Free Sales Invoice Template

The three documents often travel with the same order, but they do different jobs. A sales invoice asks for payment, or records a sale on credit, and shows prices, tax and the amount due. A receipt confirms that payment has already been made. A packing slip goes in the box and lists what was shipped, usually without prices. Mixing them up causes real problems: a buyer who receives an invoice for an order they already paid may pay it twice, and a gift recipient who finds a priced invoice in the box instead of a packing slip learns exactly what the present cost. Decide which document each kind of order gets, and stick to it.

If the customer paid at checkout, send a receipt; the receipt generator uses the same editor and marks the document paid. If you ship first and get paid later, as most wholesale and business orders work, send a sales invoice with a due date. You can also send the invoice and, once the money arrives, reopen it and record the payment so it shows a zero balance.

• Paid at checkout: send a receipt.
• Paying later or on account: send a sales invoice with terms and a due date.
• In the box: a packing slip listing items and quantities.
• Partial shipment: invoice what actually shipped, and note what is on back order.

Wholesale invoices usually differ from retail ones in three ways: prices are per case or carton, a trade discount applies, and freight is billed at cost. Buyers who resell the goods may be exempt from sales tax if they give you a resale certificate, in which case you set the tax line to zero and note the certificate on the invoice. The rules on who qualifies differ by state and country.

For customers who reorder the same products, keep one invoice as a starting point. After you download, the download dialog offers a new invoice for the same client with the next number, so the next order only needs new quantities and dates. Keep product names and SKUs identical from order to order; buyers who match invoices to purchase orders line by line notice when “Mug 12oz” becomes “12 oz stoneware mug”.

• Describe the unit: “Case of 12”, “Carton, 24 units”.
• Apply the trade discount on the discount line, as a percentage.
• Put freight on the shipping line, at cost or at your published rate.
• Record the buyer's PO number and any resale certificate.

Retail sales are usually paid up front, so the document the customer needs is a receipt. When you do invoice a retail customer, “Due on receipt” is normal, and the order often ships once payment clears.

Business buyers expect terms such as Net 30. Some sellers offer an early payment discount, written as “2/10 Net 30”: 2% off if paid within 10 days, otherwise the full amount in 30. If you offer it, spell it out in the notes so nobody has to decode it.

State who pays shipping and when ownership passes if that matters for your goods, and keep returns and restocking fees in your terms and conditions. The invoice should point to them, not replace them.