How to invoice international clients
Which currency, whose bank charges, and what the document has to say when the client is somewhere else.
Disputed invoice: what to do
Three kinds of dispute, and a different answer to each. The first move is the same in all three: get the reason in writing.
How to get paid faster, without chasing
Most of the advice about getting paid faster is about chasing. Chasing is the last resort. These are the parts of the wait you can remove before it starts.
Invoice late fee laws
What makes a late fee hold up, what the statutes say in eight states, and the wording to put on the document.
What is a PO number on an invoice?
The single most common reason an invoice sits untouched in a large company, and the field that fixes it.
How to add a payment link and QR code to an invoice
Build a payment link for PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle or ACH, put the QR on the document, and pick the right method for the job.
How to price a job: markup and margin
Markup and margin are not the same number, and the difference is where small jobs quietly lose money. Here is the arithmetic.
Quote to invoice
What goes on a quote, quote versus estimate, setting the deposit and validity, and converting the accepted quote into an invoice.
How to add sales tax to an invoice
Where the tax line goes, how it interacts with discounts and shipping, and what a tax invoice has to show that an invoice does not.
How to make an invoice
A walkthrough of the invoice generator with a screenshot of each step: trade, client, lines, terms and the finished PDF.
Retainer and recurring invoices
The same amount, on the same day, every month. What to put in the agreement, what goes on the invoice, and where retainers go wrong.
How to invoice as a freelancer
Your first invoice, and every one after it. What goes on the page, what to charge, and the three habits that decide whether it is paid.
Deposit invoice: how to bill a deposit
When to ask for a deposit, how much, deposit versus down payment versus retainer, the wording on the quote and the deposit invoice, and how the final invoice shows the balance due.
Invoice vs quote vs estimate vs receipt
Five documents, one job. Which one belongs at which point, what each commits you to, and why sending the wrong one costs money.
How to write a change order
When to write a change order, what goes on the form, how to price extra work including time and materials, keeping a log, and how an approved change reaches the invoice.
Payment terms on an invoice
Net 30, net 15, due on receipt, 2/10 net 30. What each one means, what it does to the due date, and which to put on your own invoices.
How to chase an unpaid invoice
What to do when a client is not paying: the day-one reminder email, the day-seven call, the overdue notice with the late fee, the final demand letter, then liens, small claims and collections.
Progress billing: format and example
How to bill a job in stages: the schedule of values, a worked progress invoice with retainage, pay applications and AIA forms, and the quote wording that gets each stage paid.
How to number invoices: format and examples
An invoice numbering system that never repeats or skips, format examples with a year or job prefix, separate series for quotes and credit notes, and where the number goes on the invoice.
Every guide here is written by the people who build the tools, and checked against the invoicing glossary so the wording matches what your accountant will call it. About InvoiceTools.com covers who that is and why every tool on the site is free.
Spotted a figure that is out of date, a tax rule that has moved or a step that no longer matches the tool? Tell us and it gets fixed.