An invoice is a request for payment. It tells your client what you did, what it costs, when the money is due and how to pay. A clear invoice gets paid faster. A vague one gets questions, delays and the occasional "can you resend that?"
This guide walks you through making an invoice from scratch, step by step, with a checklist you can reuse every time.
Key takeaways
Every invoice needs the same core details: who it's from, who it's for, a unique number, dates, itemized work, the total, a due date and payment instructions.
Use sequential invoice numbers (0001, 0002…) and never reuse one.
Write a real due date ("Due October 30, 2026"), not just "Net 30."
Make paying easy: include bank details and, if you can, a card payment link.
Check the math, send it as a PDF or link, and keep a copy for your records.
What is an invoice?
An invoice is a document you send after (or sometimes before) delivering work that lists the products or services you provided and the amount the client owes. It is different from:
An estimate or quote, which tells a client what work will cost before they agree to it. See estimates vs. invoices for the full difference.
A receipt, which confirms that a payment has already been made.
For a freelancer, the invoice also does double duty as a record. It's how you track income, answer tax questions and prove what a client agreed to pay.
What to include on an invoice
Before the steps, here is the full list of what belongs on a professional invoice. You can use it as a checklist.
Section | What to include |
|---|---|
Header | The word "Invoice," your invoice number |
From | Your name or business name, address, email, phone (optional) |
Bill to | Client's name or company, address, contact person, email |
Dates | Invoice date, date(s) the work was delivered, due date |
Line items | Description, quantity (hours, units, days), rate, line total |
Totals | Subtotal, discount (if any), tax (if any), total due |
Payment | Accepted methods, bank details or payment link, payment terms |
Notes | Late fee policy, project or PO reference, a short thank-you |
If you're in the UK, GOV.UK lists what an invoice must include: a unique identification number, your name, address and contact details, the customer's name and address, a clear description of what you're charging for, the supply date, the invoice date, the amounts charged, VAT if applicable, and the total owed. Sole traders must also show their name, any business name and an address where legal documents can be delivered.
If you're VAT registered in the UK or EU, you need a VAT invoice with extra details. Under the EU VAT Directive, that includes a sequential number, your VAT identification number (and in some cases the customer's), the VAT rate applied and the VAT amount.
In the US, there is no single federal list of required invoice fields. The checklist above covers what clients and accountants expect.
How to make an invoice in 7 steps
Step 1: Add your business details
Start with who the invoice is from. Include your name (or business name, if you have one), your address and the email where the client can reach you. If you have a logo, add it at the top. It isn't required, but it makes the invoice instantly recognizable in a client's inbox.
Use the same name your client knows you by. If you signed the contract as "Jane Doe Design," invoice as "Jane Doe Design," not just "Jane."
Step 2: Add your client's details
Next, add who you're billing: the client's name or company name, their address and a contact person or email. For larger companies, ask who handles invoices before you send the first one. Many have an accounts payable email or require a purchase order (PO) number on every invoice. An invoice sent to the wrong person, or without a required PO number, can sit unpaid for weeks.
Step 3: Give it a unique invoice number and dates
Every invoice needs a unique number. It helps you and your client refer to it ("Invoice 0042") and keeps your records in order.
Simple numbering schemes that work:
Sequential: 0001, 0002, 0003
Year prefix: 2026-001, 2026-002
Client prefix: ACME-001, ACME-002
Pick one and stick with it. Never reuse a number. If you need to cancel an invoice, mark it void and issue a new one with the next number instead of editing the old one.
Then add the dates:
Invoice date: the day you issue the invoice.
Service date or period: when you did the work (for example, "September 1–30, 2026").
Due date: the day payment is due.
Step 4: List what you did, line by line
This is the heart of the invoice. Break the work into line items, each with:
Description: what you delivered, in words your client will understand. "Homepage design, 2 revision rounds" beats "Design services."
Quantity: hours, days, pages, units or simply 1 for a fixed-price item.
Rate: your hourly rate, day rate or fixed price per item. If you're unsure whether to bill by the hour or by the project, decide that before you invoice, ideally in your contract.
Line total: quantity × rate.
More detail means fewer questions. If a client has to email you to ask what "Phase 2" was, payment waits until they get an answer. For complex projects, group related tasks under clear headings.
