There are many types of invoices that you can make for your clients, and the type of invoice you select will depend on your industry, how you bill your customers, and how frequently you plan to get compensated. 

This guide will show you the different types of invoices. At the end of this article, you will learn what type of invoice you should choose for your business. 

The Different Types of Invoices

Standard Invoice

A standard invoice is the most common type of invoice that many small businesses make. It is basically what you issue and submit to a client. The format is flexible and fits various industries and business cycles.

While the design comes in variety, standard invoices contain essential information such as:

• Business information (name and contact details)
• The client’s information (name and contact details)
• Invoice number
• Invoice date
• An itemized list of the products and services rendered by the business
• Price per item and sub-total
• Discounts and fees (if applicable)
• Charged taxes
• Total amount payable

Our guide, How to Write An Invoice With Spark will help you learn more about standard invoices and how you can write one. 

Credit Invoice

Also called a credit memo, a credit invoice is another critical document, particularly for providing a client a refund or a discount. Businesses also issue a credit memo to correct a previous invoicing error. A credit memo will always include a negative total number. 

For instance, if you’re issuing a credit memo to a customer to detail a $60 refund, the total on the credit memo would be -$60. Do not confuse a standard invoice with a credit invoice. A standard invoice shows an itemized bill by a business against the services or products offered. In contrast, a credit invoice is a promissory note provided to customers in exchange for returned orders. 

A credit invoice is a useful tool in any business — big or small — both to sellers and buyers. You can use credit invoice in different scenarios such as:

Returned goods

If a client returns products for which they have been previously billed, you must issue a credit memo to correct the amount due from the customer. 

Pricing disputes

There are times when a buyer contests the price they are billed. You can resolve this issue by making an informal agreement, binding mediation, or a legal proceeding. If both parties agree with a price reduction in the original invoice, then you must issue a credit invoice.

Promotional discounts

You can issue a credit invoice to a client or customer you wish to give a discount who has already been billed. 

Errors with the original invoice

You might make mistakes when creating invoices. If an issued invoice has an error, you can issue a credit memo to correct the situation. 

Debit Invoice

Also called a debit memo, a debit invoice is issued by a business to correct the amount billed to a client. It essentially states how much more the client has to pay for the company. Freelancers and small businesses can use debit invoices when they need to make adjustments to an existing invoice. 

For example, suppose a freelancer sent a client an invoice based on estimated hours and end up working additional hours for a project. In that case, the freelancer can send the client a debit invoice for the additional billable hours. Credit invoices are always written in negative numbers, while debit invoices are written as positive numbers. 

You can use debit invoices in different situations. Another example is when a client misses the deadline for the early payment discount but deducts the discount anyway, you can issue a debit invoice for the discount amount. Also, if you paid for the freight charges for the client, you may issue a debit invoice for the freight charges. 

In a debit invoice, you’re essentially increasing the accounts receivable for the debit invoice amount and escalating revenue. On the other hand, the buyer increases his accounts payable to pay the amount stated in the debit invoice, increasing their expenses. 

Timesheet Invoice

Contract employees who are paid hourly by their employer use a timesheet to indicate their billable. Hence, a timesheet invoice is for freelancers who bill their clients based on the hours worked on a project. If you’re a freelancer, you may use a timesheet invoice to bill your customers. 

Timesheet invoices are common in several industries where clients are billed hourly, including:

• Psychologists
• Business consultants
• Lawyers
• Creative agencies

Timesheet invoices can be easily made using Excel or Word. You can also find free timesheet invoice templates online. 

Commercial Invoice

Another type of invoice is the commercial invoice issued by a business for goods that it sells to international customers. Commercial invoices state the sale details that are necessary to determine customs duties, especially for cross-border sales. Some of the important information to include are the following:

• Description of goods
• Weight or volume 
• Shipment quantity
• The total value of goods
• Packaging format

Commercial invoices are essential to determine the taxes and duties required for a package to clear customers. For this reason, it’s one of the most important documents when shipping goods across different countries. A commercial invoice is used as a customs declaration that you, the business owner, export an item across international borders. 

Pro Forma Invoice

A pro forma invoice is another type of invoice that’s a preliminary bill of sale issued to customers in advance of delivery of items. The invoice contains information about the purchased items and other important details, including the transport charges and shipping weight. 

Pro forma, which is Latin for as a matter of form, invoices are usually necessary when it comes to international transactions, especially for customs purposes when importing goods. Most pro forma invoices provide the customer with an accurate sale price. 

