Free Invoice Generator
Create a professional invoice online and download it as a PDF — add your business, your client, line items and optional sales tax, then save or print. Free, instant, no signup.
From — your business
Bill to — your client
Invoice details
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|
Notes & terms
How to write an invoice
An invoice is a simple request for payment: it tells your client what you did, what it costs, and how to pay you. With the generator above you can put one together in a couple of minutes — but the steps are the same whether you use this tool, a spreadsheet or a template:
- Add your business details. Your name or business name, address, email and phone go at the top so the client knows who the bill is from. If you have an EIN or business tax ID, add it.
- Add the client. Who you’re billing — their company name and address. Getting the legal name right matters if they route invoices through an accounts-payable team.
- Give it a number and dates. Use a unique invoice number (for example INV-2026-001), the invoice date, and payment terms — “net 14” or “net 30” days sets the due date automatically here.
- List what you’re billing. One line per product or service, with a short description, the quantity (or hours) and the rate. The amounts and total add up as you type.
- Add sales tax if you collect it. Flip the toggle on and enter your rate; leave it off if the work isn’t taxable.
- Say how to pay and add a note. Spell out how the client pays you (check, ACH, Zelle, card) and add a short thank-you or late-fee policy. Then download the PDF.
What to include on an invoice
A clear invoice gets paid faster and raises fewer questions. Make sure yours has all of these — the generator has a field for each, so nothing slips through:
- The word “Invoice” and a unique invoice number
- Your business name and contact information
- Your client’s name and billing address
- The invoice date and the payment due date
- An itemized list of goods or services with quantities and rates
- The subtotal, any sales tax, and the total amount due
- Payment instructions and any terms (deposit, late fee, thank-you note)
A worked invoice example
Say you’re a freelance designer billing a client for two services plus a small expense. You list each line with its quantity and rate, the tool adds them into a subtotal, applies your state sales-tax rate (here 8.25%), and shows the total due. The math below is exactly what the generator does as you type:
| Description | Qty / Hrs | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logo design | 1 | $800.00 | $800.00 |
| Brand guidelines (hours) | 6 | $95.00 | $570.00 |
| Stock photo license | 1 | $30.00 | $30.00 |
| Subtotal | $1,400.00 | ||
| Sales tax (8.25%) | $115.50 | ||
| Total due | $1,515.50 | ||
The subtotal is the three line amounts added together ($800 + $570 + $30 = $1,400). Sales tax is the subtotal times the rate ($1,400 × 0.0825 = $115.50). The total due is the subtotal plus tax ($1,400 + $115.50 = $1,515.50). If a service isn’t taxable in your state, leave the tax toggle off and the total equals the subtotal.
Invoice payment terms explained
Payment terms tell the client when the bill is due. Stating them clearly — and picking the right one for the job — is the single biggest lever on how fast you get paid. The generator sets the due date for you once you choose a term; here is what the common US terms mean:
| Term | Means | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Due on receipt | Pay as soon as the invoice arrives (in practice, a few days) | Small or one-off jobs, new clients |
| Net 15 | Full amount due within 15 days of the invoice date | Freelancers wanting faster cash flow |
| Net 30 | Full amount due within 30 days — the B2B standard | Most service work and established clients |
| Net 60 | Full amount due within 60 days | Large companies that require longer terms |
| 2/10 Net 30 | 2% discount if paid within 10 days, otherwise full amount in 30 | Encouraging early payment on bigger invoices |
“Net” means the full balance after any agreed discount. Shorter terms get you paid sooner but can feel tight to a client’s accounts-payable cycle; net 30 is the safe default for ongoing work. An early-payment discount like 2/10 net 30 can be worth offering on larger amounts, since a 2% discount for paying 20 days early is a strong incentive for the client.
How to number your invoices
Every invoice needs a unique number, and the numbers should run in sequence without gaps. A clean, predictable scheme makes invoices easy to find, helps a client’s accounts-payable team match a payment to the right bill, and keeps your own books audit-ready. Pick one format and stick with it:
- Sequential: INV-001, INV-002, INV-003 — the simplest system; just count up.
