Freelance invoice template
Freelance invoice template
Bill a project the way clients understand it: what you made, what it costs, what was already paid and how to pay the rest. Fill it in here and send a one-page PDF or a link.
Free. No sign-up. A one-page PDF you can send today.
What a freelance invoice needs
- Your name, and a trading name if you use one, with an address and email the client can reach.
- The client's name and address. For a company, add the person or department that approves invoices (“Attn: Dana Okafor”).
- An invoice number that you never reuse: 0001, 2026-001 or your initials and a year (ML-2026-018).
- The invoice date and the due date. 14 or 30 days are the usual terms.
- What you delivered, one line per piece of work, in words the client will recognise from the brief.
- Anything already paid, such as a deposit, as a negative line.
- How to pay: bank details, or a payment link the client can tap.
Describe the work the way the client bought it
The person paying your invoice often wasn't in the project meetings. “Brand illustration set, 6 icons” gets approved; “Design work” gets questions. Use the deliverable's name from the quote or brief, add the quantity (2 variants, 6 icons), and keep revisions or extras on their own line so the base price stays recognisable.
Deposits and part payments
If you took a deposit, show it: add “Deposit received 20 Oct” with a negative price. The client sees the full project value and what's left to pay, and your records match theirs. For a project billed in stages, send one invoice per stage and say which stage it is in the description (“Stage 2 of 3”).
Get paid faster
Send the invoice the day the work is approved, while it's fresh. Put the due date on the page, not just “Net 14”. And make paying easy: an invoice link with a Pay button lets the client pay from their phone instead of copying bank details.
Questions
How do I invoice as a freelancer with no company?
Put your own name (and a trading name if you use one) as the sender, with an address and email. You don't need a company or a tax number to send an invoice, though some countries require one once you register for sales tax or VAT.
How do I show a deposit I already received?
Add it as its own line with a negative price, for example “Deposit received 20 Oct” at −600. The balance due then shows what is left to pay.
What payment terms should I use?
14 or 30 days from the invoice date are the most common. Put the due date on the invoice and say how to pay; a payment link usually gets you paid faster.
Should I invoice per project or per hour?
Per project when the scope is clear; per hour when it isn't. For hourly work, the consulting invoice template shows hours and rates.