Invoicing &
invoicing templates
Wave has a variety of invoice templates that are ready to use. Sign up for Wave to customize your unique invoice, or download a template below. Available in Word, Excel, PDF, Google Docs, and Google Sheets formats.
Choose the best invoice template for your business
Consulting business
This invoice template is flexible so it can be used to bill all your clients – no matter what their needs. Simply add or subtract lines to describe specific details and services. Your clients will clearly see the work you supplied and the cost.
Freelance business
As a freelancer, your flexibility is an incredible advantage. This invoice template for freelancers is also supremely flexible so it can be used to bill all your clients, no matter what freelance services you provide. Add or subtract line items to describe the relevant details for any kind of project.
Legal services
Download, customize, and send this invoice to all your clients, no matter what legal work you do for them. It’s easily modified by adding extra lines to fill in all the details, and helps keep the revenue coming in.
Marketing business
Don’t waste your creative energy designing an invoice. Use it for developing amazing marketing strategies instead. This free template can be customized to meet all your invoicing needs for clients in any industry.
Professional business
This invoice template is supremely flexible so it can be used to bill all clients – no matter what services you provide. Add or subtract lines to describe all the details while making an impression with this elegantly designed template.
Alternatives to using invoice templates
An effective and versatile invoice template is just the beginning of what Wave can do for you and your business. Save more valuable time by trying our free, automated invoicing and small business accounting software.
Wave replaced about four different things that I was trying to set up for myself. It replaced spreadsheets for tracking payments, invoice templates—even the terms and conditions you can put on the invoice. I love the way it's set up. I love the ease of use. And it's scalable.
Most of my clients pay with credit card using the secure link that is generated on the Wave invoice. That is a massive time saver and does help to get paid faster. I love this feature.
I can set up a recurring invoice to go out once a month. I literally just send them the link with the invoice and they pay it on the spot. It's painless for clients. It's a win-win and has been amazing.
However [clients] want to pay, they just click it. It's a secure portal and my clients are like, this is awesome. Once that's done I get a notification and send them a receipt. That’s it. It’s amazing.
I wanted my business to look as polished as it could. It helps instill confidence in the client who wants to hire you if they see you have your stuff together. That's what I liked with Wave.
More free invoice templates in various formats and styles
Professional invoice templates in Google Docs format
If you enjoy storing your documents in the cloud instead of taking up room on your hard drive, a Google Docs invoice template could be the best choice for you. It also gives you the convenience of being able to access your invoices at any time of day or night, and on any computer – as long as you have internet access.
Google Docs also allows you to give other people permission to view documents, so it’s easy to have your accountant or business partner review or add to the invoice, even if they are in another city. On top of all that, these templates are also well-designed and attractive. That’s important, as every touch point with your customers is another opportunity to reinforce your professionalism and outstanding reputation.
Invoice templates in Google Sheets format
If you want the convenience of being cloud-based, but also want help calculating your fees, a Google Sheets invoice template fits the bill. Like an Excel spreadsheet, it contains formulas that save you time by automatically figuring out complex calculations. Your clients will be able to rely on accurate, clearly outlined charges.
And just like working with Google Docs, you will be able to access your invoices anywhere you are, and on any device that has internet access. The invoice template is also extremely flexible, so it can capture every detail needed to ensure you get paid properly for the outstanding products and/or services you provide.
Invoice templates in Excel format
If you need to include various fee calculations in your invoices, an Excel invoice template is the ideal choice for you. The format includes automatic formulas, so no need to manually figure out labor costs or management fees. It also adds up subtotals and calculates the correct amounts to add on for taxes.
Our Excel invoice template is also fully customizable. It can capture all the information needed on your invoices to make sure your clients completely understand what they are paying for. The result is a clear, professional invoice that accurately calculates all charges, and creates confidence and trust in your company or personal brand.
