Free invoice template with every field you need
This is a free invoice template with every field a client, a bookkeeper, or a tax preparer expects to see, and the whole thing is on this page with no email wall. Fill in the fields below, add your line items, and send it. It works for freelancers, small businesses, and anyone who needs to bill for work. A blank PDF and a CSV that opens in Excel or Google Sheets are both free to download.
What goes on a simple invoice
| Field | What goes there |
|---|---|
| Your business name and contact details | Legal or trading name, email, phone, and address. This is who the payment goes to, so match the name on your bank account. |
| Client name and billing address | Bill the entity that signed the agreement, not the person you email with. Companies reject invoices addressed to the wrong entity. |
| Invoice number | A unique sequential number like 2026-014. Clients file by it and you will search by it in April. |
| Invoice date | The date you send it, not the date you did the work. Payment terms count from this date. |
| Due date | Spell out the actual date. A client can misread Net 30, but nobody misreads April 14. |
| Payment terms | Net 30 is the business default, due on receipt is normal for jobs under a few hundred dollars. |
| Line items | One row per service, with a description the client recognizes from your quote or conversation. |
| Subtotal | The sum of all line amounts before tax. |
| Tax | Sales tax if your state and your service require it, on its own line with the rate shown. |
| Total due | The one number the client acts on. Make it the largest figure on the page. |
| Payment methods | Bank details, a payment link, or where to mail a check. Every extra step a client has to ask about adds days. |
| Notes | A thank you, a PO number, or the late fee terms. Keep it to two lines. |
The line-item table
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logo design, two concepts with one revision round | 1 | $450.00 | $450.00 |
| Website copy, five pages | 5 | $120.00 | $600.00 |
| Rush fee, 48 hour turnaround | 1 | $90.00 | $90.00 |
How to use this template
- Copy the structure. Recreate the fields above in whatever tool you already use, or grab the blank PDF and CSV at the bottom of the page. Nothing here is proprietary.
- Fill the header once. Business details, logo if you have one, payment methods. Save that version as your master so every future invoice starts 90 percent done.
- Number and date it. Take the next number in your sequence and date it the day it goes out. Never backdate, and never skip numbers.
- Write line items in the client's words. Use the language from your quote or the client's request. A line the client recognizes gets approved, a vague one gets a question, and a question costs you a week.
- Set the due date and send it the same day. Send the invoice the day the work finishes. Every day between finishing and invoicing is a free loan to the client.
Get paid faster
Net 30 is a default, not a law
Net 30 became standard because big companies run monthly payment cycles. For small jobs you can put due on receipt or Net 14 and most clients will not blink. You only get the terms you print.
Late fees work, if they were agreed first
The common rate is 1 to 1.5 percent per month on the overdue balance. It has to appear on the invoice, and ideally the contract, before the due date passes. Some states cap the rate, so check yours before printing 2 percent.
Follow up on a schedule, not on frustration
A short reminder the day after the due date, again at a week, a phone call at two weeks. Most late payments are disorganization, not refusal, and the polite early nudge is the one that works.
Sequential numbers keep you honest
Gaps in an invoice sequence are the first thing an auditor asks about. Start at a number that does not scream first client ever, like 2026-041, and count up by one forever.
Make paying stupidly easy
An invoice with a payment link gets paid faster than one with bank details, which beats one that says call for payment options. Whatever methods you take, print them on the invoice itself.
Both files are free with no email required: the PDF prints clean at letter size, and the CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets ready to edit.
Frequently asked questions
What has to be on an invoice?
Your business name and contact details, the client's name and address, a unique invoice number, the issue and due dates, itemized charges, any tax, the total, and how to pay. There is no single federal invoice law in the US, but this set is what accounting departments and tax preparers expect, and missing pieces are the top reason invoices stall.
What does Net 30 mean?
Payment is due 30 days after the invoice date. Net 15 and Net 14 mean the same thing with a shorter clock, and due on receipt means pay it now. Net 30 is the business-to-business default, but nothing stops you from setting shorter terms on small jobs.
Can I charge a late fee?
Yes, if the fee was stated before the client owed it, on the invoice and ideally in the contract. Typical practice is 1 to 1.5 percent per month on the overdue balance, which is 12 to 18 percent a year. State interest caps vary, so confirm your state's limit before setting the rate.
What is the difference between an invoice and a receipt?
An invoice requests payment and comes before the money moves. A receipt confirms payment and comes after. Clients sometimes ask for a receipt once they have paid an invoice, and a one-line email confirming the amount and date usually satisfies it.
This template is free. What is Staxen?
Staxen is software for trade contractors, and pages like this one are how it introduces itself. If you run a trade business, its AI employees write estimates, schedule jobs, and send invoices with card and ACH payment built in, at $59 per month per AI employee, $149 per month for all three. The first job is free with no card required. For everyone else, the template above is the whole gift.
Start free with Staxen: your first job is on us, no card required.