documentation/content/applications/finance/accounting/customer_invoices/snailmail.rst

.. _customer_invoices/snailmail:

=========
Snailmail
=========

Sending direct mail can be an effective strategy for grabbing people's attention, especially when
their email inboxes are overflowing. With Odoo, you have the ability to send invoices and follow-up
reports through postal mail worldwide, all from within your database.

Configuration
=============

Go to :menuselection:`Accounting --> Configuration --> Settings --> Customer invoices` section to
activate :guilabel:`Snailmail`.

To make it a by-default feature, select :guilabel:`Send by Post` in the :guilabel:`Default Sending
Options` section.

.. image:: snailmail/setup-snailmail.png
   :align: center
   :alt: Under settings enable the snailmail feature in Odoo Accounting

Send invoices by post
=====================

Open your invoice, click on :guilabel:`Send & Print` and select :guilabel:`Send by Post`. Make sure
your customer’s address is set correctly, including the country, before sending the letter.

.. important::
   Your document must respect the following rules to pass the validation before being sent:

   - Margins must be **5 mm** on all sides. As Odoo forces the outer margins by filling them with
     white before sending the snailmail, it can results in the user's custom being cut off if it
     protrudes into the margins. To check the margins, activate the :ref:`developer mode
     <developer-mode>`, go to :menuselection:`General Settings --> Technical --> Reporting
     section: Paper Format`.
   - A square of **15mm by 15mm** on the bottom left corner has to stay clear.
   - The postage area has to stay clear (click :download:`here <snailmail/snailmail-template.pdf>`
     to get more info about the area).
   - Pingen (Odoo Snailmail service provider) scans the area to process the address, so if something
     gets written outside the area, it is not counted as part of the address.

Pricing
=======

Snailmail is an :doc:`/applications/essentials/in_app_purchase` service that requires prepaid stamps
(=credits) to work. Sending one document consumes one stamp.

To buy stamps, go to :menuselection:`Accounting --> Configuration --> Settings --> Customer
invoices: Snailmail`, click on :guilabel:`Buy credits`, or go to :menuselection:`Settings --> In-App
Purchases: Odoo IAP`, and click on :guilabel:`View my Services`.

.. tip::
   - If you are on Odoo Online and have the Enterprise version, you benefit from free trial credits
     to test the feature.
   - Click `here <https://iap.odoo.com/privacy#header_4>`_ to know about our *Privacy Policy*.