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Mobile Auto Mechanic Invoicing

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Blog • Mobile Auto Repair & Invoicing

Mobile Auto Mechanic Invoicing — VIN, Photos, On-Site Pay

You don’t have a service writer riding shotgun. On a driveway or in a parking lot, you need to capture the vehicle details (Year/Make/Model/VIN), add photo proof, send an estimate, convert it to a work order, and fire off an invoice customers can pay right there. This guide shows a clean, phone-first workflow built for passenger vehicles and mobile techs.

Y/M/M/VIN fields Before/After photo proof Estimates → Work Orders → Invoices On-site payments Offline capture Client-ready PDFs

Why camera roll + desktop accounting leaves you short

Lost time: typing VINs and line items at night leads to mistakes and delays.
Weak proof: photos live in texts; invoices live elsewhere — customers push back.
Cash lag: no on-site payment flow = more chasing later.

A mobile workflow must live on your phone: vehicle intake, photo documentation, estimate approval, invoice, and payment — all in one thread. That’s how WorkFotos keeps you moving between calls without admin piling up.

The 6-step phone workflow (from driveway to paid)

1
Create job with customer + vehicle block: Year, Make, Model, VIN, plate, mileage.
2
Snap “before” photos, annotate leaks, worn pads, belt cracks, or code screenshots.
3
Build estimate — labor + parts + shop supplies/tax. Send for approval via link or show on phone.
4
Convert to work order after approval; keep notes and photos in the same thread.
5
Attach “after” photos and quick notes (torque specs, core returned, battery CCA).
6
Send invoice & get paid — deposit, progress, or T&M. Customer pays from a phone link (via Stripe).

No signal? Capture everything and sync later — your structure and timestamps remain intact.

Vehicle details that save callbacks

For mobile auto repair, the vehicle header matters as much as the total. Add these once and they flow through your estimate, work order, invoice, and PDF:

Field
Why it matters
Year / Make / Model
Correct parts, fluids, and flat-rate times
VIN
Exact trim/engine; claim support and warranty lookups
Plate
Customer reference for multi-vehicle households
Mileage
Maintenance intervals and service records
Complaint / Diagnosis
Context for the estimate (e.g., “brake pulsation front”)

You can pin these as custom fields in WorkFotos so they’re at the top of every job.

Photo documentation that stops “what did you do?” texts

Before photos

  • Close-ups of leaks, pad thickness, rotor scoring, torn boots, DTC screens
  • Overall shots to prove condition on arrival

After photos

  • New parts installed, torque marks, cleaned area
  • Scanner clear, no stored codes; battery test results

Annotate directly on the image — arrows, text, measurements. When those images are attached to your estimate and invoice, approvals speed up and chargebacks drop.

Estimates, invoices, and on-site payments (without bloat)

Estimates customers understand

Labor + parts + shop supplies + tax, plus notes that reference your photos. Customers know exactly what they’re approving.

Invoices that get paid

Turn the approved estimate into an invoice with attached photo proof. Take deposits, progress, or T&M payments online via Stripe right from the link. (Availability may vary by region/account setup.)

Copy-paste template for mobile auto repair invoices

Customer
• Name:
• Phone:
• Email:

Vehicle
• Year / Make / Model:
• VIN:
• Plate:
• Mileage:

Job Details
• Complaint/Request:
• Diagnosis Summary:
• Notes:

Estimate / Invoice Lines
1) Labor: __________________  Qty: ___  Rate: ____  Line Total: _____
2) Part:  __________________  Qty: ___  Unit: ____  Line Total: _____
3) Shop Supplies (%): ______  Line Total: _____
4) Tax: _____________________ Line Total: _____

Photos/Proof
• Before: [attached]
• After:  [attached]

Totals
• Subtotal: ______
• Tax: ______
• Total Due: ______

Payment
• Card / Link / Other
• Paid Amount: ______  Balance: ______

Signature (optional in person)
X _______________________   Date: ______
      

Save this as a reusable template in WorkFotos. Your vehicle header and photos carry across estimate → work order → invoice.

Estimate. Approve. Invoice. Get paid — on the curb.

Create a job with Y/M/M/VIN, attach before/after photos, send an invoice, and take payment — from your phone.

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Built for mobile mechanics

Capture vehicle details and photos in the field, send clean estimates and invoices in minutes, and get paid online. Download the app or learn more.

Mobile Mechanic Invoicing — FAQ

Can I store Year/Make/Model/VIN for each vehicle?
Yes. Add those fields to your job header so they appear on estimates, work orders, invoices, and PDFs.
Can I attach photos to estimates and invoices?
Absolutely. Add before/after photos and annotations so customers approve faster and your records stay clear.
How do on-site payments work?
Send an invoice link customers can pay online via Stripe. You can request deposits, progress payments, or T&M. Availability depends on region/account setup.
What about spotty service?
Capture photos and notes offline. When you’re back online, everything syncs — timestamps and structure included.