Like other invoices, there are no specific guidelines dictating the exact format or design of a pro forma invoice. Further, a pro forma invoice may be altered once a project or shipment is complete to accurately reflect the total payable amount of the shipped goods or services rendered. 

Final Invoice

A final invoice is issued to a client to request payment for a  completed project. The final invoice is usually more detailed than a pro forma invoice. Like a standard invoice, a final invoice includes the following information:

• An itemized list of goods and services rendered
• The total payable amount or cost of the project
• Invoice number 
• The invoice date (the date of which the invoice is issued)
• Invoice due date 
• Payment channels accepted

Past Due Invoice

You may send your client a past due invoice if they don’t provide the payment by the due date indicated on the final invoice. You must send past due invoices to your clients as soon as they miss their payment deadline. Past due invoices contain information on the services or goods provided, as well as the payment details listed on the final invoice. A past due invoice may include interest charges or late fees, if applicable. 

Sales Invoice

Another type of invoice for freelancers and business owners is the sales invoice—a document that a business sends to a customer or client to request payment for the items or services. A sales invoice contains descriptions of the services or products sold, the quantity, and the price. Sales invoices are not always necessary but they are essential for record-keeping. They can also serve as an official record of a sale for both the seller and buyer.  

Bill Your Clients Using Spark Invoice Maker

Creating invoices is fast and easy with Spark Invoice Maker. Our invoice generator enables you to make professional and sleek sales invoices in a matter of seconds. Using Spark is far from being complicated. All you need to do is enter your business information, your client’s details, a list of goods or services you sold, and their prices. 

Well-formatted invoice 

Spark Invoice Maker generates a well-formatted invoice that you can be proud of! The best part is that you can mark it with your company logo to resonate with your brand. You don’t need to worry about opening a word processing software and formatting a table—Spark does all of that for you. All that’s left to do is fill in the necessary fields, and Spark will generate an invoice that you can send to your clients instantly. 

Make invoices wherever, whenever

Running a business is not a walk to the park. There’s so much to do and to take care of. You need an invoice maker that lets you generate invoices within minutes. We designed Spark Invoice Maker for workers and sellers that are always on the go. Use Spark Invoice Maker wherever and whenever you need it. 

Create and send

Once Spark has generated your invoice, you can send it directly to your client via email or text message. Spark supports major messaging platforms, ensuring your clients receive your invoice instantly. 

The post What Are the Different Types of Invoices? appeared first on Spark Invoice.

Use Spark Invoice Maker For Recurring Invoices

Recurring invoices have grown in popularity in modern businesses because they make the billing process much easier and more efficient. Business owners save a lot of time from remaking invoices, allowing them to focus on the more important matters of their business.

Before you can use recurring invoices, you must first get your client’s permission to charge them a regular amount on a regular basis. The billing will continue until the customer chooses to withdraw or until the agreed-upon termination date. 

Recurring invoices serve a lot of benefits—convenience being at the top. For one, you don’t have to request your customer’s payment information repeatedly. On the other hand, your customers don’t have to send manual payments frequently. 

Sending recurring invoices has never been easier, thanks to modern mobile applications that make the entire process fast and efficient. Spark Invoice Maker is a mobile productivity app that lets you generate and send invoices instantly. It automatically creates a professional PDF invoice you can send to your customers via email or text message.

When it comes to recurring invoices, Spark Invoice does an impressive job of keeping your records and saving previous invoices for faster and easier accessibility. If you’re looking for an app that lets you send recurring invoices without any hassle, then look no further—Spark Invoice Maker is here to save the day. 

Check out some of Spark’s features:

Saves your client information 

Spark Invoice Maker automatically saves your clients’ information. There are two ways you can do this: (1) you can manually save them on your client list page, or (2) by entering their information when creating a new invoice. 

At the app’s homepage, select (+) New to add a new client to your list in the Client section. You can manually enter your client’s information (name, address, and contact details) or import it from your contacts. To see your client list, go back to the homepage and select Manage in the Client section. 

When you select Manage, you will see your clients in alphabetical order. You will also see the number of invoices or estimates sent to each client. You can delete a client by clicking Select at the top right corner of the screen. If you wish to add a new client, simply select the (+) button at the bottom right corner. 

Whenever you add a new client, Spark Invoice Maker will automatically save the information, so you can quickly pull them up the next time you need to send a recurring invoice to the new client.

Lets you save your product or service information.

