How to Send an Invoice

To send an invoice: create a document with your details, the client's details, an itemized list of what you're charging for, the total, and clear payment terms — then deliver it as a PDF by email or as a link the client can pay online. Below is the step-by-step version.

1. Gather what you need first

Before you create the invoice, have these ready:

• Your business name, address, and contact email.
• The client's name and billing contact.
• A description of the work or items, with quantities and prices.
• Your payment terms (when payment is due and how the client can pay).

2. Build the invoice

A professional invoice has a predictable structure: a unique invoice number, the issue date, your details and the client's details, line items with amounts, subtotal, any tax, the total due, and the due date. For the full field-by-field list, see what to include on an invoice.

Keep line items specific. "Consulting" is weaker than "Consulting — 8 hrs @ $120 (Apr 1–5)"; the second is easier for a client to approve and pay.

3. Choose how the client will pay

Decide this before you send, because it changes what goes on the invoice:

• Online payment — include a payment link so the client can pay by card immediately. This is the single biggest lever for getting paid sooner.
• Bank transfer — include your account details and reference.

With InvoClaw you connect a Stripe account and each invoice gets a hosted payment page; the client pays by card and the funds land on your own Stripe balance, with no extra platform fee beyond Stripe's standard processing fees.

4. Send it

Email the invoice as a PDF attachment, or send the payment link. Use a clear subject line (Invoice #1024 from <your business> — due May 30) and a short message that states the amount and due date. Keep a copy for your records.

5. Confirm and follow up

Confirm the client received it, then track its status. If the due date passes, send a short, polite reminder. A simple cadence — a reminder a few days before the due date and again just after — recovers most late payments. For more, read how to get paid faster.

Send your first invoice

If you'd rather not assemble all this by hand, InvoClaw drafts the invoice, exports a clean PDF, emails it with a payment link, and tracks whether it's paid, partial, or overdue. You can start free — see pricing.

Ready to put this into practice? See InvoClaw pricing or start free — draft an invoice, accept card payments via Stripe, and track who has paid.