- Date-based: INV-2026-001 — the year (or year-month) plus a counter that resets each period, so you can see at a glance when an invoice was raised.
- Client-based: ACME-001, ACME-002 — a short client code plus a counter, handy if you bill a few clients regularly.
Avoid reusing or skipping numbers, and never start over at 1 mid-year without a date prefix — duplicate numbers are the fastest way to confuse a payment. The generator suggests the next number for you, and you can edit it to match your own scheme.
Invoice vs. estimate, quote, receipt and purchase order
These documents are easy to mix up, but each does a different job in the same transaction. Knowing which to send when keeps your paperwork — and your client’s — straight:
| Document | What it does | When you send it |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate / quote | Shows an expected price before the work | Before the job, to win or confirm it |
| Purchase order (PO) | The buyer’s formal request to buy at an agreed price | Before delivery, issued by the buyer |
| Invoice | Requests payment for work done or goods supplied | After the work, to get paid |
| Receipt | Confirms a payment was made | After payment, as proof |
Need one of the others? Use the free estimate generator to price a job up front, the purchase order generator when a buyer needs to raise a PO, and the receipt generator to confirm a payment once the invoice is settled. Many businesses also keep a few specialized invoice types in rotation: a proforma invoice (a preliminary bill sent before final delivery), a recurring invoice for clients you bill on a schedule, a credit note when you refund or correct an earlier charge, and a timesheet invoice for hourly work.
How to send an invoice
Once it’s filled in, click Download PDF and email the file to your client as an attachment. PDF is the standard because it looks identical on every device and can’t be changed by accident. Put the invoice number and amount in the subject line (“Invoice INV-2026-001 — $1,515.50 due Mar 15”), keep the message short, and save a copy for your own records. If a payment is late, a polite follow-up that re-attaches the same PDF is usually all it takes.
How to get paid faster
Most slow payments come down to friction or unclear terms, not bad clients. A few habits move the needle:
- Invoice the day the work is done — the clock on net terms only starts when the invoice lands.
- Make the amount and due date impossible to miss — state them in the subject line and at the top of the invoice.
- Offer the payment methods your client actually uses — ACH, Zelle, check or card; the easier it is to pay, the sooner they do.
- Take a deposit on larger jobs — billing 30–50% up front protects your cash flow and filters out flaky clients.
- Spell out a late fee in your terms — a modest fee (often 1–1.5% per month, where your state allows it) gives a clear reason to pay on time. Note the policy on the invoice rather than springing it later.
Is your data private?
Yes. This generator runs entirely in your browser — your client details, line items and pricing are never uploaded anywhere. Your own From business info is saved locally on your device so you don’t have to retype it next time, and you can create as many invoices as you like, free, with no account and no watermark. If you’d rather build the layout yourself, you can also recreate this structure in a Google Docs or Google Sheets template — but the tool above is faster and does the math for you.
When to move beyond a free generator
A downloadable PDF is perfect for one-off and occasional invoices. If you’re billing regularly, chasing payments, or want clients to pay by card online, dedicated invoicing software adds recurring invoices, automatic reminders and payment tracking — see the option below. For questions about what’s taxable or how to report income, a CPA is the right call; this tool creates the document, not tax advice.
Keep every invoice you send. The IRS expects self-employed people and small businesses to retain records that support the income and deductions on their return, and your invoices are the primary record of money earned. If you’re paid $600 or more by a business client, you may also receive a Form 1099-NEC — your own invoices are what you reconcile it against at tax time.
This page and tool are for general information only and are not legal, tax or accounting advice. Sales-tax rules, late-fee limits and record-keeping requirements vary by state and situation — confirm the specifics with your state’s tax authority or a qualified CPA. Sources: IRS, “Recordkeeping” and “Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center”; IRS Form 1099-NEC instructions.
