How to make an invoice

What are the steps to make an invoice?

An invoice is a request for payment, so each step answers a question the client will have:

1. Add your business name and contact details, and the client's.
2. Give it a unique invoice number and today's date.
3. List each product or service with quantity, rate and amount.
4. Show the subtotal, any discount and tax, then the total.
5. Write the payment terms, such as Net 14, and the due date.
6. Say how to pay, then save it as a PDF.

What does a finished invoice look like?

Invoice 1042, dated 3 March, for logo design: 10 hours at 50, total 500. Terms Net 14, so due 17 March. See the invoice example for the full page. Charging tax in Canada? Read GST vs HST.

Which tool should you use?

A free invoice template adds up the lines for you. You can also build one in Word or a spreadsheet, but then you set up the totals and the numbering yourself.

What do you do after you make it?

Send it the same day the work is done, because terms usually count from the invoice date. How to send an invoice covers the email, and a polite note helps: see the invoice email template.

Questions

Do I need special software to make an invoice?

No. A word processor, a spreadsheet or a free online generator all work. What matters is that the invoice has the right details.

How do I make an invoice with no experience?

Follow the six steps above in order. The checklist of what to put on an invoice goes into each part.