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Invoice Maker for Freelancers
Hourly, fixed fee, milestones or a retainer — the way you priced the work decides how the invoice should read. Here is how to write each one, and a free tool to produce it.
- Hourly, fixed-fee and milestone lines
- Deposit shown as a deduction
- Every currency, your logo
- Instant A4 PDF, no account
Online Invoice Generator for Freelancers
Fill in the freelance invoice below — hours, milestones or a fixed fee — then download the PDF or print it. Nothing you type is sent to us.
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Invoices, receipts, quotations and waybills on your phone.
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- Free, with no invoice limit
01
Which pricing model are you invoicing against?
Almost every freelance billing problem traces back to a mismatch between how the work was priced and how the invoice is written. Get the line items to mirror the agreement and most disputes disappear.
Hourly
One line per block of work, with the hours and the rate visible: “Landing page build — 12.5 hrs @ 65.00”. Decimal hours work in the tool, so 7.5 × 40.00 gives 300.00. If you bill a lot of hours, group them by task rather than listing every session — a client wants to see where the time went, not a timesheet.
Fixed project fee
One line for the agreed deliverable, referencing the proposal or quotation number. Resist the urge to break a fixed fee into invented hours; it invites negotiation on a price that was already agreed.
Milestones
A separate invoice per milestone, each stating which milestone it covers and what remains: “Milestone 2 of 3 — design sign-off. 40% of project fee.” Milestone billing is the main protection a freelancer has on a long project.
Retainer
A fixed monthly line for the retained scope, plus separate lines for anything outside it. State the period explicitly — “Retainer, March 2026” — and invoice on the same day each month.
Day rate
Days and the rate, with the dates worked in the detail line. Say in advance how a half day is treated; it is the most common source of a small, annoying argument.
02
A worked example
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand identity — per proposal PRO-018 Milestone 2 of 3: logo and type system | 1 | 1,200.00 | 1,200.00 |
| Additional layout revisions — outside agreed scope 18–22 Feb, approved by email 17 Feb | 6 | 65.00 | 390.00 |
| Stock photography licence (recharged at cost) | 1 | 84.00 | 84.00 |
| Deposit already received — invoice INV-031 | 1 | -600.00 | -600.00 |
Three things make this invoice easy to approve: the extra work is a separate line with the date it was authorised, the expense is labelled as recharged at cost, and the deposit already paid is deducted on the face of the document rather than left for the client to remember.
03
Deposits
For a new client, or any project longer than a couple of weeks, ask for a deposit before you start. A third is common. It covers your exposure if the project stalls, and it is a reliable signal of whether the client’s process can actually pay you. Invoice the deposit as its own invoice, then show it as a deduction on the final one.
04
Payment terms for freelancers
- Net 14 is a reasonable default. Net 30 is standard with larger clients; do not agree to Net 60 without pricing it in.
- Put the due date on the invoice as a date. Not a number of days.
- Ask for the accounts email at kick-off, not at invoice time.
- Ask whether a purchase order is required. With larger clients, an invoice without a PO number is frequently rejected outright.
- Say what you do about late payment in your terms, and be consistent.
05
Chasing without damaging the relationship
Treat it as administration rather than confrontation, because that is almost always what it is. A short note two or three days after the due date, attaching the invoice again, resolves most cases. If two reminders pass, move to a phone call to the accounts contact — email is easy to leave unread. Keep every message factual and dated; if it ever escalates, that record is what you rely on.
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FAQ
Questions
What should a freelance invoice include?
Your name or trading name and address, the client’s details, a unique invoice number, the date and due date, itemised work with hours or quantities and rates, any tax, the total, your payment details and the PO number if the client uses them.
Should I invoice before or after the work?
Usually after, with a deposit before. For a first project with a new client, a deposit up front and the balance on delivery is a fair and common arrangement.
How do I invoice a client in another country?
Agree the currency in advance and invoice in it — the currency selector covers the major ones. Say who bears the transfer fees, and check whether your own tax rules require anything specific on cross-border invoices.
Do I charge tax as a freelancer?
It depends on whether you are registered for VAT, GST or sales tax where you live, and sometimes on where your client is. If you are registered, your number goes on the invoice and the tax is shown as a separate line. Confirm your own position with your tax authority.
How do I handle a client who keeps paying late?
Change the terms rather than the reminders: a larger deposit, staged payments, or payment before final files are released. Chronic late payment is a pricing and structure problem, not an email-tone problem.