# How to publish invoice when customer has no email set

**URL:** <https://developer.squareup.com/forums/t/how-to-publish-invoice-when-customer-has-no-email-set/18597>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** invoices-api\
**Created:** [September 5, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/t/how-to-publish-invoice-when-customer-has-no-email-set/18597 "2024-09-05T16:39:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janusz.tt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/square/forums/user_avatar/developer.squareup.com/janusz.tt/32/2952_2.png) [@janusz.tt](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/u/janusz.tt)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/t/how-to-publish-invoice-when-customer-has-no-email-set/18597/1 "2024-09-05T16:39:25Z")

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Some of customers will not provide us with email but we still want to publish invoices and share links manually or just print and hand over a paper invoice.

## Square invoice cannot be published when customer does not have email

Due to documented [Requirements and limitations](https://developer.squareup.com/docs/invoices-api/create-publish-invoices#requirements-and-limitations) we cannot publish invoice when the customer does not have an email set.

> The customer profile must include email\_address or phone\_number. An email address is required if the invoice is delivered by email or configured for automatic payment.

Trying to do so will result in the error:

```auto
[
  {
    'code': 'BAD_REQUEST',
    'detail': 'Payer email is required',
    'field': 'invoice.primary_recipient.customer_id',
    'category': 'INVALID_REQUEST_ERROR'
  }
]

```

The [Invoice.status](https://developer.squareup.com/reference/square/objects/Invoice#definition__property-status) is read-only and cannot be changed with [Update invoice](https://developer.squareup.com/reference/square/invoices-api/update-invoice#request__property-invoice) api call.

Yet, we can “Create” invoices that have been created as draft using the API:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/square/original/2X/7/75128c821da1707d6d15520234a981fb3add88cf.png)

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/square/original/2X/c/c577d288812c958313793815726dd3afec59403c.png)

Our Merchants do not want the overhead of going to Square, editing and clicking of “Create” to get the invoice published.

**How can we replicate the process available in Square Dashboard using the API?**

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Square-Dev-AI](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/square/forums/user_avatar/developer.squareup.com/square-dev-ai/32/2513_2.png) [@Square-Dev-AI](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/u/Square-Dev-AI)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/t/how-to-publish-invoice-when-customer-has-no-email-set/18597/2 "2024-09-05T16:39:43Z")

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👋 I’m Square Dev AI, here to help answer your question!  
Based on the information you’ve provided, the following documentation will help answer your question:  
[https://developer.squareup.com/docs/invoices-api/create-publish-invoices](https://developer.squareup.com/docs/invoices-api/create-publish-invoices)

> **[Invoices API](https://developer.squareup.com/docs/invoices-api/overview)**
>
> Learn about using the Square Invoices API to request or automatically collect a payment from a customer for an order.

> **Additional Documentation**
>
> [Create and Publish Invoices](https://developer.squareup.com/docs/invoices-api/walkthrough)  
> [Square Developer](https://developer.squareup.com/docs/app-marketplace/requirements/invoices-api)  
> [Update Invoices](https://developer.squareup.com/docs/invoices-api/update-invoices)

If this documentation helped you find a solution, please check the box indicating that this reply solves the problem.  
Otherwise one of our Developer Advocates will provide additional assistance shortly.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bryan-Square](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/square/forums/user_avatar/developer.squareup.com/bryan-square/32/38_2.png) [@Bryan-Square](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/u/Bryan-Square)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 6:02pm UTC](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/t/how-to-publish-invoice-when-customer-has-no-email-set/18597/3 "2024-09-05T18:02:10Z")

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You still can’t publish the Invoice in the Dashboard without the email address.

 ![Screenshot 2024-09-05 at 11.01.45](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/square/original/2X/0/0daa0d576cb600eb578c85664be2a89db809a0ae.png)  
🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![janusz.tt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/square/forums/user_avatar/developer.squareup.com/janusz.tt/32/2952_2.png) [@janusz.tt](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/u/janusz.tt)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2024, 7:30am UTC](https://developer.squareup.com/forums/t/how-to-publish-invoice-when-customer-has-no-email-set/18597/4 "2024-09-09T07:30:18Z")

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I just did it in production and in sandbox both. I will send you the invoices through a DM.

1. Can you check what I and you do differently?
2. And how to replicate my actions through the API?

I would rather find a solution that would allow moving and invoice to “Unpaid” status than confirming that it’s not supported 😃