Download our sample invoice template for easy and seamless billing

One of the best parts of running a business is getting paid—and that starts with a custom invoice template for quick, seamless billing.

How to use our invoice

Start by downloading a basic invoice template in Word. Make sure to save your document and then jump to the instructions below for best practices on how to fill out the template. Please note this downloadable sample Word invoice template doesn’t include PayPal Invoicing built-in features.

1. Your contact information: Include your company’s name, phone number, email address, and company website.
2. Your client's information: Provide the company name and at least an email address and a phone number. A physical mailing address is nice to have, too.
3. Invoice #: There are multiple ways to assign invoice numbers. If you're using a Microsoft Excel sheet as a ledger, you may find that the simplest is chronological—use the next number in the numerical series. But that may not be intuitive and can quickly become a mouthful. (You don’t want your clients, or your team, to refer to invoice #492485720934.) You can work around this by breaking your invoice number into multiple parts, like using a unique client number with a variable project number. So, when Jane Doe (customer number 25) hires you for another project—the fifth one this year—you could list that on the service invoice as #25-0005.
4. Invoice date: This should be the day you sent the bill, not the day you created it. Make sure your invoice date, payment terms, and due date line up: If your payment terms are 30 days, then the due date should be exactly 30 days from your invoice date. And, use this date format to solve for international differences: Month (spelled out), date, year. (Example: December 28, 2022)
5. Preview the template: Before you send, preview the service invoice to see what your customers will receive.
6. Send: If you’re emailing your invoice, make sure to include a clear, descriptive, and accurate subject line. If you’re using PayPal Invoicing, you can simply click ‘Send’ to have PayPal send your invoice or you can select “Share link myself” to share the invoice link in your own email, text, or chat message.
7. Get paid: With PayPal Invoicing, your clients will automatically have the option to pay you online using their credit or debit card, PayPal account, or PayPal Credit.¹

Benefits of our sample invoice template

As a business owner, you want to make it easy for your customers to pay you. That’s because a seamless billing experience can give you a better chance of increasing repeat customers. Plus, our sample invoice can help your business look more professional to customers.

With PayPal Invoicing Template we’ll automatically help you calculate the due date for your freelance invoices. And if you’re sending internationally, we’ll automatically display the invoice date in the proper format for your customer.

You can access more invoicing features with PayPal Invoicing. For example, you can:

• Save invoice templates, items, and contact details for quick entry.
• Send invoices to up to 1,000 customers at once.
• Track status, view history, and send reminders for unpaid invoices.
• Accept partial payments or enable tipping.
• Accept payments from 200+ markets around the globe.
• Send invoices on the go with the PayPal Business app.

PayPal Invoicing can get businesses paid fast. In a recent study, 79% of PayPal invoices are paid within one day of sending the invoice.²

Customizing your invoice

There are many ways to customize our invoice template to your needs. The customizable invoice template allows you to change the invoice layout and invoice design. For instance, you can upload your company logo and include all relevant information about your business as well as the details of the service you’re providing to your client.

When assigning your sample invoice, make sure it’s clear who the invoice is from and who it is to. Develop a numbering system that makes sense for your business. Consider creating an Excel sheet to help you stay organized, too.

Alternative file format to word document sample invoice template

Besides our Word document sample invoice template, you can make an invoice in Excel using our template. Start by downloading a sample invoice template or create one using our Excel invoice template. This option is best for businesses that use automatic formulas when billing.

You can also create PDF invoices, which can help businesses look more professional to customers and clients. If you want to turn your basic invoice template into a PDF, simply save your file as a “PDF” as the last step.

Types of invoices for small businesses

There are different types of invoices small businesses can use to get paid, including:

• Pro forma: This is not a traditional invoice. Instead, consider this an alert for how much a project or service will cost once the work is done. It typically includes an itemized list of the services rendered or costs, and the total amount that will be due upon completion.
• Interim: Think of this type of invoice as a payment plan. Instead of sending one large invoice to your customer, interim invoices break down the cost into smaller payments as the project progresses.
• Final: For most business owners, a final invoice is considered standard. Once the work is complete, this is the invoice you send to your customer for payment. If the project did not require an estimate (or pro forma) and the customer did not request to break down the payment (into interim invoices), this is the invoice you should use.

Tips for using the sample invoice template

An invoice format that allows you to supply as much information about the products or services provided will help you avoid any potential delays in getting paid. If the work you did was extensive or stretched beyond a month or two, you may want to track relevant details using an Excel sheet.

You also want to be as transparent as possible when billing a client, making sure to specify not only your rates and applicable tax, but also the terms for payments. You should generally include the following:

1. Service details: Be as clear as possible when describing the product or service you’re providing on your invoice template.
2. Service Date: Including a service date on your invoice template is optional, but if you decide to note it, this would be the date you performed the service.
3. Description: Be specific. For example, if you’re a math tutor, you may want to say something like “Tutored Jack in Algebra for midterm exams – 1 hour.” Being clear and descriptive lets your client know what the invoice template is for, and that can save you time in follow-up questions.
4. Billing rate: Depending on the product or service you provide, you may want to bill by hours, quantity, or even a flat rate—look for a tool that gives you flexibility to bill whichever way your business needs.
5. Notes: Many businesses that have been in operation for a long time rely on customer loyalty, so adding personal touches can go a long way. Whether you add a note that says, “Thank you for your business” or “Hope to see you again”, this section can help you make a lasting impression.
6. Terms and Conditions: Include payment terms in your terms and conditions (or notes) section and remember to mention your terms for late or early payments. Also, if you’re sending your sample invoice to an international client or vendor, clarify which currency you’re invoicing in and add any local or industry-related requirements for your sample invoice.