Spark Invoice does not only let you create a client list but also a product list, where you can save all your products and services with their descriptions and prices. By having pre-saved product information in the app, you can quickly enter the products or services you have provided in the invoice without having to type them. 

This can save you time, especially when a repeat customer orders the same goods or services. This is also why Spark Invoice Maker is the perfect app for generating and sending recurring invoices—it simplifies the entire billing process. 

To save your goods or services in the app, you can go to the homepage and select (+) New in the Item section. The app will then prompt you to enter the product name, description, unit (quantity), and unit price. You may also go to the Manage Item page (Homepage > Items > Manage) to see the added goods or services in the app. From there, you can delete, edit, or add new items. To delete an item, tap the Select button at the top right corner and choose an item(s) to erase. Tap a product you wish to edit, and select the (+) at the bottom right corner to add a new item.

Send your invoices fast

Once you have created an invoice, you can immediately send it to your client through email or messaging apps. Spark Invoice Maker supports major messaging platforms, ensuring you can deliver your invoices to your clients no matter what platform they use.

When you instantly deliver your invoices, you get a higher chance of getting paid early or within the deadline. Remember to send your invoices immediately within the delivery date, as the invoice date must reflect the invoice’s delivery date.

After the app has generated the invoice, you can preview it and look for errors. If corrections are needed, you can tap Edit at the top right corner. You want your invoice to be professional—that means accurate and error-free. Mistakes in invoices (whether in regards to your client’s information, pricing, or charges) may result in misunderstandings, disputes, or your invoice being returned to you, which can only delay payments. 

Spark Invoice Maker generates your invoices in PDF, which you can easily print out if necessary. If the invoice looks perfectly fine, you can directly send it to your client from the app by tapping the Send button at the bottom of the invoice. It will show the available options on your device based on the email service provider and messaging apps you have. 

If you have a cloud storage app on your device, you may also upload the invoice to it for record-keeping purposes. This way, you won’t have to print them out just to keep records. When you have your invoices saved in the cloud, you can check them across your devices. Best of all, you won’t have to worry about losing them. 

The Benefits of Recurring Invoices

Recurring invoices can benefit you (and essentially, your business). Here are some reasons why:

Improves your business’ cash flow

Recurring invoices play a vital role in keeping a steady torrent of monthly income. If you’re a sole proprietor, a business owner, or a freelancer, you know how having a consistent stream of monthly income can keep your business running. Recurring invoices help improve your cash flow from month-to-month, ensuring you have enough money to cover your expenses. 

Speeds up payment

We are accustomed to paying bills, such as rent, phone, and cable. When you send recurring invoices regularly, you will encourage your customers to include your invoices in their payment routine. 

Plus, we all know how frustrating it is to chase payments and constantly request money from clients—you don’t want that. It’s unprofessional and can consume much of your precious time. Recurring invoices speed up the payment process by effectively cultivating good invoicing habits, which means you’ll spend a lot less time making follow-ups and chasing payments. 

As a freelancer, business owner, or contractor, you can focus your time on other critical business matters such as marketing, sales, and customer service.

Improves customer relationship

In marketing, one of the most important ways to grow and retain customers is to build a good relationship with them. Yes, the quality of your products and services matter as much as your marketing efforts, but customer relationship is what can make and break your business.

When you build a strong, good relationship with your customers, they are likely to spread good things about you and your business. These recommendations can grow your customer base. And remember, word of mouth spreads like wildfire—big and fast.

By sending recurring invoices to your clients, they will see you as part of their extended team (and will include you in their monthly budget) instead of just being perceived as an “ad hoc” seller.

Download Spark Invoice Maker Now

Spark Invoice Maker is a free-to-download mobile app designed for freelancers, business owners, sole traders, and contractors. It’s the best app to generate invoices and estimates—it lets you create well-formatted, professional invoices in the convenience of your palm. 

It’s a light mobile app that’s heavy on features that can streamline your billing processes. Create invoices without having to worry about formatting and design. All you need to do is enter the necessary information, and Spark will do the rest. 

Spark Invoice Maker also keeps your records in one place, so you can track your invoices and estimates quickly when you need them. You can check your past invoices and quotations, print them, or send them at any time. 

We generate sleek and minimalistic invoices that focus on the important information—that’s how invoices should be: not grandiose, but not too simple. Further, you can mark the invoices with your company logo to show your brand.  

Our invoice-generating app allows you to impose taxes or deduct discounts from the total amount. Learn more on how you can charge taxes using Spark Invoice Maker by reading our guide. 