Invoice templates in Word format
Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing format used today. It’s favored by self-employed professionals in every field because it is intuitive, easy to use, and produces crisp, clear documents. As a result, our Word invoice template is perfect for creating well-organized invoices that include all the details needed for you to get paid for your hard work.
Since our Microsoft Word invoice template is also extremely flexible, it can be tailored to the specific invoicing requirements of each of your clients. In addition, Microsoft Word invoices look great. Sending easy-to-read, well-designed invoices can instill confidence and credibility in your service and expertise, and reflect positively on your reputation.
Invoice templates in PDF format
A PDF invoice has some distinct advantages for your business. Unlike documents produced by other software programs, PDF documents can be viewed on any operating system. That means using a PDF invoice template can help you cut down on potential payment delays, as all your clients will be able to access your professional invoice.
A PDF invoice type can also be easily modified to include all the invoicing details needed for your different clients, while looking attractive and organized. But while the invoice is easy to use and customize, it’s hard to modify after it has been sent, so there’s less chance of your invoice getting inadvertently altered or changed.
Why is it important to create and send professional invoices?
As a business owner or self-employed professional, you don’t have the backing of a large company to ensure you get paid properly and on time for your work. That means you need easy-to-use, flexible, detailed invoices that clearly and completely include all the details (e.g. invoice number, individual line items, due date, contact information, payment terms, sales tax, business name, etc.) needed for you to get paid for the services or products you have provided.
On top of that, you need to ensure your invoices look polished and professional to build up credibility and trust in your business.
There are advantages to running a small business, like lower overhead and personalized service, but you still need your customers to recognize your expertise. Get paid on time, every time by using professional invoicing software like Wave.
When is the right time to send an invoice to your clients?
Depending on the business you're in and the products and services you provide, the right time to create and send your invoice can vary. If you are a business owner who sells products, you’ll give the invoice to your customer at the time of purchase. If you provide services, you might want to give your invoice to the customer using professional service invoices when the job is completed.
Since you are self-employed, you need to keep the revenue flowing. If you are providing services over a long period of time, you can customize your invoice template to bill for a percentage of the payment up front, with the remainder being paid upon completion, or send in bi-weekly or monthly invoices.
Whatever payment cadence you choose, make sure it’s clearly noted on each invoice, and clarify what portion of the final ‘cost’ has been paid to date.
Consider working with an automated invoice software as there are a number of advantages of using it over invoice templates (e.g. recurring invoices, customer reminders, sample invoices, professionally designed, etc.). You can click the save button within the app to save your work at any time.
You could also explore our easy-to-use, free invoice generator to slightly automate the process of creating new invoices.
How to fill out your invoice
Once you've downloaded your free invoice template, you'll need to customize it to fit your specific business. Here are the 10 key things to include on your invoice:
- Title and Description: Name the project and briefly describe what type of work your client is being invoiced for.
- Company Details: Add your company name, address, phone number, and logo to the top-right corner.
- Customer Details: Under "Bill To", add your customer's name, address, and contact information.
- Invoice Number: Include a unique invoice number to help you track down this invoice in the future. You can format this based on sequence and customer. For example, if you're sending your very first customer their first invoice, the invoice number could be 001-001.
- Dates: Include the date when your invoice has been issued and the date when payment is due.
- Line Item: Add individual line items for each unique good or service you provided. For each line item, include a brief description, quantity, individual unit price, and total price.
- Subtotal: Add up the subtotal of your goods or services, before tax has been applied.
- Tax: Indicate the tax rate applied to the subtotal. This is legally required to provide on invoices, and your rate may differ depending on where you run your business.
- Total: Outline the total amount due from the customer, after tax.
- Notes: Include any additional info your customer should know, including terms of service and payment terms (for example, payments are due 30 days after the invoice has been issued).
Customized templates for specific occupations
Wave has a wide range of invoice templates & template formats designed for specific occupations. These templates have all the details you need to properly invoice your customers and make sure you get paid on time for your expertise.
Free Invoice Template vs. Wave Invoicing Software
