How to create an order as a seller

To create and send an order to a buyer, you have 2 main options:

1. Select an existing buyer from your Customer Relationships page and start an order from there.
2. Add a new buyer to your Customer Relationships page and then start a new order with them.

In the instructions below we will show you how to start a new order from your Customer Relationships page.

Step 1 - Select or add the customer

To get started, head to your Customers page, which can be found in the left panel navigation:

Next, you can select a customer from your list or you can add a new customer by clicking the "Add Customer" button:

Next, when adding a new customer you will be asked to enter the name of your customer into the search box. This is just so we can do a quick search in our database and make sure the customer doesn't already have a Candid account:

If the customer shows up in the search results you can click on their name and this will add them to your customer list and allow you to start an order with them.

If the customer is not found in the search results then you will want to click the "Add A New Company" button as seen in the image below:

Next, you will be asked to enter the URL of your customer's website. Their company website helps us find their business info quickly but if you don't have the link you can also add them manually (which we will show after the next image).

If you find your customer in the search results, click "Confirm" to add them to your customer list:

If you don't find them in the search results, you can add them by clicking "Add Company Manually":

On the next screen, you just need to enter their company name. All the other fields are optional:

Next, you will be taken to your customer's Customer Details page. From here, you have two main options:

1. Send a new order to your buyer's email address. When the buyer clicks on the link to the order in the email, they will be prompted to claim the account you created for them.
2. Copy the Onboarding Link (seen in the image below) and send it to your customer. When the buyer clicks on the onboarding link, they will be prompted to claim the account you created for them.

How to use the onboarding link to set up your customer

Emailing the onboarding link to your customer will let them know that you have created an account for them. We recommend also including a brief message explaining that you are using Candid for your wholesale business. You can also include our buyer tutorial to help them get started.

Note: When the customer receives the onboarding link from you, they will bypass our normal registration process and not be required to fill out any forms.

Buyer onboarding and training

All new buyers will receive a training guide in an email from us about how to use Candid to place orders. You can view that guide here or use it to send to your customers for training purposes as well:

A step-by-step introduction to buying on Candid

Step 2 - Add products to the order

On the draft order screen, you will see your catalog. Click on a product to begin adding it to the order:

On the next screen, click "Add to Order":

Then enter the quantity and click "Done":

At any time, you can edit or view the order in progress by clicking on the "Edit Order" tab in the left menu:

Step 3 - Send the order to the buyer

At this step, double-check the order and ensure the product details, such as pricing and quantity, look correct. When you have finished editing the order, click the "Send or Review Order" button to send it to the buyer for approval.

If your buyer has already approved the order (verbally or otherwise), you also have the option to instead select "Pre-Approve Order" from the drop-down menu seen in the image below:

Before the order is sent, you will be asked to select a delivery address for the buyer:

Step 4 - Invoicing and Shipping

Once the order has been approved, you can add final details such as shipping, delivery, and invoicing terms.

How to send an invoice to your customer

• Click the "Invoices & Payments" tab.
• Next, fill in the invoice due date and terms if they are blank.
• You can also add a note if you have anything else you would like your customer to know about their invoice.
• If you have shipping charges or other fees, you can also add them to the invoice. When you're finished, click "Send Invoice":

Setting up billing terms

You can preset shipping fees, payment terms, and taxes. You can learn more by clicking on the links below:

How to calculate taxes on sales orders

How to set your shipping and payment terms

Other invoicing options

If you prefer to invoice your customer externally, you can select "Mark Invoiced Externally," which will mark the invoice as sent.

You can then invoice the customer using your own external invoicing system. You also have the option to send them a PDF copy of their invoice.

To download a PDF of the invoice, click on the "Print / PDF" tab seen in the left panel navigation:

From here, you can use the drop-down menu "Print / Display Options" to fully customize the look of the PDF:

When you are done customizing the PDF, click the "PDF Print" button to save the PDF to your computer or device:

The PDF is now saved to the downloads folder on your computer and can be shared with your customer via email or another method.

Share the invoice as a link

Another option is to share a link to the invoice with the customer. You can find the link in the left panel navigation of the order:

When you share the link, it will take them to the invoice page, where they can pay for the invoice and download a PDF version.

Note: For the payment terminal to work, you must first set up Candid Pay.

Tips for saving and printing a PDF

For the best results, we recommend always using the PDF / Print button to save a copy of the PDF. Since print settings are different for everyone, please keep in mind that we cannot control formatting on your computer or device. For this reason, we recommend saving the PDF first and then printing the download. If you try to print the PDF editing page or the order page using the print function on your computer, it will not be formatted correctly.

Add shipping or delivery details

In the "Shipping & Delivery" tab, you can add the date shipped, carrier, and tracking info. You can also add order fulfillment dates by clicking on the "Edit" button seen in the image below:

Note: For ShipStation users, if you toggle the "Ready To Ship" button (seen in the image above), the order will be sent to ShipStation. When it's ready, shipping information will automatically be sent from ShipStation to Candid and populate the "Fulfillment Details" area on the order in Candid.

Step 5 - Collecting payment on an invoice

You have several options for collecting payments, depending on how you want to do business with your buyers. You can also use different collection methods for different customers.

Send Invoice:

Use this option if your buyer expects to be invoiced using our system. Sending an invoice also allows buyers to log into their accounts.

When you send the invoice via Candid, your customer will receive an email from us showing that they have received an invoice from you.

Below is an example of what the email looks like when you send an invoice:

Note that if you want the buyer to pay their invoice directly in Candid, you must set up Candid Pay first. If you choose to use a different method for collecting payment, make sure your buyers know how you would like them to pay. One option is to add a note to the invoice letting them know how you prefer to collect payment.

Manual Payment / Record Payment:

You can use this option to record a payment made outside of Candid.

Payment Terminal:

This allows you to pay the invoice using your buyer's card info. Note that this requires Candid Pay to be set up.

Mark order as invoiced externally:

Use this option if you have a buyer who prefers not to use Candid and you manage their account for them. You can also select this option if you want to use a totally different system for invoicing.