How to Write an Invoice, Step by Step

Everything an invoice needs, in order, so clients can pay it and accountants can file it.

An invoice is a request for payment. It tells the client what you did or delivered, how much they owe and by when. It's also a record: for your own books, for your client's accountant and for you, if you ever need to show that a payment was due. A clear invoice gets paid faster, because the client doesn't have to email you with questions before they can approve it. Here's how to write one, step by step.

1. Put your details and the client's at the top

Start with who is billing whom:

• Your business name, address, phone and email. If you work under your own name, use it. Add a license number if your trade requires one on paperwork.
• The client's name and address under "Bill to". For businesses, use the legal company name and, if they gave you one, a contact person or department such as accounts payable.
• The job address if it's different from the billing address, which is common for landlords, property managers and contractors working for general contractors.

2. Give it a number and a date

Every invoice needs a unique invoice number and an invoice date. The number lets you and the client refer to the same document without confusion ("invoice 1042 is still open"), and it keeps your records in order for taxes. Use a simple sequence, like 1001, 1002, 1003, or add the year, like 2026-014. Don't reuse numbers, and don't skip around in ways you can't explain later.

The invoice date is the day you issue it. Payment terms are counted from that date, so send the invoice the same day you date it.

3. List what you're billing for

The line items are the heart of the invoice. Each line should have a description, a quantity, a unit price and the amount. Be specific: "Website design" says less than "Custom page design, 5 pages". If you sent an estimate first, use the same lines so the client can compare them side by side. The painting invoice template and the plumbing invoice template show what that looks like for very different trades.

• Separate labor, materials and fees. Disposal, travel, permits and rentals are easier to accept as their own lines than when they're buried in a bigger number.
• Add changes as new lines. If the client asked for extra work, list it separately and mention when it was approved.
• Include dates. For recurring work, write the service dates or the billing period, such as "Services for March".

4. Add tax, discounts and deposits

Below the line items, show the subtotal, then anything that changes it:

• Sales tax, VAT or GST, if it applies to what you sell. Whether your service is taxable, and at what rate, depends on where you work and what you do, so check your state's rules (or your country's) rather than guessing.
• Discounts, written as their own line so the client sees the full value and what you took off.
• Deposits or earlier payments. If the client already paid a deposit, show it as received and bill only the balance due. Clients sometimes forget what they've paid; a clear credit avoids a confused phone call.

The last number on the page should be the one the client actually needs to pay: the balance due.

5. State the payment terms

Payment terms tell the client when to pay and what happens if they don't. At minimum, include a due date, either as a specific date or as terms like "due in 15 days" or "due on receipt". If you charge a late fee, say so on the invoice, and make sure it matches what you agreed with the client. Read invoice payment terms explained to choose between net 15, net 30 and due on receipt.

6. Explain how to pay

An invoice that doesn't say how to pay will wait. List the methods you accept, such as bank transfer, card, check or cash, and include the details the client needs: your bank details for a transfer, a payment link, or who to make a check out to. The fewer steps between reading the invoice and paying it, the sooner the money arrives.

7. Send it as a PDF, right away

Send the invoice as a PDF, which looks the same on every device and can't be edited by accident. Send it as soon as the work is done or the milestone is reached; invoices sent weeks later tend to get paid weeks later too. In the invoice generator you fill in the client, the lines and the terms, then download the PDF or share it directly. If you work in a trade, start from a template like the landscaping invoice template so the typical lines are already there.

8. Follow up and issue a receipt

Keep track of which invoices are open and when they're due. A short, friendly reminder a few days before the due date solves most late payments before they happen. When the client pays, give them a receipt as proof of payment, and mark the invoice as paid in your records.

Invoice checklist

• Your business details and the client's, under "Bill to"
• Invoice number and invoice date
• Specific line items with quantity, unit price and amount
• Subtotal, tax if it applies, discounts and deposits
• Balance due
• Due date and payment terms, including any late fee
• How to pay

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Frequently asked questions