How to Make an Invoice for Free: 7 Simple Steps to Get Paid Faster

Getting paid timely is significant for maintaining the financial health of your business. However, timely payment is directly linked to a simple, easy-to-understand, and professional-looking invoice.

According to reports, 61% of payment delays occur due to compliance and administrative issues, such as incorrect invoices or receiving invoices too late. So, it is essential to create a detailed invoice that reflects all the hard work you have done and then request payment.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make an invoice that not only streamlines your payment process but also enhances your professional image.

How to Make an Invoice

1. Create an invoice header, including your business information:

Your business name and logo are the first things customers come in contact with. The business logo should also be included in the invoice header, making your brand clearly memorable to your clients.

When you include each and every detail related to your business, such as the company name, business address, contact information, and email address, it becomes easy for your clients to reach out to you. Also, in your invoice layout, you can play with font colors and style to keep it simple and easily readable.

2. Add your client details:

The next important step is to add the client’s contact details. Ensure that you are reaching out to the correct person to receive the invoice. Make sure you enter all the available information you have about the client. It should specifically include the client’s name, address, phone number, and e-mail address.

Do not hesitate to reach out to the client in case if you want some additional information about them. You should also note that when you are contacting a new client, it should always be advisable to verify the person beforehand sending an invoice.

3. Enter the unique invoice number, invoice date, and invoice due date:

Tagging each invoice with a unique invoice number is essential. Invoice numbers should be assigned so that you can keep a record of all the transactions you undergo. Also, it is very convenient to find any random invoice in the future. The invoice numbering system should be such that it works for you and stays consistent to avoid any confusion.

The next important thing to add is the invoice issue date and the payment due date. Your clients should be very well informed about when the invoice was issued and how many days are left to get it paid.

4. Add a line item with a description of the services rendered and the total money owed:

Adding line items for all the goods sold or services rendered should be precisely included in an invoice. You need to be completely transparent about what you have provided so that you can be fairly charged.

Along with the detailed list of goods/services rendered, make sure to include the number of labor hours spent, materials used, or other units you’re charging for. Whenever you write a line item, your only intent should be to let your clients know what they are paying for.

5. List applicable taxes or discounts and get the total money owed:

The tax you levy on your clients, as well as the discounts or late fees charged/offered to them, should be clearly visible to the clients. Tax percentage may differ depending on the region you are living in or the type of work you do. You can even delete this row if you are not charging the tax on any of your products or services.

After charging the respective items mentioned above, the total money receivable from the client will be auto-calculated. Your subtotal should be the summarized amount of goods/services sold, applicable taxes, as well as discounts or late fees offered. This is the total amount your client owes to you.

6. Specify your payment terms and payment options:

Specifying the payment instructions conclusively means how you will collect payment from your customers. This section includes:

• The total amount due
• Any applicable sales tax
• The payment due date
• Late payment fees
• Money-back guarantee
• Service warranties
• Preferred payment method

Other than this, a list of accepted payment methods should also be mentioned so that clients can conveniently choose the one that suits them best. This may include paying through debit, credit card, cash, check, bank transfer, or other online payment methods like PayPal and Stripe.

7. Additional note:

Here in this additional note section, you can include anything. It can be either some significant matter that you want your clients to focus upon or simply a thanking gesture. Expressing gratitude to your clients can help you a long way in fostering positive and enduring relationships. Including a heartfelt thank note at the end of your invoice not only adds a personal touch but also leaves a lasting impression.

Ways to Make a Professional Invoice to Get Paid Promptly

You are now well aware of the facts of how to make an invoice. The next thing that you should focus on is ways to make a professional invoice that covers all the things mentioned above. Here are two major significant and cost-effective approaches to generating an invoice. Have a look:

Here are some of the significant and cost-effective approaches to generating an invoice. Have a look:

• Integrate invoicing software: Adopting invoicing software like InvoiceOwl, into your business can help you streamline your entire invoicing process. All the hassles of tedious and time-consuming manual invoicing processes can be eliminated with the modern way of invoicing. Here’s why it can prove a reward to your current invoicing operations.
  • 1. Customized invoices can be made and modified to match your own business requirements.
  • 2. Real-time tracking of the invoices is maintained until payment is received.
  • 3. Once payment is received, free receipts can be made with the online receipt maker tool.
  • 4. No more misplacements of the client data. Maintain all your client data in one place.
  • 5. No more time wastage, simply authorize your documents in just a click by digitally signing them.
  • 6. Get a comprehensive view of your invoicing operations through detailed invoicing report generation.
  • 7. Manage up to 5 different businesses/companies under one InvoiceOwl account.
  • 8. Simplify and automate yoru bookkeeping by syncing your QuickBooks Online account with InvoiceOwl.

  There are multiple other advantages apart from what is listed above, that you can receive once switch to online invoicing software. Before giving a thought to purchase, you can test the software by yourself. Simple sign-up for the 3-day FREE trial period and you will observe the smooth invoicing operations by yourself.

• Use free invoice templates: Create invoices using the customizable invoice templates. You can download the free invoice template by InvoiceOwl, modify it in your own way, and then send it to your client via e-mail. Free templates are available in different file formats and different colors so that you can conveniently choose the one that best suits your brand. These templates can benefit you in below below-mentioned ways:
  • 1. Create custom invoices by adopting personalization
  • 2. Reliable and consistent invoice design
  • 3. No paper cost involved
  • 4. Cloud-based storage, so no fear of missing invoices
  • 5. Long-term record keeping of the invoices
  • 6. Easily downloadable

Try InvoiceOwl’s Online Invoice Generator and Save Valuable Working Hours Focusing on What Truly Important!

Conclusion

After this comprehensive guide on making an efficient invoice, it has been very much easier for you to generate an accurate invoice. Remember, an organized and professional invoice not only streamlines your financial transactions but also builds trust with your clients, potentially leading to repeat business and referrals.

There are multiple ways to create a professional-looking invoice. It’s up to you, whether you still invest your essential working hours in creating invoices manually or opt for a digital method of generating invoices.

This modern approach not only helps you get paid faster but also ensures that your entire invoicing process gets streamlined. To start with, you can sign up for the 3-day free trial period offered by InvoiceOwl, an estimating and invoicing software, and see the change by yourself.