Standard invoice:
A standard invoice is a sale document created by a business to be later submitted to a client. It is
also known as the most common form of service invoice used. This type of sample invoice is more
flexible in nature which helps it to be implemented in various industries. Using customer invoices
is best in a standard format.
The details of a standard invoice are as follows:
- Name of business and contact details
- Name of client and contact details
- An Invoice Number
- The amount of money charged by the industry to the client or the amount of money the client
needs to pay to the company.
Credit invoice:
This type of invoice is also known as a credit memo. A business provides this type of invoice in
cases where they want to give a :
- Refund.
- Discount.
- Correction for a mistake in the previous service invoice.
A notable fact about this type of invoice is it always writes a negative number for the total
charge. This means if a client is being returned, say ₹200. Then it will be reported as -₹200.
Debit invoice:
This type of invoice is also known as a debit memo. This type of invoice is usually issued by
businesses where they intend to increase the amount owed by the client to them.
A debit invoice can make enormous differences for many small businesses and freelancers who are
looking forward to making some adjustments to pre-existing bills. It might happen in cases where a
freelancer charges their client based on their work hours.
Later, it so happens that they put in additional hours to complete the project. So, now the
freelancer can send the client a debit invoice to adjust the charge for the extra hours. It is a
notable fact that the debit invoice always carries positive numbers.
Commercial Invoice:
This type of invoice is used by businesses that have international clients. It is the most
appropriate type of service invoice for international deals because the details in this document
include the determination of all customs duties to be paid on international sales. The information
that is mentioned in this sample invoice is as follows:
- Quantity of shipment.
- Volume/weight.
- A brief description of goods.
- Total value.
- Format of packaging.
Timesheet invoice:
This type of invoice mentions the charge put up by a business or a freelancer according to the hours
put in by them. That is, the billing is according to the standard rate of pay which is wholly based
on the number of hours they have worked.
Clients pay the other party according to the hours mentioned in the timesheets. This type of invoice
is mainly used in industries where the consumers are billed hourly, including freelancers,
psychologists, lawyers, etc.
Expense report:
This type of invoice is usually used by employees to bill their employer for the reimbursement of
something related to the business.
For example, if a company sends their employee to a business lunch meeting, then he can form an
invoice for the same. The invoice can include a meal, parking, and travel charges.
Pro Forma Invoice:
This invoice is also known as an estimated invoice as this is sent to the client before providing
them with the services. It is an estimate of the charges that will be incurred after the services
are delivered.
In many cases, a Pro forma Invoice template may have to be altered according to the business's work
hours. It is done so that the document's details are accurately mentioned.
Interim invoice:
This type of invoice is used mainly by large businesses for high-level projects. These high-level
projects include the agreement of multiple payments agreed upon by both parties in the contract. In
this type of invoice, certain milestones are made where the business provides interim invoices.
Using interim invoices ensures that the business or freelancer is paid in parts as they progress
towards the project completion. This invoice also helps many companies manage expenses, cash flow,
and budget. It is helpful while working on projects that take longer to complete.
Final invoice:
This type of invoice is a final document. A business submits it to the client after completing a
project for a payment request. A final invoice is more detailed than a pro forma or interim invoice.
This type of invoice includes:
- A detailed list of all the services provided ( item-wise).
- The total cost incurred for the completion of the project.
- The invoice number.
- Invoice due date.
- The different methods of payment accepted.
Past due invoice:
This type of invoice is provided by a business on the non-payment of dues by the client. Mostly,
there is some fixed due date set in the final invoice. The other party can provide a past due
invoice if the client doesn't abide by it.
This type of invoice should be sent to the clients as soon as they miss the payment due date. This
invoice includes all the unpaid dues of the past with the details of the services provided. It
refers to the payment details as mentioned in the final invoice. This document also includes the
interest charges and late fees, if any.
Recurring invoices:
Recurring service invoices benefit businesses that charge the same amount from their clients
regularly in exchange for their services. Making recurring invoices using service invoice formats
can help save time with automation.
This type of invoice is prevalent for IT businesses who request the same payment from their clients
or freelancers who deliver services according to a standard package.
Purchase invoice:
A purchase order invoice format is a commercial document provided by the seller to the buyer. This
document includes the goods and services purchased with proper details of quantities purchased and
their sale price.
This document is produced as proof of services bought and they were paid for. A professional
purchase invoice can be created using a professional service invoice template maker app.
Sales invoice:
A sales invoice is a type of document sent by businesses to their clients as a request for payment.
This document contains details about the goods or services sold to the client with the mention of
quantity and price.
You can create a customisable invoice for sale using a service invoice format. This document is also
taken as an official sales record for both the seller and the buyer.
E-invoice:
E-invoice is a general term given to a type of service invoice format sent via a digital medium. The
service invoice sent electronically can be of any kind. The format is customisable to meet unique
business requirements.
Nowadays, E-invoicing is becoming more and more popular among different businesses. These are easier
to create and share, making it possible for a business to get paid faster than physically prepared
invoices.