Invoices are documents that any business cannot do without nowadays. These documents show various information, including the services rendered or products supplied to a customer.
Without an invoice, businesses of all sizes won’t receive payment. Clients need invoices as an agreement between them and the company with the correct details of the transaction.
For a complete invoice, information would have to be displayed on each document. According to the business’ needs, the values could differ between clients and companies. The best way to ensure that all the relevant information is presented, companies could use these ways to customize a blank invoice and convert it to PDF, here are some ways on how it should be done:
- Find A Usable Template
Templates are available to download from numerous sources on the internet, and some computer applications already have usable templates installed.
A company must use an invoice that would suit their needs, fit in with their image, and be easy to understand for their customers. Using a blank invoice PDF would make it easier for anyone to design the perfect invoice as many of the necessary fields are already included.
- Indicate Complete Company Information
An invoice could be an extension of an advertising or marketing strategy. When invoices look smart and well put together, clients are more likely to engage more with the company.
A professional look would include personalized company information like a logo, contact details for the company, and payment options like a bank account. The terms should also be displayed for the clients to understand when their payment would be expected. The agreements for payment could differ according to the company’s business model.
- Add Invoice Numbers And References
Each invoice should be individualized with a unique number so clients can refer to a specific transaction. These numbers make tracking the invoices on the company system easier as well. Because no other purchase would have the same invoice number, each could be singled out for payment and later inquiry.
References for transactions would usually include individualized information specific to one customer, like an account number. With these references, companies could batch the invoices for one customer to form a statement of all their transactions.
- Have An Itemized Lists Of Goods Or Services
The invoice should stipulate all the goods or services that the customer bought in that specific transaction. Some customers purchase goods more than once a month, a week, or a day, and each transaction should be set apart from each one.
Queries that may arise from customers about the purchases could then be analyzed along with product sales information for future references.
- Display Important Dates
Dates are significant indicators that should be present on each invoice. The date goods or services were purchased, and the due date for payments is crucial for companies.
Companies should efficiently track all of the goods or services sold. Therefore, the dates of each purchase should be displayed on the invoice. The date when the invoice was produced is another important date for clients to know when payment is due.
For instance, the terms of the agreement could include making payments seven days from the invoice date. But, if the exact date of the invoice wasn’t indicated, clients would not know the deadline for their payments, that’s why placing the invoice date shouldn’t be disregarded.
- Show Accurate Amounts
Invoices should list items that were purchased together. Each of these items should have its price along with other amounts.
A subtotal would give the client an idea of the amount due for goods before adding the tax, if applicable. Below the subtotal, there is a space for the percentage of tax that would be added to the subtotal. The exact number for the tax amount should be worked out for that transaction.
At the bottom of the invoice, there would be a total. The amount should include the cost for all items and the tax. This is the total amount that the client should refer to when making payments to the company.
- Save The Invoice As A PDF
There are various formats in which invoices could be saved, but it’s ideal to save them in a Portable Document Format (PDF). A document delivered in this format is not easy to manipulate, and the invoices are quickly sent electronically.
The file name can be customized based on the client’s name when saving it, to make it easier to locate and attach to the client’s email when sending.
The Outcome
Professionally designed invoices could attract repeat business when all the essential information is legible and easy to follow. Clients would appreciate all the details and effort exerted into making their invoices. Templates could be the best starting point where all the customized information could be added. Do the business a favor and find a workable template to impress all your clients.