a short job note, AI can turn it into line items, exclusions and stated assumptions. A person still approves the amounts.

    Overdue payments

    Overdue follow-up follows a cadence the business sets: a reminder before the due date, another after it, and a handover to a person once an unpaid invoice passes an agreed point. A reminder sent on WhatsApp more than 24 hours after the customer's last message must use an approved template, and only to a person who opted in (WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy).

    e-Invoice rules

    LHDN requires all taxpayers carrying on business in Malaysia to issue e-Invoices on a phased timeline set by annual turnover or revenue. The first phase, for taxpayers above RM100 million, began on 1 August 2024.

    • The file must be XML or JSON in the format LHDN specifies. A PDF is not an e-Invoice, though the business may share a visual representation with the buyer if it carries the QR code.
    • The invoice goes to LHDN through the MyInvois portal or an application programming interface (API).
    • LHDN assigns a unique identifier number on validation. The supplier's own invoice number stays in a separate field.
    • A validated e-Invoice cannot be edited. The supplier cancels it within 72 hours and issues a new one.
    • The MyInvois portal can store an e-Invoice as a draft. LHDN accepts it only after validation succeeds.
    • For sales where the buyer asks for no e-Invoice, a supplier may issue a consolidated e-Invoice within seven calendar days after month end.

    Taxpayers below RM3 million that meet the exemption criteria do not have to issue e-Invoices (LHDN e-Invoice Guideline v4.8, Section 1.6.1(e)). Taxpayers whose 2022 revenue was below RM3 million but who did not meet those criteria, or who reached RM3 million in the years of assessment 2023 to 2025, started on 1 July 2026. The duty rests on the taxpayer, whichever tool creates the invoice. A business should check its own position with LHDN.

    What OtomoAI builds

    OtomoAI builds the invoicing steps on the CRM record. An approved quote becomes an invoice draft, with the customer and the job already filled in. The invoice goes out by WhatsApp or email, payment is tracked, and reminders follow the cadence the business sets. Staff approve amounts.

    Get in touch and we quote for your case.

    Sources

    Ritchie Boon Win Yew ·