Professional
Invoice Template

Professional Invoice Template

As a professional service provider, you want your clients to view you as a professional in all aspects of your services, including your invoices.

One of the best ways to show your clients that your relationship with them matters is by sending them a high-quality professional invoice.

In this article, we'll show you how to create a neat, tidy, and detailed professional invoice template.

How To Create a Professional Invoice Template?

You can create a professional invoice template in three different ways. Here are they from easiest to most difficult:

• Using an Invoice Generator
• Using a Pre-Made Professional Invoice Template
• Making Your Own Professional Invoice Template

Let's take a better look at each of them.

Invoice Generator

The easiest and most convenient way you can create professional invoices for your clients is with an invoice generator.

With an invoice generator, you won’t have to waste time trying to create and double-check calculations, design layouts, and manage invoices. So, your precious time goes only into the essentials: billing clients and getting paid on time.

An invoice generator even lets you receive online payments, so you don't have to run after cash payments.

‍You can create a professional invoice for free using the Invoicer.ai invoice generator.

How You Can Create a Professional Invoice Using Invoicer.ai

Follow these simple steps to create a professional invoice using Invoicer.ai:

1. Go to app.invoicer.ai
2. Enter your information into the invoice editor (note, click or tap the New Invoice button if you are not on the Invoice Editor screen)
3. The invoice is called INVOICE in the top left. You can edit this to whatever you like. For example, you can call it a RECEIPT or BILL OF SALE.
4. Enter your name or company name, address, and phone number.
5. Enter your client’s name, address, and phone number.
6. The date issued is automatically populated with the date you created the invoice. You can adjust as needed.
7. The due date is automatically populated 30 days (net 30) from the issue date. You can adjust as needed.
8. The invoice number is automatically populated. You can adjust as needed. Note: You cannot use the same invoice number twice.
9. Enter a reference value if needed (optional).
10. Under Description, enter the item name and details.
11. Enter the rate (amount of the item). You will notice the Amount Due automatically updates for you.
12. A default quantity of 1 is used. Adjust as needed.
13. Add a discount if needed as a percent or dollar amount. Note: You can add as many discounts as you want here and name them whatever you like.
14. Add tax. Note: You can add multiple taxes and name them whatever you want. We recommend adding your business tax number here if you have one. For example, GST (#12345678).
15. Add a deposit if needed as a percent or dollar amount. Note: You can add as many deposits as you want here and name them whatever you like. This is handy if you have a large job and need the client to send deposits as the work progresses.
16. Add a payment if you have received any. You can add multiple payments and their dates here.
17. Add notes.
18. Add terms.

And there you have it: your professional invoice is ready to go!

‍If you haven't signed up yet, you will need to create a free account to download a PDF and send your invoices. Once you are signed up, you can access your invoices from any device.‍

‍Once you are happy with your invoice, you can click View Stub to see what the stub view looks like. The stub view is a summary of the invoice, and it’s what the client sees when they view the invoice from email.‍

‍You can also click the PDF button to download and view a PDF version of the invoice.‍

If everything looks good, click the Send button to send your invoice to your client or email or text the PDF version.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using an Invoice Generator?

Pros

• Create high-quality, professional invoices quickly
• Automatic calculations that leave no room for error
• Organize and manage professional invoices easily
• Send invoices any time, from anywhere
• Track payments easily
• Send payment reminders

‍In addition to invoices, Invoicer.ai allows you to send estimates to clients before you get a go-ahead for the project from them.‍

‍What’s more, you can arrange payments in over 135 different currencies. So no matter where your services are set up, Invoicer.ai does the currency conversion for you.

Cons

• Very few options for customizations
• Not free

Pre-Made Professional Invoice Template

You can easily create an invoice using pre-made professional invoice templates. They’re made using a word processor or spreadsheet.

A premade professional invoice does a great deal of the leg-work for you: It has all the sections and calculations laid out for you. All you need to do is enter the information and the right numbers.

Even though pre-made professional invoices already include calculations, we recommend you check them twice.

How Do You Enter Information Into a Pre-Made Professional Invoice Template?

Add information in the following sections of the pre-made invoice template:

1. Your name or company name, address, and phone number.
2. Your client's name or company name, address, and phone number.
3. An invoice number so you can easily refer to the invoice.
4. The date you sent the invoice.
5. Due date to let the client know when they need to pay the invoice.
6. A reference number if applicable.
7. The name of the goods and services provided.
8. A description of the goods and services provided.
9. The cost and quantities of the goods and services provided.
10. The quantity of each item.
11. The item cost multiplied by the quantity.
12. The total amount of all items
13. Any taxes (if applicable).
14. Any discounts (if applicable).
15. The subtotal, minus discounts, plus taxes.
16. Any deposits (if applicable).
17. Any payments (if applicable).
18. The amount due.
19. In terms, enter how to pay, how late payments are handled, and anything else of an official nature.
20. In the notes section, you can say things like, "Thanks for your business."

