Updated 7 September 2026
What to put on an invoice (checklist)
If AP cannot tell who you are, which bill this is, or how to pay, they will sit on it. The document is a request for payment — not a P&L.
A usable invoice is boring on purpose. It names both parties, carries a unique number, dates the work, lists what they bought, shows tax if you collect it, and tells them how to pay. Fancy branding does not replace those fields.
Always
- The word Invoice (not Estimate, not Receipt).
- A unique sequential number. See why numbers have to be sequential.
- Your legal name (and business name if you use one), address, email.
- Their legal name and billing address.
- Issue date and due date (or “Due on receipt”).
- Line items: description, quantity, rate, line total.
- Subtotal, tax if any, total, currency.
- How to pay: e-transfer, bank, PayPal URL — not a mystery.
When it applies
- GST/HST: BN and tax broken out. See GST/HST on an invoice.
- Their PO number, if they issued one. AP matches on that.
- Payment terms you actually agreed (Net 14, Net 30).
What you can skip
A client portal login. A Pay now button. A chart of accounts. Time tracking. Those belong to other products. If they already pay Interac, put the address on the page.
justIssued
Free: numbered PDF, share link, outstanding, three clients. Paid ($12/mo after a 7-day trial): logo, tax ID, how-to-pay block, email a PDF. There is no Pay now and no cut of what they pay you. Start free or pricing.
justIssued is the billing loop, not a second set of books.
Numbered PDF, share link, outstanding. Free is 3 clients. Paid is $12/mo after a 7-day trial (card required). No Pay now. No cut of client payments.