Invoice templates by industry
Prefer a head start? These templates come pre-filled with typical line items for your line of work:
Frequently asked questions
What does Net 30 mean on an invoice?
Net 30 means the full invoice amount is due within 30 calendar days of the invoice date. It is the most common payment term in US business-to-business work and a safe default for ongoing clients. Other common terms are Due on Receipt (pay right away, good for one-off jobs), Net 15 (15 days, for faster cash flow), Net 60 (60 days, often required by large companies), and 2/10 Net 30, which gives the client a 2% discount if they pay within 10 days. When you choose a term in the generator, it sets the due date for you.
How should I number my invoices?
Give every invoice a unique number and keep them in sequence with no gaps, so payments are easy to match and your books stay audit-ready. The simplest system is sequential (INV-001, INV-002). A date-based scheme like INV-2026-001 adds the year so you can see when each was raised, and a client-based scheme like ACME-001 helps if you bill several clients regularly. Avoid reusing or skipping numbers. The generator suggests the next number, and you can edit it to match your own format.
What is the difference between an invoice, an estimate and a receipt?
They are three stages of one transaction. An estimate (or quote) shows an expected price before the work and is sent to win or confirm the job. An invoice requests payment after the work is done and shows the amount due. A receipt confirms that a payment was made and is given afterward as proof. A purchase order is a fourth document: the buyer issues it to formally request goods at an agreed price. Ziffaro has a free generator for each, so you can use the right document at each step.
Can I add a late fee or require a deposit on my invoice?
Yes. State both clearly in the invoice notes or terms before the work starts, not after. For larger jobs, billing a 30 to 50 percent deposit up front protects your cash flow. A late fee, often around 1 to 1.5 percent per month where your state allows it, gives clients a clear reason to pay on time; write the policy on the invoice so it is not a surprise. Late-fee limits vary by state, so confirm what is permitted where you operate.
Do I need to keep copies of the invoices I send?
Yes. The IRS expects self-employed people and small businesses to keep records that support the income and deductions on their tax return, and invoices are the main record of money you earned. Save a PDF of every invoice for your own files. If a business client pays you $600 or more in a year you may also receive a Form 1099-NEC, and your invoices are what you reconcile it against. This is general information, not tax advice — check with a CPA for your situation.
Can I create a recurring or proforma invoice with this tool?
This generator makes a single PDF invoice at a time, which covers most one-off and occasional billing. You can reuse it as a template for a recurring client by saving your business details (they are stored locally) and changing the line items each time, or use it to produce a proforma invoice by labeling it as preliminary in the notes. If you bill on a fixed schedule and want automatic recurring invoices, reminders and online card payments, dedicated invoicing software is the better fit.
How do I make an invoice?
Fill in your business details, your client’s details, an invoice number and date, then add a line item for each product or service with a quantity and rate. The amounts and total update as you type. Turn on sales tax if you collect it, add any notes, then click Download PDF. The whole thing takes a couple of minutes and needs no signup.
What should an invoice include?
A complete invoice has your business name and contact info, your client’s name and address, a unique invoice number, the invoice date and due date, an itemized list of what you’re billing with quantities and rates, the subtotal, any sales tax, the total due, and how to pay you. This generator includes fields for all of these, so nothing important gets left off.
How do I send an invoice to a client?
Download the invoice as a PDF here, then email it to your client as an attachment with a short note and the amount and due date in the subject line. A PDF is the standard format because it looks the same on every device and can’t be edited by accident. Keep a copy for your own records.
Do I need to charge sales tax on an invoice?
It depends on what you sell and where. Many services aren’t taxable, while physical goods usually are, and rates vary by state and even city. Leave the sales-tax toggle off if you don’t collect it; turn it on and enter your rate if you do. When you’re unsure whether a sale is taxable, check your state’s rules or ask a CPA.
Is this invoice generator free?
Yes — it’s completely free with no account, no watermark and no limit on how many invoices you create. Everything runs in your browser, so your client and pricing details never leave your device, and your own business info is saved locally so you don’t retype it next time.