Freelance invoice template you can fill in online

Reviewed in November 2026

A freelance invoice bills a client for work you delivered on your own account. It lists the deliverables, the rate basis and the day rights pass to the client. The generator above opens with a writer and editor's lines in rupees. Switch the currency for a foreign client and download the PDF.

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Freelance invoice

Invoice no.

Issue date

Due in (days)

Currency

From

Bill to

Address, phone, tax ID

Client address, tax ID

12,000.00

7,200.00

9,000.00

3,600.00

1,600.00

1,500.00

Tax name

Tax %

Split into CGST and SGST (India)

SubtotalINR 34,900.00

GST 18.00%INR 6,282.00

Total dueINR 41,182.00

Payment instructions

Notes and terms

Your file never leaves your device.

What it includes

Your name, city, PAN or tax ID and email
Invoice number
Invoice date and due date
Client name, address and PO number
Project or brief name
Lines: deliverable, quantity, rate, amount
Subtotal, GST if registered, total
Advance received and balance due
Payment instructions
Rights and terms

Freelance invoice: full text

INVOICE

[Priya Nair, Writer and Editor]
[Kochi, Kerala] · [priya@domain] · [Phone]
PAN: [number] · GSTIN: [if registered]

Invoice no.: [PN-2026-019]
Invoice date: [6 November 2026]
Due date: [21 November 2026]

Bill to:
[Leafline Media Pvt Ltd]
[Indiranagar, Bengaluru]
PO no.: [7781] · Project: [November blog calendar]

Deliverable                                 Qty     Rate       Amount
[Blog article, 1,500 words]                 [4]     [3,000]    [12,000]
[Copy editing, per 1,000 words]             [12]    [600]      [7,200]
[Website landing page copy, per page]       [2]     [4,500]    [9,000]
[Social media captions, pack of 10]         [3]     [1,200]    [3,600]
[Extra revision round, per hour]            [2]     [800]      [1,600]
[Rush delivery fee, under 48 hours]         [1]     [1,500]    [1,500]
                                            Subtotal           [34,900]
                                            [GST, if registered]  [0]
                                            Advance received   [-17,450]
                                            BALANCE DUE        [₹17,450]

Payment instructions
UPI [priyanair@oksbi] · A/c [number] · IFSC [code]
[PayPal or SWIFT details for foreign clients]

Terms
Payment is due within [15] days of the invoice date.
[Rights in the delivered work transfer to the client on full payment.]
[Two revision rounds included. Further rounds billed per hour.]

Lines for writing and editing work

Deliverable	Qty	Rate (₹)	Amount (₹)
Blog article, 1,500 words	4	3,000	12,000
Copy editing, per 1,000 words	12	600	7,200
Website landing page copy, per page	2	4,500	9,000
Social media captions, pack of 10	3	1,200	3,600
Extra revision round, per hour	2	800	1,600
Rush delivery fee, under 48 hours	1	1,500	1,500
Total			34,900

Name each piece by its title in the notes when the client asks. Content teams approve faster when they recognise the work.

Fields a freelancer should not skip

Field	Example	What it prevents
Your name and PAN or tax ID	Priya Nair · PAN [number]	Payment held while accounts asks for it
Client PO number	PO 7781	Invoice parked until a PO arrives
Brief or project name	November blog calendar	Confusion between two jobs
Delivery date	4 November 2026	Arguments about when work was handed over
Rate basis	Per article, per 1,000 words, per hour	Disputes over how the total was reached
Rights clause	Rights transfer on full payment	Unpaid work being published
Payment options	UPI, bank transfer, PayPal	Clients asking how to pay

Per word, per article or per hour

Rate basis	Example line	Fits
Per article	Blog article, 1,500 words · ₹3,000	Regular content calendars
Per 1,000 words	Copy editing · ₹600	Editing and proofreading
Per page	Landing page copy · ₹4,500	Website projects
Per hour	Extra revision round · ₹800	Work beyond the agreed scope
Flat fee	Rush delivery · ₹1,500	Deadlines under 48 hours

Mix rate bases on one invoice when the job needs it. Each line still shows its own unit.

Billing a client abroad

Change the currency in the generator to USD, GBP or EUR. Bill in the currency written in the agreement.

Add the bank SWIFT code or a PayPal address under payment instructions. Agree in advance who pays the transfer fees.

Write the exchange rate in the notes if the client pays in rupees. Both sides then see the same figure.

Advance and balance collected on WhatsApp

Priya takes half the fee when Leafline sends the brief. She bills the balance on delivery.

Payment	When	Amount (₹)
Advance 50%	On receiving the brief	17,450
Balance 50%	On delivery of all pieces	17,450

The message goes to the client's accounts contact with the invoice.

«Hi Kavya, invoice PN-2026-019 for Leafline's November content is attached. The ₹17,450 advance is received, thank you. The balance of ₹17,450 is due by 21 November. UPI and bank details are on the invoice.»

Some clients deduct TDS before paying. Note the amount received and ask for the TDS certificate.

Editing invoices and other freelance work

Freelancer	Typical line
Editor	Line edit, per 1,000 words
Translator	Translation English to Hindi, per word
Graphic designer	Logo concept, 3 options
Developer	Sprint of 40 hours
Voice artist	Recording, per finished minute
Virtual assistant	Monthly support, 60 hours

Type your own lines over the examples. The generator keeps the totals right as you go.

Monthly retainer invoices

A retainer pays a fixed fee each month for a set amount of work. Bill it on the first working day.

Line	Amount (₹)
Content retainer, November, 8 articles	24,000
Extra articles beyond 8, 2 × 3,000	6,000
Unused hours carried over from October	0

Put extras from the previous month on the same invoice. The client then has one payment to approve.

Write the period in the description every time. «November retainer» avoids a second payment for the same month.

Freelance invoicing mistakes

Invoicing without the client's PO. Accounts teams park it until one arrives.
One total with no breakdown. The editor in the client team cannot approve it.
Unlimited revisions by default. Write how many rounds the rate includes.
No rights line. Transfer on full payment protects work that is still unpaid.
Invoicing weeks after delivery. The client's budget for that month may be closed.
Restarting the invoice number for each client. Keep one running series.

Makatea keeps track of who has paid

A freelancer with eight clients loses track of balances by the second month. Chasing each one by hand eats writing time.

Makatea sends each client a WhatsApp or email reminder near the due date. It records each payment and shows what is still open.

Start with your client list in Excel. The first 14 days are free and need no card.

Free on Makatea: promissory note template · free invoice generator

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a company to send an invoice?

No. A freelancer invoices in their own name. Add GST only if you are registered.

Should I charge per hour or per project?

Either works. Charge per project for defined pieces and per hour for work beyond the brief.

How do I invoice a client in another country?

Switch the currency in the generator. Add SWIFT or PayPal details under payment instructions.

When should a freelancer send the invoice?

On the day of delivery. Monthly retainers go out on the first working day of the month.

Can I send the invoice on WhatsApp?

Yes. Send the image in the chat and the PDF to the accounts email. Both carry the same number.

Is this a government e-invoice?

No. It is a commercial invoice for your billing and collections. Government e-invoicing systems are issued in their own portal.

Your recurring collections on autopilot

Makatea sends the reminders over WhatsApp and email, records every payment and tells you who to follow up with first.

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