What is a CAF invoice?
A CAF invoice is an invoice to the lender for commission on an Asset Finance deal. It also acts as a notification to Connective that a deal has settled and commission is expected. CAF invoices are mandatory for the reconciliation and processing of commissions in Connective, ensuring they are included in the payment run.
Even if the lender does not require a CAF invoice, it is mandatory for Connective’s internal processing to ensure accurate reconciliation and payment.
CAF invoices serve two key purposes:
Provide a commission invoice for lenders that require one
Notify Connective of the deal, expected commission, and the broker who completed the transaction- Ensure commission payments are processed efficiently in Connective
CAF invoices can be created through the Commissions app in Mercury or from a CRM opportunity.
Note: If you do not have access to the CAF invoices, contact the CAF team at [email protected] or the Mercury Helpdesk at [email protected].
Ensure that the appropriate permissions are enabled on your account to access CAF invoice functionality. If you encounter access issues, contact the CAF team or the Mercury Helpdesk for assistance.
Permissions and Access Requirements
Enabling CAF Invoice Functionality
To create CAF invoices in Mercury, the appropriate permissions must be enabled on your account. This is typically done by an admin or the Connective team. Once permissions are granted:
Log out of Mercury.
Log back in to apply the changes and access the CAF invoice functionality.
If the option to create a CAF invoice is still missing, ensure that the permissions have been correctly updated.
How to generate a CAF invoice
You can generate a CAF invoice from either:
A CRM opportunity, or
The Commissions app in Mercury
Important: If you have already created an opportunity in the CRM, you must generate the CAF invoice from the CRM opportunity. This ensures the invoice is correctly linked to the deal and lender.
If the invoice generation button is not visible, try closing and reopening the CRM application to restore missing UI elements.
Create a CAF invoice via the CRM opportunity
Open the relevant CRM opportunity in Mercury
Locate the blue Create Invoice button at the top of the page
Select Create invoice
Complete the required invoice fields
Select Generate to create the invoice
Note: When a CAF invoice is generated via the CRM opportunity, the Lender field becomes uneditable. To change the lender, you must update the linked CAF invoice.
Create a CAF invoice via the Commissions app
Only use this method if no CRM opportunity exists.
Quick AF Referrals: For Quick AF referral deals, Mercury does not require you to generate an invoice. The processing partner issues the invoice automatically.
Open the Commissions app in Mercury
Select CAF Invoices
Click + New CAF invoice
Enter the required details
Select Add to create the invoice
When the CAF invoice is created:
A PDF invoice is generated
You can send the invoice to the lender if required
You do not need to send the invoice to Connective
For lenders that require invoices (e.g., ANZ), you must send the invoice separately. However, if the lender does not require an invoice, Connective’s commissions team still requires it for internal processing.
Invoicing the Origination Fee directly to the client.
Some Asset Finance lenders require the origination fee to be invoiced to the client, as well as a separate commission invoice to the lender. Mercury supports this requirement by generating two invoices when these lenders are selected.
Important: All fees must be entered as gross amounts. Net amounts are generated automatically.
The invoices will be:
Generated as PDFs
Downloaded to your computer
Saved to the opportunity record
How to edit a CAF invoice
CAF invoices can be amended while they are still open.
To edit an invoice:
Open the relevant CRM opportunity
Click Edit Invoice
Update the required fields
Select Update
Note: Changing the lender on a CAF invoice will also update the lender on the linked CRM opportunity.
How to cancel a CAF invoice
CAF invoices can be cancelled from the CAF Invoices grid in the Commissions app.
To cancel an invoice:
Select the cross icon next to the invoice
The invoice status will update to Cancelled
Need help?
If you need help creating or managing CAF invoices, contact your Partnership Manager or email [email protected]. For issues related to commission processing, such as orphaned commissions or missing CAF invoices, ensure you have followed the correct procedures in Mercury or reach out for support.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Missing Lender in CAF Invoice
If a newly added lender does not appear when creating a CAF invoice, ensure that the invoice is being created from an associated opportunity. Lenders will not appear in broker invoices without an opportunity link.
Using In-House Invoices
In-house invoices cannot replace CAF invoices in Mercury Nexus. CAF invoices must be created in Mercury to ensure commissions are correctly allocated in Connective’s system.