What to put on an invoice: a plain checklist
The details every invoice needs so it gets approved and paid without a follow-up email, from your business name to payment instructions.
An invoice has one job: to let the person paying you approve it and pay it without writing back to ask a question. Almost every delayed payment that is not about money is about a missing detail. This checklist covers the details that get asked for.
The essentials
- The word "Invoice". It sounds obvious, but it is how an accounts team tells your document apart from an estimate or a statement.
- A unique invoice number. Your customer will quote it when they pay and you will quote it when you chase. See how to number invoices.
- Your business name and address, plus a phone number, email or website so they can reach you.
- Your customer's name and billing address. For a company, use its registered name, and add "Attn: Accounts Payable" or a named contact if you know one.
- The invoice date and the due date. Write both out in full. "Net 30" leaves the reader to do the sum; "Payment due Mar. 14, 2026" does not. See date formats that nobody misreads.
- What you are charging for. One line per item, each with a description, a quantity, a price and a line total.
- The totals. A subtotal, any discount, any tax shown as its own line, and the amount due with its currency.
- How to pay. Bank details or another payment method, written exactly as the payer needs to type them.
Often asked for
- A purchase order number. Larger customers will not pay an invoice without one. Ask for it before you send the invoice, not after.
- A tax or business registration number, where the rules that apply to you require it on invoices.
- The period the invoice covers, for subscriptions and retainers: "Subscription term: Nov. 5, 2026 to Nov. 5, 2027".
- A shipping address, when goods go somewhere other than the billing address.
- Payment terms and a short note. A line of thanks costs nothing; a link to your terms saves an argument later.
Common mistakes
- Vague descriptions. "Services" invites a question. "Website design, homepage and four inner pages" does not.
- Ambiguous dates. 03/04/2026 is March in some countries and April in others.
- No currency. A bare "$" could be US, Canadian or Australian dollars. Name the currency next to the amount due.
- Reused or skipped numbers. Both make reconciling payments harder for you and your customer.
- Sending it to the wrong person. Find out who approves invoices and who pays them; they are often different people.
A quick test
Before you send an invoice, read it as if you had never heard of the job. Could you tell who it is from, what it is for, how much to pay, by when, and where to send the money? If so, it is ready.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Invoicing rules differ between countries, so check what applies where you do business. Updated .