How to generate an invoice

Below you will find six important sections and best practices for generating a free invoice.
Please note that not all fields are required.

Invoice numbering and dates

1. Invoice number

Create a unique invoice number for each invoice to avoid accounting errors.

2. Invoice issued & due date

The invoice date is the day you issue the invoice. The due date is when you expect to receive payment on the invoice.

3. Invoice date format

Pick the correct date format depending on where in the world you do business.

Job name and logo upload

4. Job description

Be descriptive to let the client know what the invoice is for.

5. Logo upload

Look more professional by adding your logo to your invoice. You can upload a PNG, JPG, or GIF up to 10MB.

Company, customer and currency info

6. Bill from information

Make sure to add the correct company information to prevent payment delays.

7. Bill to information

Enter all the information you have on your customer. To automate this process and just add a customer once, create an account with us.

8. Invoice currency

Select the currency you’re billing the customer in. This currency will also show on their invoice view and PDFs.

Adding invoice items

9. Item or task name

This field summarizes the item you’re invoicing for. The task is used if you’re charging for time instead of by item.

10. Cost of item

This is the total cost of one item. If you have more, add it to the quantity, which will calculate for you.

11. Item quantity

Add the count of the items you’re invoicing. If you’re billing for time, enter the number of hours here.

12. Item description

Be specific with what you’re charging for to prevent confusion and payment delays.

13. Line item tax

Since some items are not taxable in some countries, here you can add tax names and rates on an item level.

14. Line item discount

To discount an invoice on an item level, add the discount here. You choose between a percentage or a flat rate.

15. Adding more line items

When you have more than one line item per invoice, just click to add a line and it will create another blank item for you.

16. Total line item price

The total price will show the cost x quantity + taxes - discounts for that item. It is the final number for that line item.

17. Delete line item

To delete a line item, simply click the trash can. Deleted items can not be undone. To re-arrange, click the dots on the left of item.

Payment terms, totals, and notes

Payment terms, total and notes example image

18. Payment terms

Adding payment terms makes it easy for your customer to understand the terms of getting paid, such as payment method or due dates.

19. Client notes

Give your invoice a personal touch by adding a note to your customer, maybe thanking them for their business :)

20. Invoice subtotal

The subtotal will show the total of all line items in that invoice, including taxes and discounts.

21. Invoice discount total

This will show exactly how much was discounted on the entire invoice. If the number is 0, this field will not show on your customer invoices.

22. Discounting the entire invoice

Add an additional discount to the entire invoice. We recommend either discounting by line item or on the total invoice, but not both, to reduce confusion.

23. Invoice total

This is the final sum after calculating everything above and is what the customer is expected to pay.

24. Invoice amount due

The amount due shows the balance left on this invoice. If the customer has already made a payment on the invoice, it will be reflected here.

Payment stubs

25. Showing payment stubs

Click “Show Payment Stub” to add a second page to your invoice for customers who intend to pay by check.

26. Payment stub info

The information on the payment stub will show your company information and the amount due on this invoice to the customer.

Free Invoice Generator by InvoiceQuick

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