Once you've double-checked your calculations and are satisfied with the layout and design, save and send your professional invoice.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using a Pre-Made Professional Invoice?

Pros

• Free of cost
• Many options for customization are available
• Calculations are already set
• All you need to do is enter the information and send the invoice

Cons

• You may still need to double-check calculations
• Harder to organize, manage, and keep track of invoices
• Time-consuming
• You’ll need a spreadsheet or word processor

Your Own Professional Invoice Template

You can make your own professional invoice template with a word processor (like MS Word or Google Docs) or a spreadsheet (like MS Excel or Google Sheets).

Making your own professional invoice template may be the best option if you want total control over how your layout looks, how calculations are set up, and how you organize your invoices.

We highly recommend you use a spreadsheet because it’s easier to edit, add calculations, and create templates.

What Goes Into a Professional Invoice Template?

A professional invoice template includes the following information:

1. A unique invoice number: to differentiate it from other invoices
2. Purchase order number: to organize your sales
3. Date of invoice: the date on which you send out the invoice
4. Company name
5. Company address
6. Client name
7. Client address
8. List of goods and services provided to the client
9. Product/Service description
10. Total amount before taxes
11. Discounts (if any)
12. Taxes
13. Total with taxes
14. Terms and conditions
15. Notes
16. Signature

What Are the Pros and Cons of Making Your Own Professional Invoice Template?

Pros

• Complete control over layout and design
• Freedom to create, manage, and organize invoices the way you want
• Highly customizable

Cons

• Prone to calculation errors
• Highly time-consuming
• May not always look professional

Who Do You Make a Professional Invoice Template For?

You make a professional invoice template for new and existing clients.

Your first-time clients should be impressed not just by your services, but also by the invoice you generate for them.

What Is a Professional Invoice Used For?

A professional invoice is used to charge new customers and clients for the goods and services you provide.

A Professional invoice also allows you to showcase all the hard work you’ve done for your clients. Think of it as a justification for why they owe you what you charged.

In addition, professional invoices can also serve as payment reminders to clients who are past due with their fees.

What Are the Different Types of Professional Invoices?

There are many kinds of professional invoices, but we’re going to focus on the six most commonly found ones. 

1. Proforma Invoice

Proforma invoices are pre-invoices you send to your client before you provide any services.

It doesn't ask for any payments. It only lays down how much your client is supposed to pay you once you deliver them a service or product.

A proforma invoice outlines the services you offer and provides an estimate of the cost.

2. Interim Invoice

An interim invoice is used for large projects spread across a long span of time.

You can send interim invoices to your clients at various stages of the project. This makes it easier for the client and you to keep track of project details and various payments.

3. Final Invoice

As the name suggests, a final invoice is what you send a client after the completion of all the services they requested. The invoice contains information about your work, payment methods, and previous work.

Be sure to send it to your clients as soon as you complete their project to receive timely payment.

4. Past Due Invoice

This is one invoice you hopefully won’t ever have to send to your clients. You issue a client a past due invoice when they don't pay you by the due date.

Past due invoices let the client know they've missed their payment deadline. This invoice contains all the details of the final invoice along with any late fees you may charge.

Make sure you add a due date for your past unpaid invoices and a reminder about further penalties if payments are delayed.

5. Recurring Invoice

If you're a business that provides the same services to your client every month, then you should use a recurring invoice.

Recurring invoices make transactions easy for you and your client because the amount is almost always going to be the same every month.

6. Credit Memo

Let’s say you deliver a damaged product to a client or fail to provide an agreed-upon service. Then, you’d issue them a refund via a credit memo.

A credit memo indicates how much you owe the client. With a credit memo, you can either initiate the refund to the client or offer them credit they can later use.

Why Use an Invoice Generator?

An invoice generator is the best, easiest, and most accurate way to create a professional invoice. It’s easy to use, accurate with calculations, and looks professional.

Let’s recap some of the reasons why making a professional invoice with an invoice generator is the best option:

• Quick and easy invoice generation
• Online payments
• Easy to organize and manage invoices
• Error-free and accurate calculations
• You can send payment reminders to clients

With Invoicer.ai, you can also send clients a quote using an estimate generator. So, your clients will get a good idea of what they’ll have to pay once the project is completed.

Creating your own professional invoice template can be time-consuming, complicated, prone to errors, and come off as unprofessional.

You can avoid all these complications by using an invoice generator or pre-made invoice template. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, get paid quickly, avoid errors, and save yourself a lot of time.

Create an Invoice with Invoicer.ai

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