To make an invoice, list your business and client details, a unique invoice number, the date, an itemized description of what you sold, the total due, and clear payment terms. This guide shows you how to make an invoice, how to write it so clients actually pay, and how to send it so the money arrives faster.
Key takeaways
- An invoice needs your details, the client’s details, a unique invoice number, dates, itemized charges, the total due, and payment terms.
- You can make an invoice in a free template, in invoicing software, or on a platform that handles it for you.
- Shorter payment terms get you paid sooner: invoices marked “7 Days” are paid within a week far more often than ones marked “30 Days.”
- Late payment is common. Over half of US small businesses are owed money on unpaid invoices right now.
- Send the invoice the day the work finishes, offer online payment, and set a clear due date.
What to include on an invoice
Before you learn how to make an invoice, it helps to know what belongs on one. A complete invoice has ten core parts: your business name and contact details, the client’s details, a unique invoice number, the invoice date and due date, itemized line items with descriptions, payment terms, tax information, the total amount due, accepted payment methods, and any relevant notes. Xero lists these same ten elements as the standard for a US small-business invoice. Miss one and the client has an excuse to delay.
The required fields, one by one
- Your business details. Legal name (and trade name or DBA if you use one), address, phone, and email. Add your logo if you have one.
- Client details. The name and contact information of the person or company you are billing.
- A unique invoice number. Never reuse a number. It is how you and the client track the bill later.
- Invoice and due dates. The date you issued the invoice and the date payment is due.
- Itemized line items with descriptions. A plain description of each product or service, the quantity or hours, and the price for each.
- Payment terms. When the money is due, plus any late fee.
- Tax information. If sales tax applies, show it as its own line with the rate and amount.
- Total amount due. The single number the client pays, easy to spot.
- Accepted payment methods. Card, bank transfer, or whatever else you take.
- Any relevant notes. Thanks, warranty wording, or a reference the client needs.
One more habit worth keeping: label the document “Invoice” at the top so it is not mistaken for a quote, estimate, or receipt.
Invoicing rules vary by state, mostly in how sales tax, trade names, and license numbers appear. If you work across state lines or in a licensed trade like plumbing or electrical, check your state’s specific requirements before you finalize your template.
A quick example
Say you are a plumber who replaced a faucet. The top of the invoice shows your business name, address, and phone, then the client’s name and address. Below that sits the invoice number and the two dates. The body has one line for the faucet part and one for labor, each with a price. Sales tax appears on its own line if your state charges it, then the total. At the bottom you write the due date and note that you accept card and bank transfer. That single page answers every question the client might have, which is exactly why it gets paid without back-and-forth.
How to make an invoice step by step
Here is how to make an invoice from start to finish. It takes a few minutes once you have a template or tool. The steps are the same whether you bill for a haircut, a cleaning job, or a month of consulting: start from a reusable layout, fill in the client and the work, calculate the total, set the terms, and save a copy for your own records before you send.
- Start from a template or tool. Open a blank invoice template, an invoicing app, or your business platform. Do not build one from scratch every time.
- Add your business details. Name, address, contact info, and logo. Save these so they auto-fill on every future invoice.
- Add the client and the invoice number. Enter the client’s details and assign the next number in your sequence (for example INV-0042).
- List the work. Write one line per product or service with a clear description, the quantity or hours, and the rate.
- Add tax and total it up. Apply sales tax if it applies, then show the grand total the client owes.
- Set the payment terms. State the due date and the payment methods you accept.
- Review and save. Check the math and the client name, save a copy for your records, then send it.
If you bill the same clients repeatedly, you only need to learn how to make an invoice once: save the finished one as your master template. Next time you change the number, the line items, and the total, and the rest is already done.
Keep a copy for your records
Every invoice you send is also a tax record. Save each one, paid or unpaid, in a single folder or in your invoicing tool so you can total your income at year end and back up what you report. Keeping numbers sequential makes this easy: a gap in the sequence tells you an invoice is missing. If a client disputes a charge later, the saved invoice with its number and date is your proof of what was agreed.
How to write an invoice: wording, invoice number, and payment terms
Knowing how to make an invoice is one thing; writing it well is mostly about being specific. Vague descriptions and soft terms invite questions and delay. Name exactly what you did, number the invoice so both sides can reference it, and state the due date as a real date rather than a phrase. Clear wording removes the friction that keeps an invoice sitting in someone’s inbox.
Describe the work in plain language
Skip jargon. “Bathroom faucet replacement, parts and labor” beats “plumbing services rendered.” A specific line item tells the client exactly what they are paying for, which cuts down on disputes and follow-up emails. If you charge hourly, show the rate and the hours so the total is easy to check.
Number every invoice
Give each invoice a unique number and keep them sequential. A simple system like INV-0001, INV-0002 works. The number is how you find the invoice again when a client asks about it, when you reconcile your books, and when tax season arrives. Never reuse a number, even for a corrected invoice.
Write payment terms as a date
“Due August 15, 2026” is clearer than “Net 30.” If you use net terms, spell out the due date too. State accepted payment methods and any late fee. The wording of your terms measurably changes how fast you get paid, which is worth understanding before you pick a default.
How to send an invoice and get paid faster
Knowing how to make an invoice matters less than sending it promptly. Send it the moment the work is done, by email, with online payment built in. Speed matters because late payment is the norm, not the exception. According to the 2025 Intuit QuickBooks Small Business Late Payments Report, 56% of US small businesses surveyed were owed money on unpaid invoices, averaging $17,500 per business, and 47% had invoices overdue by more than 30 days.
The single lever most under your control is your payment terms. FreshBooks analyzed more than a million small-business invoices and found the wording of the terms changed how fast clients paid. Invoices marked “7 Days” were paid within a week 58.05% of the time, versus 52.84% for “14 Days” and just 40.22% for “30 Days.” Shorter, clearer windows pull payment forward.
Practical ways to shorten the wait
- Send it immediately. The invoice clock only starts once the client has the bill.
- Offer online payment. A card or bank-transfer link is faster than mailing a check.
- Use short, dated terms. “Due in 7 days” beats “Net 30” for cash flow.
- Send a polite reminder a day or two before the due date, not just after.
- Ask for a deposit on larger jobs so you are not carrying the whole cost.
If you are also trying to win more of these jobs in the first place, clear invoicing pairs well with a simple way to get found and booked. See our guide on small business advertising for low-cost ways to bring in work.
Invoice templates vs invoicing software vs done-for-you
There are three ways to make an invoice, and the right one depends on how often you bill and how much admin you want to own. A template is free and fine for occasional invoices. Software adds tracking and online payment for a monthly fee. A done-for-you business platform folds invoicing into your website and payments so it is one less tool to manage.
Free templates
A Word, Google Docs, or spreadsheet template costs nothing and works for a handful of invoices a month. The trade-off is manual work: you track who has paid yourself, there is no automatic reminder, and online payment is not built in. Good for starting out or very low volume.
Invoicing software
Dedicated apps let you send, track, and get paid online, with reminders and reports. They usually charge a monthly subscription and sometimes a fee per online payment. Worth it once you send invoices regularly and want to stop chasing payments by hand. The section below covers which tool suits which kind of business.
Done-for-you platforms
If you also need a website where customers find you, book you, and pay you, a done-for-you platform keeps invoicing in the same place as everything else. UENI helps small businesses get online and take payments, so billing lives alongside your site and bookings instead of in a separate app. If that fits, our done-for-you website is the place to start. New to getting set up online? Our guides on getting a website and opening an online store walk through the basics.
Which invoicing tool should you use?
Once you know how to make an invoice, the tool you use decides how much of it stays manual. The right one depends on whether you need bookkeeping alongside billing, how many invoices you send, and where you already take payment. If you want your invoices and your accounts in one system, start with accounting software. If you only need to bill a few clients, an invoicing-first app or your existing payment provider is enough.
UENI customers: six months of Xero free
UENI has partnered with Xero, so UENI customers can try Xero free for six months. There is no promo code, you just sign up through the partner link. The offer covers Xero’s base Starter, Standard, and Premium plans and is open to new Xero customers setting up their first organisation.
Xero, if you want invoicing and accounting together
Xero is accounting software with invoicing built in, so the invoice you send is already in your books. It automates chasing unpaid invoices, categorizes expenses and payments through the year so tax time is less painful, and gives you forecasting and customizable reports for cash flow. Xero says more than 5 million customers use it. Best for owners who want one system for billing and accounts, especially if you work with an accountant or bookkeeper.
Through the UENI partnership, UENI customers get six months free on Starter, Standard, or Premium. The offer is for new Xero customers on their first organisation, it does not cover add-ons, usage, or payment fees, and it cannot be combined with another Xero offer. After the free period the subscription renews monthly at Xero’s standard rates until you cancel.
QuickBooks, if your accountant already uses it
QuickBooks is the accounting platform most US accountants and bookkeepers already know, which matters when you hand over your books. Invoicing sits inside a full accounting suite with expense tracking and tax reporting. Best if your accountant asked for it by name, or you want the option to hand your books to someone locally without a migration.
FreshBooks, if you bill for your time
FreshBooks is invoicing-first rather than accounting-first, with time tracking, retainers, and project billing built around service work. The interface is simpler than a full accounting package, which suits owners who want to send a professional invoice without learning double-entry bookkeeping. Best for freelancers, consultants, and trades billing hourly or per project.
Square or PayPal, if you already take card payments
If you already run card payments through Square or PayPal, both let you send an invoice from the same account, and the money lands where your other takings do. There is nothing extra to set up and no separate subscription for basic invoicing, though you still pay the usual processing fee when a client pays by card. Best for very low invoice volume, or a business that mostly takes payment in person and only occasionally bills.
Zoho Invoice, if you want a free standalone tool
Zoho Invoice is a standalone invoicing app that covers estimates, invoices, reminders, and client portals without a full accounting suite behind it. It fits owners who want proper invoicing software but do not need books, and it connects to the wider Zoho range if you later add a CRM. Best for a small operation that wants more than a template and less than an accounting platform.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make an invoice for the first time?
The simplest way to make an invoice the first time is to start from a template rather than a blank page. Open a free invoice template or an invoicing app, add your business and client details, give the invoice a unique number, list what you sold with prices, add any sales tax, show the total, and set a due date. Save a copy, then email it to your client.
What has to be on an invoice legally?
There is no single federal invoice format, but a usable invoice needs your business details, the client’s details, a unique invoice number, dates, an itemized list of charges, the total due, and payment terms. Some states add rules for sales tax, trade names, or licensed trades, so check your state.
How do I write an invoice number?
Use a simple sequential system such as INV-0001, INV-0002, and keep going in order. The only rules are that each number is unique and you never reuse one. Sequential numbers make it easy to track invoices, reconcile your books, and find a specific bill when a client asks.
How do I send an invoice to a client?
Email is the fastest and most common way. Attach the invoice as a PDF or send a payment link, include a short note with the total and due date, and send it the day the work finishes. Online payment options like card or bank transfer help the client pay you sooner.
How long should I give clients to pay?
Shorter is better for your cash flow. FreshBooks found invoices marked “7 Days” were paid within a week far more often than ones marked “30 Days.” Seven to fourteen days is a reasonable default for small jobs. State the due date as a real calendar date to avoid confusion.
What should I do if an invoice is not paid?
Send a polite reminder first, referencing the invoice number and due date. If it stays unpaid, follow up by phone. Late payment is common, so build in a small late fee stated on the invoice, ask for deposits on big jobs, and keep clear records of every invoice you send.
Sources
- Xero, “What to include on an invoice: a complete guide for small businesses.” What to include on an invoice
- Intuit QuickBooks, “2025 US Small Business Late Payments Report.” 2025 US Small Business Late Payments Report
- FreshBooks, “Use Your Invoice Payment Terms to Get Paid Faster.” Use Your Invoice Payment Terms to Get Paid Faster
