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These step by step instructions will show you how to create an invoice that includes all the standard elements of a professional invoice. Below, we’ll dive into how you can customize your invoice to be unique to your business.
The first time you create an invoice, you'll need to add some information to the blank invoice template.
Once your first invoice is complete, you’ll need to learn how to send it to your client. Our invoice generator gives you two easy options to send an invoice.
First, compose an email to your client. You can include a link to your invoice in the email or send them a PDF of the invoice as an attachment. The client simply clicks on the link or the attachment to see the invoice.
Then, check in on the status of your sent invoice. If you email your invoice directly from Invoice Simple, you will receive a notification when your customer views the invoice. The notification is useful for following up with clients to confirm payment.
There are 9 main elements of an invoice. Some of theses elements are necessary, while others are extra or used only for customization.
Headers that clearly state the document is an invoice can be extremely useful when sorting through multiple documents. This will save you time when reviewing your records or completing taxes. Many companies include their logo on the right hand side of the header. In the image above we don't have a logo and that's perfectly alright as long as the rest of the invoice is laid out properly.
When creating an invoice, you should include the legal name and contact details of your business. This should include your address, phone number, and email address. Usually, company information is written near the top of the invoice to create a clear differentiation between the company providing the goods or services and the company receiving them.
Clearly state the name and contact details of your client. These contact details should include an address, phone number, and email address.
An Invoice Number is a unique identifier for an invoice. Invoice Numbers can help you keep track of multiple invoices. Invoice Numbers can be structured in various ways including file numbers (INV0001), unique billing code, or date-based purchase order numbers. Make sure to increment the invoice number every time you make a new invoice. If you're our invoice generator this will be done for you automatically.
It’s important to include the date that each invoice is issued. This can clear up confusion when the same customer receives multiple invoices. Because payment is usually due a specified number of days after receipt of the invoice, including the date is an important part of showing when payment is due.
These are your invoice line items. Each row should include the following: (1) Name of the goods or service provided. (2) Unit price, if you're billing for hours then this should be your hourly rate. (3) Quantity, if you're billing for hours then this should be the number of hours worked.
Next, add any tax, shipping and handling, or extra fees that apply to the goods or services provided. We recommend listing these taxes and fees as separate line items, as some companies use different internal budgets to cover these fees.
The invoice generator will calculate the total balance due from the line items you entered in boxes six and seven.
One of the most overlooked parts of an invoice is the Terms and Conditions of payment. The standard payment terms vary by industry, your company’s policy, or previous history with the customer. It’s important to clearly state the penalties of the terms are not met which can include late fees or additional charges. You should also add in your preferred payment method (cheque or cash, bank transfer, PayPal or credit card). Then add in your payment instructions, for example if you prefer bank transfers then write your account number and bank name.
You may start out using a simple invoice template on Microsoft Excel or Word, but once you’ve made a few invoices you'll realize that you're wasting a lot of time on repetitive tasks. For example:
Each extra minute you spend doing this administrative work is time and money lost.
The first time you use our generator, it'll offer up a blank invoice template. However once you fill out your business information (email, company name, phone number) it'll automatically be saved for all future visits. The same applies to your items, clients and general invoice settings (invoice color, number, currency).
The next time you want to create an invoice, the invoice template will automatically be filled with all of your relevant information. The same applies to your clients and items. We'll fill out your entire client information (phone, email, address) as you start typing the client name.
You can share or download a PDF version of your invoice with a click of a button. This is a big time saver compared to using excel or word invoice templates where you need to go through a series of steps to export to PDF, or be sure that your client has the right application to view your invoices.
There are a few additional benefits to emailing your invoice through Invoice Generator. One is that your invoice will be suitable for mobile and desktop viewing. Second is that you'll be notified when your client receives and views the invoice. And thirdly if your client hasn't viewed you invoice after a couple days, Invoice Simple will automatically send them a polite reminder.
Instead of working hard, we should work smart! The smart thing is to use the right tool for the job, an invoice generator.
When you use Invoice Simple's invoice generator you save yourself a lot of time and effort. Here are some of the reasons why:
See our guide to invoicing software for small businesses for more detail on all your options.
A: You can easily preview what your invoice will look like by clicking on “preview” at the top left of the page. We've also put together a sample invoice for you, so you can see what a finished invoice would look like. Find more sample invoices here
A: Yes. Select the logo box in the top right corner. Then, you can upload your logo or drag and drop it into place. Both JPEG and PNG images are supported.
A: The Invoice Simple invoice generator allows you to email your invoice, download a PDF copy, or send a link to your invoice. If you email your Invoice directly from Invoice Simple, we’ll notify you when your customer views it. This can be useful for following up with them later. If you send a link to your customer, they can download or print the invoice from the link.
A: Never. Regardless of whether you have a registered account or not, your generated invoices are always 100% unbranded.
A: Absolutely. The PDF button at the top of the invoice page lets you instantly download a PDF file of your invoice that you can save for your records or send to your customer.
A: Yes. Our invoice generator should detect your currency automatically. However, if you want to make an invoice in a different currency, you can easily change the selected currency using the Settings panel on the right.
A: Yes. Your invoices are automatically saved to your invoices list. There is also a clients list That automatically saves customer information.
A: We’ve found that what works well is to enter the number of hours worked into the quantity field and your hourly rate into the price field. The invoice generator will then calculate the total amount due.
A: If you'd like your invoice to include taxes on top of your prices, use the Settings panel on the right to enable a tax setting. Then, you can enter a tax rate and label.
A: If your prices already include tax, and you'd like your invoice to show the amount of tax included, then select the “Inclusive?” checkbox when enabling taxes.
A: Looking to find out what an invoice really is? Here's a complete explanation of what an invoice is . If that isn't enough of an explanation, then see what Wikipedia has to say about it. Essentially, an invoice is a document that details what you did for a customer and what they owe you for that service or product.
A: We use payment processing services, Stripe and PayPal, depending on location. Simply sign up for Invoice Simple via our mobile apps or online, and go to the settings section to integrate payments.
A: Yes, you can easily generate an invoice in 5 languages: