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If you’re a freelancer, you’re probably responsible for much more than the services you provide clients. From administrative tasks and monthly billing to meetings and business development, freelancers are exposed to all aspects of running an operation. That includes creating and sending invoices, whether from software or an invoice template.
If you need a better way to bill clients, our freelance invoice template can help. This professional-looking template can be customized to fit your business, allowing you to save your company’s logo and contact information, plus customize the overall design with graphics and colors.
Are you wondering how to make an invoice for freelance work? Start by downloading a sample freelancer invoice template in Word, or by generating one using our invoice template tool. Then customize your freelancer invoice following the instructions below.
Please note the downloadable Microsoft Word invoice template doesn’t include the built-in online invoicing features of PayPal Invoicing, and the invoice design may not be formatted correctly if you export it to Excel.
To customize your freelancer invoice template, upload your freelancer logo and enter your details. At a minimum, your invoice template should include basic information about your freelance business and the service you’re providing to your client.
Every freelance invoice should include your name and/or your freelance business name, as well as your phone number, email address, and company website (if applicable).
You don’t want to accidentally bill the wrong person, so make sure your client information is clearly indicated. Aim to include at least an email address and phone number. The client’s physical mailing address is a bonus, particularly if you’ll be sending hard-copy invoices by mail.
There are numerous ways you can assign an invoice number. If you're using a Microsoft Excel sheet as a ledger, you may find that the simplest is chronological—i.e. use the next number in the numerical series. But that may not be intuitive and can quickly become cumbersome. After all, you don’t want your clients, or your team, to have to refer to invoice #492485720934.
You can work around this by breaking your invoice number into multiple parts, like using a unique client number with a variable project number. Say customer number 45 hires you for another project, which is the tenth one this year. You could list that on the service invoice as #45-0010.
Make sure to add the date of the day you send the bill to your client. You’ll want to include a few key data points including: the invoice date, payment terms, and due date.. The due date will depend on your payment terms. For example, if you expect invoices to be paid within 30 days, then the due date would be 30 days from the invoice date. To avoid any international differences in date formats, spell out the month date and year. For example, December 28, 2024.
Review your invoice before you send it off. Make sure to proofread it and ensure all the information is correct.
If you’re emailing your invoice, make sure to include a clear, descriptive, and accurate subject line. If you’re using PayPal Invoicing, you can simply click ‘Send’ to have PayPal send your invoice, or you can select “Share link myself” to share the invoice link in your own email, text, or chat message.
With PayPal Invoicing, your clients will automatically have the option to pay using their preferred payment method.
Invoicing tip: PayPal Invoicing can get businesses paid fast.
In addition to the information above, freelancer invoices should include a thorough service details section.
Here are a few suggestions on what you may want to include in your invoice for services:
Invoicing tip: With PayPal Invoicing, we’ll automatically help you calculate the due date. And if you’re sending internationally, we’ll automatically display the correct date in the proper format for your customer.
Knowing when to send an invoice as a freelancer depends on the service you’re providing and the project you’re working on, as well as the agreed-upon billing terms with your client (such as hourly or project fee).
For instance, if you create five social media graphics per month for a given client, you may want to send a recurring flat-rate invoice on the first of every month. On the other hand, if you’re billing hourly for a one-time infographic project, you may want to send your invoice immediately after the work is completed. Find out about recurring invoices.
Make sure to use an invoice tracker to keep tabs on what you’ve billed for, what’s been paid, and what is still outstanding.
Depending on the field you’re in, there are many ways you can bill your clients. Most industries follow a general set of standards:
Our freelancer invoice template can work for professionals in a range of industries, including:
Note: Some industries may require mentioning specific terms and conditions on your template, so be sure to check the special requirements for your freelancing business.
If you don’t see your specialty listed here, it doesn’t mean this invoice template can’t work for you. In fact, this template allows complete customization, so if you’re billing for any type of product or service, you can modify this invoice template to your needs.
Download your freelancer invoice and watch the video below. To access more features, sign up for a PayPal Business account.
In partnership with three expert business owners, the PayPal Bootcamp includes practical checklists and a short video loaded with tips to help take your business to the next level.
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