Sequential numbering allows you to automatically generate consistent, sequential document numbers for your income invoices and credit notes. Instead of using system-generated IDs, you can define custom prefixes and control the numbering sequence for better document management and compliance.
What is Sequential Numbering?
Sequential numbering gives you control over how your income documents are numbered in Re-Leased. When enabled, each new invoice or credit note receives the next number in your defined sequence, making it easier to track documents, maintain audit trails, and meet regulatory requirements.
What gets sequential numbers:
- Income invoices
- Income credit notes
- Payment requests (UK customers only)
- VAT receipts (UK customers only, when owners use payment requests)
Important: Sequential numbering only applies to income documents. Expense invoices and credit notes continue to use their existing numbering from your accounting system or suppliers.
Who Can Use Sequential Numbering?
Sequential numbering is available if your company is not connected to external accounting software (such as Xero or QuickBooks Online) and does not use API integrations for document creation. If you're using connected accounting, your invoice numbers are managed by your accounting system.
Only users with permission to edit company details can configure sequential numbering settings.
How to Enable Sequential Numbering
Navigate to Settings > Manage Companies > Select Company. Under the Sequential Numbering section, toggle Use sequential numbering for invoices and credit notes to Yes.
Configure Your Number Sequence
Once you enable sequential numbering, you'll need to set up your numbering preferences:
Invoice Prefix and Next Number: Set the prefix and starting number for income invoices. For example, a prefix of "INV-" with next number "1" will create INV-1, INV-2, INV-3, and so on.
Credit Note Prefix and Next Number: Set separate prefix and starting number for income credit notes. For example, "CN-" with next number "1" will create CN-1, CN-2, CN-3.
Number Padding: Choose whether to add leading zeros to your numbers. Options include:
- No Padding: Numbers appear as 1, 2, 3
- 2 digits: Numbers appear as 01, 02, 03
- 3 digits: Numbers appear as 001, 002, 003
- 4 digits: Numbers appear as 0001, 0002, 0003
- 5 digits: Numbers appear as 00001, 00002, 00003
Share invoice and credit note numbering sequence: By default, invoices and credit notes use separate number sequences. Toggle this to Yes if you want both document types to share the same sequential numbering. When shared, both will use the same sequence but with your specified prefixes.
Prefix Requirements
- Prefixes are mandatory when setting a starting number
- Prefixes must be unique from each other within your company
- Prefixes can be up to 5 characters
- Special characters are allowed in prefixes
- Starting numbers can be up to 8 digits
The Example column shows you a preview of how your sequential numbers will appear based on your prefix, next number, and padding settings.
Save Your Settings
Click Save to apply your sequential numbering configuration. Once saved, all new income invoices and credit notes will automatically receive sequential numbers based on your settings.
Sequential Numbering for UK Customers
UK customers have additional sequential numbering options for payment requests and VAT receipts.
Payment Request Sequential Numbering
When you enable sequential numbering, UK customers will see additional fields to configure payment request numbering. Set a unique prefix and starting number for payment requests, following the same configuration process as invoices and credit notes.
Payment requests will receive sequential numbers when owners use the payment request workflow instead of traditional invoicing.
VAT Receipt Sequential Numbering
UK customers who use payment requests for owners will also see configuration options for VAT receipt sequential numbering. This ensures receipts issued for payment request payments maintain a separate, sequential numbering system for VAT compliance.
Configure a unique prefix and starting number for VAT receipts. Each time a payment is made against a payment request, the system automatically generates the next sequential VAT receipt number.
Important Considerations
Settings Are Locked After First Use
Once you save your sequential numbering settings and create your first document (invoice, credit note, payment request, or VAT receipt), the prefix and starting number for that document type become locked. You cannot change them after documents have been generated. This protects the integrity of your numbering sequence and prevents gaps or duplicates.
Plan your numbering structure carefully before creating your first documents with sequential numbering enabled.
Sequential Numbers Appear Throughout Re-Leased
Once enabled, your sequential numbers replace system IDs throughout Re-Leased, including:
- Invoice and credit note lists
- Owner statements
- Financial reports and ledgers
- Bank reconciliation
- Email notifications and correspondence
- PDF documents and exports
- Workflow approvals
- Budget reports
This ensures consistency across all areas of the system where document numbers are displayed or referenced.
Existing Documents
Documents created before you enabled sequential numbering will continue to display their original system ID. Only new documents created after enabling sequential numbering will receive sequential numbers.
Audit Trail
The system records who configured sequential numbering settings and when they were saved. This audit information helps maintain compliance and tracking requirements.
Troubleshooting
I don't see the Sequential Numbering option: This feature is only available for companies not connected to external accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks Online) and not using API integrations. Check your accounting connections under Settings > Company > Accounting.
I can't change my prefix or starting number: Once you've created at least one document with sequential numbering enabled, the settings become locked to protect sequence integrity. If you need to change your numbering structure, contact Re-Leased support.
My sequential numbers have gaps: This can occur if documents are deleted or if there were issues during document creation. Sequential numbering ensures each number is used only once, even if the document is later deleted. This maintains audit compliance.
Numbers aren't showing in reports: Ensure you've saved your sequential numbering settings and created new documents after enabling the feature. Existing documents created before sequential numbering was enabled will continue showing their original numbers.