Email templates to send an invoice
Send the invoice the day the job is done or the order ships, with an email that states the invoice number, the amount due, the due date and how to pay. Put any late fee in your contract or terms before the work starts, then repeat it on the invoice: a fee the client never agreed to is hard to collect.
By Alvyn Detavernier, founder · published
When to use it
- When a job is finished or an order is delivered.
- For recurring monthly or quarterly billing.
- For the final invoice, once the deposit is deducted.
- For a consumer who just needs a simple receipt-style invoice.
- After a billing error, to send a corrected invoice or credit memo.
The templates, ready to copy.
Replace the parts in brackets with your details, proofread, send.
Template 1
Business client
Subject: Invoice #[number]: $[amount] due [date]
Hi [First name], Attached is invoice #[number] for [service or order, PO number]. Amount due: $[amount] Due date: [date] ([terms, for example: Net 30]) Pay online: [payment link], or by ACH using the details on the invoice Please include the invoice number with your payment. Thanks, [Full name] [Company name]Template 2
Consumer, friendly
Subject: Your [Company name] invoice for [service]
Hi [First name], Thanks again for choosing us for [service]. Your invoice is attached. Total: $[amount], due by [date]. The easiest way to pay: [card payment link]. We also accept [check / Zelle / ACH] using the details on the invoice. Have a great day, [First name], [Company name]Template 3
Recurring monthly invoice
Subject: [Month year] invoice: $[amount]
Hi [First name], Here's invoice #[number] for [service] for [month]. Amount: $[amount] Autopay date: [date] / Due date: [date] [Optional: This month includes [one-time item], as agreed on [date].] Thank you, [Company name]Template 4
Final invoice after a deposit
Subject: Final invoice #[number]: [project]
Hi [First name], [Project] is complete. Thank you for working with us! Here's the final invoice. Project total: $[amount] Deposit paid on [date] (invoice #[number]): $[amount] Balance due: $[amount], by [date] The full breakdown is on the attached invoice. Best, [Full name]Template 5
Corrected invoice
Subject: Invoice #[number]: corrected version
Hi [First name], We found an error on invoice #[number] dated [date]: [what was wrong, for example: the 10% discount wasn't applied]. Attached you'll find: - credit memo #[number], which voids the original invoice, - corrected invoice #[number] for $[amount]. The due date is still [date]. Sorry for the mix-up. Best, [Full name]
Tips to make it work.
- Put the invoice number, amount and due date in the subject line so the client's AP team can process it without opening anything.
- Send it to the client's accounts payable address with your contact copied, so it doesn't sit in one person's inbox.
- Attach a W-9 to your first invoice for a new business client. Many AP teams won't release payment to a new vendor without one.
- Tell clients you will never change your bank details by email alone, and confirm any change by phone. Business email compromise scams target exactly this kind of email.
- Spell out late fees in your contract or terms before work starts. State usury and consumer laws limit what you can charge, so check your state before setting a rate.
- Offer a one-click payment link. Clients pay faster when they don't have to set up a new payee.
Mistakes to avoid.
- "Due upon receipt" with no actual date, which gives the client's AP team nothing to schedule against.
- Editing an invoice you already sent instead of issuing a credit memo and a corrected invoice with a new number.
- Billing the wrong legal entity, so the invoice bounces in the client's system.
- Announcing new bank details in an email with no other confirmation.
- Invoicing weeks after the work, which pushes your payment back just as far.
Frequently asked questions.
What should you write in an email when sending an invoice?
What does Net 30 mean on an invoice?
Can I charge a late fee on an unpaid invoice?
How do I protect clients from invoice fraud?
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