Step 5: Calculate the total
Add up the line totals to get the subtotal. Then:
Subtract any discount you agreed on.
Add tax if you're required to charge it. In the US, whether services are subject to sales tax depends on your state and the type of service. In the UK and EU, you charge VAT only if you're VAT registered.
Show the total due clearly, with the currency (for example, "Total due: USD 2,400.00").
Here is a simple example:
Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
Logo design (3 concepts, 2 revisions) | 1 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
Brand style guide (12 pages) | 1 | $800.00 | $800.00 |
Social media templates | 4 | $100.00 | $400.00 |
Subtotal | $2,400.00 | ||
Tax | $0.00 | ||
Total due | $2,400.00 |
Double-check the math. An arithmetic error is one of the most common invoicing mistakes, and fixing it means reissuing the invoice and restarting the payment clock.
Step 6: Set payment terms and instructions
Tell your client exactly when and how to pay.
Payment terms. Common options:
Due on receipt: good for small jobs and new clients.
Net 15 / Net 30: payment due 15 or 30 days after the invoice date.
Deposit + balance: for example, 50% upfront and 50% on delivery.
Whatever you choose, write the actual date. "Net 30" makes the client count; "Due October 30, 2026" doesn't.
If you didn't agree on a payment date, some laws fill the gap. In the UK, a business payment is late 30 days after the customer receives the invoice (or after you deliver, if that's later). In New York City and New York State, the Freelance Isn't Free Act requires a written contract for freelance work worth $800 or more (counting all work for the same client over 120 days), and if the contract has no payment date, the client must pay within 30 days of completion. It's still better to put your terms in writing yourself.
Payment methods. List every way the client can pay: bank transfer details, a card payment link or other methods you accept. The fewer steps between "I should pay this" and "paid," the faster you get your money. If you accept cards, our Stripe fee calculator shows what you'll actually receive after processing fees.
Late fees. If your contract includes a late fee, state it on the invoice ("1.5% per month on overdue balances," or whatever you agreed). Use the late fee calculator to work out the amount if it comes to that. Check local rules before setting a rate, since limits on late charges vary by state and country.
Step 7: Review and send
Before you send, run through this quick check:
Client name and email are correct
Invoice number is new and unique
Dates are right, including the due date
Every line item is clear, and the math adds up
Payment instructions are complete (no missing digits in bank details)
Then send it. The most common options:
Email with a PDF attached: universal and easy to file.
A shareable invoice link: the client opens it in a browser and can often pay right there.
Through your client's portal: some larger companies require you to upload invoices to their system.
Write a short, clear email to go with it. Our guide on how to write an invoice email has copy-paste templates.
Three ways to make an invoice
Method | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
Word processor or spreadsheet | One-off invoices, full control over layout | Manual numbering and math; no payment tracking |
Free invoice generator | Quick, professional PDFs with no sign-up | You track which invoices are paid yourself |
Invoicing app | Regular invoicing, several clients | Monthly cost on paid plans; pick one that fits your volume |
If you invoice once in a while, a free invoice generator or a ready-made freelance invoice template is enough. If you invoice every month, an app saves time because it remembers your clients, numbers invoices for you and shows which ones are paid.
After you send: track and follow up
Making the invoice is half the job. The other half is getting paid.
Track the status. Know which invoices are sent, overdue or paid. A simple spreadsheet works; invoicing software does it automatically.
Send a reminder before the due date. A short heads-up a few days before often prevents the invoice from slipping.
Follow up when it's late. Start friendly and escalate step by step. Our guide on how to remind someone to pay you lays out a full timeline.
Keep copies. In the US, the IRS generally recommends keeping records that support your tax return for three years, and longer in some situations. Your invoices are part of those records.
Make your next invoice in a few minutes
If you'd rather not build invoices by hand, Onigiri's free plan lets you create 3 invoices a month, save unlimited clients and send each invoice by email, as a shareable link or as a PDF. You can see whether each one is Draft, Sent, Overdue or Paid. On PRO, clients can pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay straight into your own Stripe account, and the invoice is marked Paid automatically. Start for free, no credit card required.
Prefer to explore first? Browse all our free invoicing tools and calculators.
