FreshBooks is a professional billing service that helps users spend less time creating formal invoices and recording payments. The application boasts a “painless” way to handle billing. Users can integrate with an handful of widely used payment gateways, including Paypal, iTransact, Authorize.net, First Data, 2 CO, and PS iGate. The user can view payment and past due records to see which clients still owe and which do not. FreshBooks uses color coded tabs to label payment status. The user can also see whether the client has viewed the invoice. FreshBooks automatically stores client data that can be applied to future invoices so the user doesn’t have to type the client’s name and address each time they send a bill. FreshBooks can also automatically pull hours and expenses from the user’s records and apply them to an invoice. Recurring invoices can be set up for automated billing. Along with email invoices, users can also print and send invoices by snail mail. FreshBooks was founded in 2003 by Mike McDerment. The application was intended to provide online time tracking as well as a simple invoicing service. The company is currently based in Toronto, Canada and consists of around 60 employees, including CEO McDerment, Chief Handshaker Sunir Shah, CIO Levi Cooperman, Vice President of Marketing Mitch Solway, Strategic Initiatives Michael Berman and Chief Cat Herder Corey Reid. There are a number of applications offering a similar service to FreshBooks. FreshBooks is more appealing to some users because of the many features it includes. Along with generating a professional looking invoice, users can also set up recurring bills and keep track of who has paid and who still owes. FreshBooks has managed to incorporate many refreshing colors in a way that remains professional and stylish. Pleasant blues and vibrant greens are seen throughout, set against a plain white background. The application lists client status with a note beside a color tab so the user can jump right to specific items on the invoice autobiography list. Users can add custom information to their invoices, including a company logo. A new user can start using FreshBooks by clicking either of the white and green “Try It for Free” buttons found on the homepage. After clicking one of the two buttons, the user is asked to provide a company name, email address and desired FreshBooks login URL. After completing the form, the user can click the green “Create Your Account” button at the bottom of the form to continue. The user is taken to the login area with a temporary password that is automatically added into the form. The following page asks the user for more information, including a first and last name, address, currency, time zone and profession. FreshBooks offers users four membership plans to choose from. The first is a free plan which includes up to three clients, unlimited invoices, online payments, multiple currencies and languages, timesheets, document sharing, support ticketing, data import and export features, weekday customer support and the ability to add the user’s logo to their invoices. The Seeding plan costs around $20 per month and allows up to 25 clients and unbranded emails. The Evergreen plan costs around $30 per month and includes unlimited clients. The Mighty Oak plan costs around $40 per month and includes project managers, team timesheets, team expense reporting and the ability to add additional staff members for around $10 per month, per person. FreshBooks is a helpful tool for professionals and companies who need a better way to manage timesheets and invoicing. The application can allow businesses to organize their client data and payment status information.

• Choose between free and paid membership plans
• Add a logo to your FreshBooks invoices
• Apply timesheet and expense data to invoices
• Print invoices that can be mailed to clients
• Quickly review payment statuses
• The application adds value by collecting more money.

http://www.freshbooks.com/