How to create an invoice step-by-step
Create professional invoices, just like that.
Got that order? Awesome! Now let’s walk you through how to make an invoice step-by-step so you can send it off to your customer.
1. Make sure your business details are correct
Making sure your invoices have the correct information displayed before you send them off is a big part of making them legit.
Crucial information that needs to be shown is:
- Your business logo (For that added pizzazz 😉)
- Business name
- Address
- Contact information
- If you are a registered business, like a PTY, you will need to add your business or company registration number
- If you are VAT registered, you need to add your VAT registration number
2. Add a unique invoice number
Each invoice needs to have a unique invoice number, which can contain letters as well as numbers. In stub, your invoice numbers will generate automatically, in chronological order, so you don't have to worry about duplicating invoice numbers. You're welcome 😉
Here are some examples of invoice numbers:
- number your invoices sequentially, such as 0001, 0002
- use a unique letter and number code, such as STUB0001, STUBB0002
- use the date at the start of your invoice number, such as 2024-01-001
Choose a sequence that works for you, and we’ll keep it going 👍
3. Add your dates & description
Even though they may not seem important, having the correct dates displayed on your invoices is a crucial element of having professional invoices. They can help make sure you get paid on time and keep your accounting records accurate.
So be sure you set the below correctly:
- Invoice date – the date you created the invoice (Creation date is the date your business will recognise the sale)
- Due date – the date you expect to be paid by (Encourage your customers to pay you within a certain period of time)
- Description - A short description of what the invoice contains (Just common courtesy 😊)
4. Choose your settings
Personalise what added details you want to be shown on your invoice by selecting the options in the left top setting section.
You can add:
- Purchase Order number (If you are a B2B business, you may need this)
- Discount (Feel like being generous and offering your customers a discount? Do it 😊)
- Deposit (If you need your customers to pay deposits before any work is done - you can set the deposit amounts that are required)
- Installments (PRO FEATURE) (If your customers need to pay you in installments you can set installment terms for your customers (You just need to make sure you have enabled online payments)
5. Add your client information
Important customer details to But it is always good to add:
- Customer/client name
- Address
- Contact information
Before you send your customers an invoice, make sure to ask them what details they would like to have on the invoice. They may have some requirements you don't want to miss.
6. Add your products and/or services
Next, you’ll need to add your products and services. Your items will be listed neatly on a separate line for clear identification, as well as show the description, quantity and price of each item.
7. Add any important notes
For example, you could add any payment terms, T's & C's or add a sweet thank you for their support 😬
8. Make sure you give your client a way to pay you
In stub you have a few payment options you can add to your invoices making it that much more convenient for your customer to pay you.
Ways to get paid:
- Add your bank account details so your customer can pay you via EFT
- Enable online payments so your customer can pay you with the click of a "Pay" button straight from your invoice
9. Click send
Once you are happy with the invoice, you can send off your invoice straight to your customer in a few ways. Send directly to their Email, or Whatsapp or you can copy and send the link in any way you choose.
With professional accounting and invoicing software like stub, you can create and send invoices easily from any device, so you get paid faster.