Sending an invoice is three small jobs: a document that's complete, delivered to the person who actually pays it, with an easy way to pay. Get those right and most invoices are paid on time without a single follow-up. This guide covers each one, for freelancers and small businesses in Canada and the US.
Before you send: what the invoice needs
Whatever tool you use, an invoice should carry:
- An invoice number that follows on from your last one. It's how you and your client find the same document later.
- The issue date and the due date, or payment terms such as net 30.
- Your business name and address, and your client's name.
- What you supplied: one line per item or service, with quantity and price.
- Each sales tax on its own line, and the total.
- How to pay you: a payment link, bank details or the address for cheques.
In Canada, your client needs some of this to claim back the GST/HST they paid you. The CRA's input tax credit rules set it by the size of the sale: from $100, the invoice has to show your GST/HST registration number and the tax charged (or a statement that the price includes it). From $500, it also needs the buyer's name, a short description of what was sold and the payment terms.
In Québec, Revenu Québec's table works the same way for the QST, with one difference worth knowing: from $100 it asks for both your GST and QST registration numbers, and a description of what was sold is required for the QST even on smaller invoices. If your price includes both taxes, say so for each taxable item.
In the US there's no federal list of invoice fields. Sales tax is set by each state. If you collect it, show it on its own line and check your state's rules.
How to send an invoice by email, step by step
- Save it as a PDF. A PDF looks the same on every screen and can't be edited by accident. A Word or Excel file can.
- Name the file clearly. Something like Invoice-1042-Riverside-Dental.pdf is easy to find in a crowded inbox and in your own records.
- Send it to the person who pays. At a larger client that's often an accounts payable address, not the person you worked with. Ask once, at the start of the job, and keep both people on the email.
- Write a subject line that says everything. Invoice number, your business name, the amount and the due date.
- Keep the message short. What the invoice is for, the amount, the due date and how to pay.
- Attach the PDF and add the payment link if you have one. A link to pay by card turns paying you into a single click.
- Record that you sent it. Note the date in your invoice list or spreadsheet. That date tells you when to follow up.
An invoice email you can copy
Subject: Invoice 1042 from Riverside Design, $1,150.00 due November 20
Hi Dana,
Please find attached invoice 1042 for the October website updates, for $1,150.00 including GST and QST. It's due on November 20. You can pay by card or pre-authorized debit with the link below, or by bank transfer to the account on the invoice.
Thanks again, and let me know if anything needs a change.
Sam
Adjust the tone to the client. What matters is that the number, the amount, the due date and the way to pay are all in the email itself. Nobody should have to open the attachment to know what's being asked.
When to send an invoice
Send it as soon as the work is delivered or the agreed milestone is reached, while the job is fresh in your client's mind. A few common patterns:
- One-off jobs: on the day you deliver.
- Ongoing work: on the same day each month, which your client's accounts team learns to expect.
- Larger projects: at each milestone you agreed in the quote.
- Deposits and retainers: before the work starts. That's fine as long as the client agreed to it. Label the invoice as a deposit or retainer so nobody mistakes it for a final bill.
Other ways to send an invoice
Email is the default, but it isn't the only route. Invoicing software sends the invoice for you with a link to pay and tracks whether it was opened. Some larger clients ask suppliers to upload invoices to their own supplier portal instead of emailing them. Payment apps such as PayPal and Square have their own invoice senders. And paper still works: if you mail an invoice, send the PDF by email as well. That copy can't get lost in the post.
After you send: following up without the awkwardness
A late invoice has often simply been forgotten. A short, friendly reminder usually sorts it out:
- A few days before the due date: a reminder with the invoice attached again.
- On the due date: a note that it's due today, with the payment link.
- A week after: a direct question about whether anything is holding it up.
Keep every reminder polite and specific, with the invoice number and amount. If your terms include a late fee, mention it only after the due date has passed, and only if it was in the terms you agreed.
Make one now, or let Smartbills send them
For a single invoice, the free invoice maker builds it in your browser and saves it as a PDF, with no account and nothing uploaded. You then email it yourself using the steps above.
If you invoice every month, Smartbills invoicing does the sending for you. You build the invoice from your catalogue, GST, QST, HST or PST is worked out line by line, and your customer gets the PDF by email with a link to pay by card or pre-authorized debit. You can see when they've opened it, reminders go out before and after the due date until it's paid, and retainers can go out on a schedule.