Invoice guides
Short, plain answers to the questions people ask before they send an invoice. Each one ends where the work does: in the generator.
The basics
- i.How to make an invoiceSeven steps from a blank page to an invoice you can send, with a finished example and the mistakes that delay payment.
- ii.How to write an invoiceThe words on an invoice decide how quickly it is approved. How to write line items, terms, notes and the covering email, with examples.
- iii.What to put on an invoiceThe ten things every invoice needs, the extras that some clients and tax rules require, and what to leave off.
- iv.How to number invoicesThe two rules every numbering system follows, five formats that work, and what to do when an invoice is cancelled or a year ends.
- v.How to create an invoice PDFThree free ways to turn an invoice into a PDF, which to choose, and what to check before you send the file.
Getting paid
- i.How to send an invoiceWhen to send it, who to send it to, what to write in the email, and how to follow up politely when a payment is late.
- ii.How to invoice a clientInvoicing starts before the work does. How to set terms, time your invoices, make paying easy, and handle a late payment without damaging the relationship.
- iii.How to invoice as a freelancerA practical routine for freelance invoicing: agree the terms first, choose how to bill, take deposits, invoice promptly and keep records for tax.
Terms explained
- i.Invoice vs receiptAn invoice asks for payment; a receipt confirms it has been made. When to send each, what each contains, and when one document can do both jobs.
- ii.Invoice vs billThe same document seen from two sides: the seller sends an invoice, the buyer receives a bill. When each word is used, and which to put on yours.
Free tools
For the arithmetic.
All tools- ToolInvoice number generatorChoose a prefix, the year and the number of digits, see your next invoice numbers, and start an invoice with the first.
- ToolInvoice tax calculatorPrice, discount, tax, shipping and deposit in; subtotal, tax, total and balance due out, exactly as the invoice will show them.
- ToolSales tax calculatorAdd sales tax to a price, or take it out of a tax-inclusive total, at the rate you enter.
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Your next invoice, in three minutes.
Open the generator, fill in the details, download the PDF. Your business details are remembered for next time.