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Coworking spaces are known for their vibrant environment and collaborative work styles. But behind the scenes, many administrative tasks need to be managed efficiently. One of those tasks is invoicing printing costs. In this post, we’ll show you how to automatically invoice expenses associated with printing using ezeep Blue, Google Sheets, and PayPal.
Step 1: Prepare Your Google Sheets
Before starting the actual invoicing process, you should organize your data in Google Sheets. Here’s a detailed look at the three spreadsheets:
1. Calculation Sheet
Use this sheet to set the printing costs per page. This provides transparency and consistency for all users:
| Paper Size | Price Per Page |
| Letter/A4 | $0.05 |
| Tabloid/A3 | $0.10 |
It’s important to regularly check these costs and adjust them if necessary to cover your coworking space’s operating costs.
2. CSV Data Import
You can export the print data from ezeep Blue as a CSV sheet monthly. Create a dedicated sheet in Google Sheets to import this data. Such a sheet could look like this:
| User | Paper Size | Number of Pages | CO2 Footprint | |
| Max | [email protected] | Letter/A4 | 50 | 250 g |
| Anna | [email protected] | Tabloid/A3 | 30 | 300 g |
3. Aggregated Sheet
This sheet is used to consolidate the data from the CSV file and calculate the total cost per user. The query could look like the following:
“`sql
=QUERY(CSV-Tabelle!A:D, “SELECT A, B, C, SUM(D) WHERE A != ” GROUP BY A, B, C ORDER BY A”)
“`
The result is a clear overview of the printing costs per user:
| User | Total Cost | |
| Max | [email protected] | $2.50 |
| Anna | [email protected] | $3.00 |
Step 2: Automate with Google Apps Script
After your data is neatly organized in Google Sheets, you can use Google Apps Script to automate the process:
1. Open the Script Editor: In Google Sheets, you can find the Script Editor in Extensions > Apps Script.
2. Add script: Copy the following sample code and paste it into the Script Editor:
“`javascript
function sendPaymentLinks() {
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName(“Aggregated Sheet”);
var data = sheet.getDataRange().getValues();
for (var i = 1; i < data.length; i++) {
var user = data[i][0];
var email = data[i][1];
var totalCost = data[i][2];
var paymentLink = createPaypalLink(email, totalCost);
MailApp.sendEmail(email, “Payment for Printing Costs”, “Hello ” + user + “,\nHere is the payment link for your printing costs: ” + paymentLink);
}
}
function createPaypalLink(email, totalCost) {
// Here you need to create the PayPal payment link based on the email and the total cost.
// For example, you can use PayPal’s “create payment” API.
// Alternatively, you can also create the payment link using string operations.
}
“`
3. Permissions and run: Make sure you’ve all the required permissions and run the script to send payment links to the users.
Summary
Managing a coworking space can be complex, especially when invoicing services like printing. With an automated workflow that combines ezeep Blue, Google Sheets, and PayPal, you’ll simplify the process and ensure that all users pay fairly for their printing costs.