Invoices for service work
A service is not sold by the piece like goods. You sell a piece of work, priced by the hour, the day, the month or as a package. So the invoice has to describe that work, not just carry a number.
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Where service invoices get vague
- Vague wording such as 'services' so the customer cannot tell what they are paying for
- No period stated, so the billing cycle cannot be identified
- A single grand total with the additional charges not broken out
- Billed by the hour but no hours stated, so it cannot be checked
Describe the work as rows with quantity and unit price
Treat the unit of sale as what you actually sell — an hour of consulting, a day of work, a monthly package — and record it as a row with a quantity and a unit price. Additional charges such as travel are separate rows too, so the customer sees what each amount is for.
Why it helps
- The customer sees which piece of work each amount covers
- Additional charges can be listed as their own rows
- Flexible units: by the hour, the day, the package or the job
- Save a PDF to send, or keep it with the job records
Features
A work description row
Record the work, the period and the unit of sale within one row.
Separate additional charges
Travel, materials or other charges can each be recorded as their own row.
Automatic totals
Line totals and the grand total update as soon as you change a quantity or unit price.
Save a PDF for your records
Keep a copy to send to the customer or to file with the job.
Who it is for
- Charging a client by the hour or by the day
- Billing a monthly package for an ongoing service contract
- Raising an invoice that includes items such as travel or materials
Frequently asked questions
How do I record work billed by the hour?
Use the number of hours as the quantity and the hourly rate as the unit price. For example a row reading "Consulting, 3 hours, 500,000" gives a line total of 1,500,000. That lets the customer check the hours against the rate you agreed.
How do I record charges such as travel?
Record them as their own row rather than adding them into the service row. Separating them shows the customer what is labour and what is expense, and gives you something to point to if it needs explaining.
Can one invoice cover several services?
Yes. Each service is a row with its own quantity and unit price. Group several services onto one invoice when they belong to the same billing round, so the customer only pays once.