Invoicing software for designers
Take a deposit before the first concept and get the balance before the final files go out. Send an invoice in a minute and your client pays it by card from a link. The money lands in your own Stripe account.
- Free plan, no credit card
- Deposit, milestone and retainer invoices
- 0% Onigiri fee on card payments
The design is done. The invoice isn’t.
The creative part rarely stalls a project. The files, the skipped deposit and the last payment do.
Files first, payment “soon”
The client wants the source files before the balance, and once they have them, your only leverage is gone.
“The payment is scheduled”
The email says it’s on its way. Then Net 30 turns into Net 60, and you’re sending reminder number five.
No deposit, just this once
You skipped the deposit for a friend or a regular client, and now the project is on hold with nothing paid.
Round five of “small tweaks”
Two rounds were in the quote. The rest went on the house, and the flat fee now works out to $30 an hour.
How it works for designers
Here’s how a design project gets billed in Onigiri, from the client’s yes to the final handoff.
A deposit before the first concept
Send a deposit invoice as soon as the client says yes, friends and regulars included. Many designers ask for 50% up front. Save your packages (logo, brand identity, a website page) as services, so the next invoice takes seconds (PRO).
Milestones as the project moves
On a longer brand or web project, bill each phase on its own invoice: concepts, design, build. Every invoice shows Sent, Paid or Overdue, so with eight clients on the go you still know who has paid.
The balance before the final files
Send the balance invoice with the final proofs and hand over the source files once it’s paid. Your client pays by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, straight into your own Stripe account. With PRO, Onigiri adds 0% on top of Stripe’s fee.
Extra rounds on the bill, not in an email thread
Give each extra revision round, rush fee or stock license its own line with qty × rate. Put your terms in the notes, for example “Net 15. Rights transfer on payment in full.”
Retainers and big clients
For a monthly retainer or website care plan, make the invoice recurring (PRO), and Onigiri sends the next one on the date you pick. For a company whose accounts payable team won’t click links, attach the PDF instead.
A brand identity project, billed line by line
Concepts, guidelines, the extra round and the license each get their own line, and the deposit you took up front comes off the total.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery and creative brief | 1 | $400.00 | $400.00 |
| Logo concepts, 3 directions | 1 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Refinement, 2 revision rounds | 1 | $0.00 | Included |
| Extra revision round (hours) | 2 | $75.00 | $150.00 |
| Brand guidelines, 12 pages | 1 | $800.00 | $800.00 |
| Final files: AI, SVG, PNG, PDF | 1 | $0.00 | Included |
| Usage license: full rights to the final logo | 1 | $650.00 | $650.00 |
Source files and full rights to the final logo are yours once this invoice is paid in full.
Free tools, no sign-up
Guides for getting paid on design work
- Flat rate vs hourly rate: what should you choose?
- What is an itemized invoice? Meaning, structure and example
- Retainer invoice: how to bill a monthly retainer
- How to invoice as a freelancer: the complete guide
- Net 30 payment terms and other invoice terms, explained
- How to charge a late fee on an invoice (with wording)
Is Onigiri right for you?
Onigiri does one job, getting you paid, so it sits next to the design and project tools you already use.
Building websites? Get the free web design invoice template →Great fit if
- ✓You design on your own or in a small studio
- ✓You bill per project with a deposit, or on a monthly retainer
- ✓You juggle several clients and lose track of who has paid
- ✓You want clients to pay by card from a link
Look elsewhere if you need
- ✕A CRM, lead pipeline or client portal
- ✕Time tracking or project boards
- ✕Proofing, watermarks or file delivery
- ✕Seats for an agency team
Pricing
No credit card required
- 3 invoices per month
- Unlimited clients
- Your logo, colours and fonts
- Shareable invoice links
- Payment status tracking
- Income tracking
- Everything in Free plus
- Unlimited invoices
- Recurring invoices
- Item & service templates
- Emails sent in your name
- Online card payments
- 0% Onigiri fee on Stripe payments
Start on the Free plan. It’s free forever, and you can upgrade to PRO in the app whenever you need more.
What’s the best invoicing software for designers?
Is Onigiri free for designers?
How much deposit should a designer ask for?
Should I send the final files before the client pays?
Can clients pay a design invoice by card, and does Onigiri take a cut?
Is Onigiri a CRM for designers?
Send your first invoice in a minute
Start on the Free plan: 3 invoices a month and unlimited clients, free forever. No credit card required.
