If you are a business person who plans to extend products and services to customers on credit, you must get familiar with the invoicing process. An invoice is an itemized bill that lists the products you sent to a customer and asks for payment by a certain date. The invoice contains a set of terms for the customer to meet. If you're pressed for time, there are a few methods you can use to create invoices online quickly for free.
Instructions
- Use PayPal, Google Checkout or a similar online payment service to create a free invoice online. These free online payment services have invoice template wizards that allow you to enter the customer name, address, email address, and then itemize each charge. Once completed, the service emails the customer on your behalf and can accept payment with a credit card or check online.
- Sign up for a free account with InvoiceMachine.com, SimplyBill.com, or a similar online invoicing service. These services offer a variety of paid account levels, but also a free option that allows you to generate a limited number of invoices each month. Create profiles for each of your customers and enter the details of each new order requiring payment.
- Create a simple HTML form on your website that will allow you to create quick, free invoices online. (Detailed information on creating HTML forms can be found in the "Resources" section, below.) The form should contain all of the fields that you would see on a printed invoice, including date, purchase order number, invoice number, item descriptions, prices, and client information. When you submit the form you'll receive an email listing all of the details—forward the email on to your customer as his invoice.
