Before you start: what you need
Gather these details first and the invoice takes about five minutes:
- Your business details: legal or trading name, address, e-mail or phone, and any tax ID your country asks for, such as a VAT, GST/HST or ABN number.
- Your client’s details: company or person name and billing address. For business clients in VAT countries, also their VAT number.
- What you delivered: each product or service, the quantity, unit (hours, days, pieces) and price.
- The dates: when you delivered the goods or finished the work.
- How you want to be paid: bank details, payment link or check address, plus your payment terms.
Not sure which fields your country insists on? Read what to include on an invoice or open your country page, for example the UK, Australia or Canada.
How to create an invoice, step by step
- Pick the right document. An invoice asks for payment for work done or goods supplied. If the price is not agreed yet, send a quote or estimate instead. If the client needs a document before paying in advance, a pro forma invoice may fit better.
- Choose your country and tax status. In the invoice generator the first step asks for your country, whether the client is a business or a private person, and whether you are VAT-registered or a small business. A verdict card then shows whether this document counts as a valid invoice for that customer.
- Add your details and logo. They are saved in your browser, so you type them once.
- Add the client. Pick a saved client or paste an e-mail signature and let the parser split it into name, address and contact details.
- List the line items. Write descriptions a stranger would understand: “Logo design, 3 concepts, 2 revision rounds” beats “Design work”. Add quantity, unit and unit price. Set the tax rate per line.
- Set the number, dates and terms. The next number from your series is suggested, with a warning if it was already used. Add the issue date, the supply or service date where required, and payment terms such as Net 30. Our guides on invoice numbering and payment terms explain the options.
- Choose a design and review. Pick one of 12 designs, check the “Ready to send?” list and download the PDF.
A worked example
Alex runs a small web studio and finishes a website for a local bakery. The invoice is dated 2 March 2026 with terms of Net 30. The tax rate below is only an example; use the rate that applies to you.
Invoice INV-0042 · Issue date: 2 March 2026 · Service period: 2–27 February 2026 · Due date: 1 April 2026
| # | Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Website design and build, 5 pages | 1 | project | $2,400.00 | $2,400.00 |
| 2 | Content migration from old site | 12 | hours | $65.00 | $780.00 |
| 3 | Hosting and domain setup | 1 | service | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Subtotal | $3,330.00 | ||||
| Sales tax 8% (example rate) | $266.40 | ||||
| Total due | $3,596.40 |
Check the maths line by line: 12 × $65.00 = $780.00. The subtotal is $2,400.00 + $780.00 + $150.00 = $3,330.00. Tax is $3,330.00 × 0.08 = $266.40. The total is $3,330.00 + $266.40 = $3,596.40. Net 30 from 2 March lands on 1 April, because March has 31 days (29 days left in March plus 1 day in April).
Below the table Alex adds the bank details, “Payment due within 30 days” and a short thank-you line. If tax applied to only some lines, each line would carry its own rate and the editor would show a subtotal per rate.
How to send the invoice
We never send anything for you; you stay in control of every message. After the download you can:
- Share from your phone. The share sheet attaches the PDF to mail, WhatsApp, Telegram and similar apps.
- Open an e-mail draft. Your mail app, Gmail or Outlook.com opens with a subject and a polite message. Attach the PDF and press send.
- Copy a short message and paste it wherever you talk to the client.
Use a clear subject such as “Invoice INV-0042 from Alex Web Studio, due 1 April 2026”. Put the amount and due date in the message body too, so the client does not have to open the file to know what is needed.
Following up and getting paid
In My documents each invoice moves from Draft to Sent to Paid. Once the due date passes without payment it shows as Overdue, and the tool offers a friendly reminder text you can send yourself. You can also download a calendar reminder (.ics) for the due date.
A practical rhythm many freelancers use:
| When | What to send |
|---|---|
| A few days before the due date | A short, friendly heads-up |
| One day after the due date | A polite reminder with the invoice attached again |
| 7–14 days overdue | A firmer note and a phone call |
| 30+ days overdue | A final notice that mentions late fees or interest, if your terms or the law allow them |
When the money arrives, click Mark as paid, then Create receipt if the client wants proof of payment. The receipt is pre-filled from the invoice. Working with the same client every month? Use Duplicate for next month to copy the invoice with a fresh number.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Reusing or skipping numbers. Every invoice needs its own number. If you made a mistake on a sent invoice, do not delete it: issue a credit note and a corrected invoice.
- Vague descriptions. “Services rendered” invites questions and delays.
- Missing due date. “Net 30” is fine, but writing the actual date removes any doubt.
- Wrong tax label. In Australia, only GST-registered sellers may title a document “Tax invoice”. In the UK, a business that is not VAT-registered must not show VAT.
- Forgetting payment details. Bank details or a payment link belong on the invoice itself.
- No backup. Your documents live in this browser. Download a backup file in My documents now and then, and keep copies of the PDFs you send.
Prefer to fill in a file by hand? The templates hub has blank PDF, Word and Excel versions, and the freelance and contractor pages show sample line items for those trades.