Recording invoices when you sell online
Orders from marketplaces, chat and social media: how to record them so they match the money you actually receive.
Last updated: 25/09/2026
Selling online differs from selling at a counter in one important way: what the customer pays and what you actually receive are usually not the same number. Marketplace fees, shipping and discount codes all come off it.
List each of those separately on the invoice rather than folding them into one figure. When a customer asks why the amount does not match the listed price, the answer is already on the sheet.
Put shipping on its own line. If you charge the customer for it, that is part of your revenue; if you pay the courier yourself, that is a cost. Do not blend the two.
Record the marketplace order number in the notes. It is the fastest thing to search on when you need to reconcile against the marketplace or find an old order.
For orders taken through chat, copy what the customer actually asked for into the notes. Messages get deleted or scroll away; the invoice stays where it is.
Finally, send the customer a PDF. A customer elsewhere gets their paperwork straight away, and you keep a copy in your account to reconcile the month.