How to make a invoice in one minute
- Three sample lines are prefilled: a day-rate line, a fixed-fee report and travel at cost. Replace each Description, Qty, Unit (days, report, each) and Rate with your engagement's figures.
- Fill in From with your practice and Bill to with the client. Put their purchase order number or the statement of work reference in Reference / PO number.
- Set Invoice number and Date, then choose Net 30 under Terms so the Due date matches the prefilled terms.
- Under Totals, add a VAT or other Tax line, untick it on expense lines where that is allowed, and enter any retainer already paid in Amount paid.
- Edit the Notes (retainer hours used this month), add Payment details and press Download PDF.
How to invoice for consulting work
Consultants usually bill by the day or by a fixed fee per deliverable, and one invoice can carry both. The sample shows the pattern: two days of strategy workshop facilitation on site at 1,200 per day, a written recommendations report at a fixed 1,800, and a return rail fare of 96.50 passed on at cost. The default unit is days; change it to report, each or hrs on any line where the day rate does not apply.
Write descriptions the client’s finance team can approve without asking you: the engagement, the dates on site and the deliverable. Put the engagement letter or statement of work number in Reference / PO number, and ask for a purchase order number before the work starts; corporate clients often cannot pay without one.
Retainers are invoiced in advance with the period stated, then reconciled against the hours used. The prefilled Notes show the reconciliation line: “Retainer hours used this month: 14 of 20”. If a month runs over the allowance, add the extra as separate hourly or daily lines rather than adjusting the retainer figure.
Expenses such as travel and accommodation go on their own lines at cost, with receipts, as the prefilled terms state. Kept separate from fees, they can be excluded from tax where that is allowed: each line has a checkbox per tax line. Confirm the treatment with your tax authority.
Net 30 is standard with corporate clients and is what the prefilled terms ask for. Choose Net 30 under Terms and the Due date is calculated from the invoice date.
What the consulting invoice template prefills
A day-rate line, a fixed-fee line and an expense line with quantities, units and rates, a retainer note and terms that ask for payment within 30 days with expenses at cost. Your practice details, the client, the purchase order number, the VAT line and payment details are yours to add.
Your data stays on your device
Engagement details, day rates and client names are saved in this browser only, never on a server. The PDF is generated in your browser by a small worker; nothing is uploaded, and there is no account to create. Drafts, clients and your business profile live in your browser's local storage (IndexedDB), and one button under "Your data" deletes all of it. To verify, open your browser's developer tools, watch the Network tab while you fill in and download a document, and note that no request carries your details. Read the privacy policy and how it works for the details.
Templates, currencies and PDF output
| Templates | Classic, Modern, Minimal, Compact, Ledger, Receipt (6 layouts; accent colour and logo are yours). Prefilled invoice and receipt templates by trade open in the same editor. |
|---|---|
| Currencies | 68 ISO currencies with the right symbol and decimals, for example USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, AUD, INR and JPY. Country presets also set the tax lines and ID labels. |
| Paper sizes | A4 and US Letter; page numbers on multi-page documents |
| Numbering | Sequential per type, default prefix INV-0001, editable |
| Output | PDF download (text stays selectable), print, or a prefilled email with the PDF attached by you; file name Invoice-number-client.pdf |
Frequently asked questions
Should a consultant bill a day rate or a fixed fee?
Both, depending on the work. A day rate suits time on site or open-ended advice, as in the two-day workshop line; a fixed fee suits a defined deliverable such as the recommendations report. They sit together on one invoice as long as each line states its unit.
How do I invoice a retainer?
A retainer is a fixed monthly fee that reserves an agreed number of hours or days. Invoice it in advance with the period in the description (October retainer, 20 hours). At month end, note the hours used against the allowance, as the prefilled Notes do (14 of 20), and invoice any overrun as separate lines.
How should I bill travel and other expenses?
On their own lines, at cost, with the receipt attached or available, as the prefilled terms say. The sample shows a return rail fare at 96.50 with the unit each. Keeping expenses separate from fees makes the invoice easier to approve and lets you handle tax on them differently where that is allowed.
Do I add VAT to expenses?
It depends on the expense and where you are registered. Every line has a checkbox for each tax line, so you can leave an expense untaxed or tax it like your fees. Put your VAT number in the From block if registered, and confirm the treatment of recharged expenses with your tax authority.
What does Net 30 mean, and what if the client pays late?
Net 30 means the full amount is due 30 days after the invoice date; it is standard with corporate clients and matches the prefilled terms. Get a purchase order number before you start and quote it on the invoice. If payment is late, resend the PDF from Recent documents with a short reminder.
Can I reuse this invoice for a monthly retainer?
Yes. Use Save as template once the client, rate and layout are set; next month choose New from template, or open the previous invoice and press Duplicate to get the next number with today's date. Update the period in the description and the hours used in Notes before you download.
Related
Last updated 2026-09-27. Presets are starting points — confirm current rates and requirements with your tax authority. PDF engine: pdfmake (MIT); fonts: Inter and Noto Sans (SIL Open Font License).