The post The Solution to Creating Recurring Invoices appeared first on Spark Invoice.

But there’s one important step just before that… invoicing. 

While it may not be the most exciting part of your freelance life, it has to be done. And when you do it, you want the process to be professional and smooth. Invoices must be well-structured, neat, received on time, and easy to understand. Your client must be able to see the important details in your invoice—the taxes charged, the list of items or services rendered, the prices, and the amount payable. 

Invoicing is tedious and time-consuming for many freelancers. Just think of the time wasted formatting an invoice in a word processor or Excel. Not all freelancers are tech-savvy and can craft professional invoices within minutes. 

The good news is that invoicing apps make the pain out of this process. This guide will discuss the best invoice app for freelancers and some tips to get paid faster!

The Best Invoice App for Freelancers

Spark Invoice Maker is the best invoice app for freelancers—for several reasons. 

What is Spark Invoice Maker?

Spark Invoice Maker is an invoice-generating mobile app designed for freelancers, contractors, sole traders, and entrepreneurs. You can download Spark Invoice on your iOS or Android device. It is developed by Mafooly, a company that excels in creating productivity tools, along with other photography and educational apps for kids. 

What can Spark Invoice do?

Spark Invoice Maker can do a lot of things that can streamline your billing processes. Mainly, this app lets you create invoices quickly and efficiently. We believe that time is gold, especially for freelancers like you. Every minute wasted can know you off your rhythm. We developed Spark Invoice Maker to make invoicing extremely fast and easy, so you can focus on your growth and on building your relationship with clients. 

Invoicing

You don’t need to boot your computer, open a word processing program, and create tables to make an invoice. Spark Invoice Maker takes care of everything. All you need to do is enter your business information, client details, a list of the services or products you rendered and their prices, and add taxes, fees, or discounts. 

If you offer services, you can charge your client for your billable hours, then add a short description of the service you have provided. 

After entering these details, Spark Invoice Maker will generate a well-formatted, professional invoice. You can mark your invoice with your brand by adding your company logo. 

Our guide, How to Create An Invoice with Spark covers everything you need to know how to make an invoice using Spark Invoice Maker. 

Estimates

Clients typically ask for estimates to compare prices from different service providers. If a client asks you for a quotation, you can quickly create one using Spark Invoice Maker. And because Spark is a mobile app, that means you can instantly generate an estimate right on the spot.

Making quotations is just as easy as generating invoices—add your business details, your client’s information, the prices of the services or products being asked, and you’re good to go. 

And if a potential client takes your service, you can then convert your quotation into an invoice, so you don’t have to create a new one and enter the same details. Isn’t it efficient? Absolutely! 

You can create as many estimates as you wish and convert them into invoices as you need. Spark Invoice really proves it is the best invoice app for freelancers. 

Manage your clients

If you’re a freelancer with multiple clients, you’d be glad to know that Spark Invoice Maker has a feature that lets you save a list of your clients. This is particularly ideal because you won’t have to enter your client’s details repeatedly. Once their information is saved on the app, you can simply select them from your list, and then Spark will instantly import the information and complete the necessary fields. 

To add a client, you can add their information manually or import it from your contacts list. You may add a client by going to Homepage > Clients > Manage. Whenever you create a new invoice for a new client, Spark will automatically save the client information, making it easier and faster to invoice repeat clients. 

Create a product list

Freelancers who offer various services will love this feature. Spark Invoice Maker lets you create a product list—a list of the goods and services you offer with their prices or rate. You can also add short descriptions to each item. 

Whenever you create an invoice, you can manually add the items or services sold. Or, to save time, you can just select from your product list. 

Many Spark Invoice Maker users utilize the product list feature as their inventory. They use it to assess their stock and determine which items sell faster. 

Tips to Get Paid Faster

Maintaining cash flow is crucial for freelancers. Long waits can hurt your business, and chasing payments can eat your time. So, what can you do to avoid these problems?

Offer multiple payment options.

One of the reasons why your client may fail to pay you on time because you only offer one payment option, which, on their end, is impractical. That being said, try offering multiple payment options—this way, your client will have fewer excuses to delay payment. 

Use our Additional Notes feature to state the payment options you accept. Some clients prefer payments via PayPal, wire transfer, credit card, and other digital wallets. Ensure that you have these options available. 

Add an invoice number 

An invoice number serves as your invoice’s unique identifier. As a freelancer, they can help your record and keep track of invoices—unsettled or paid. As for your clients, the invoice number can help to identify your invoice. This is particularly helpful if your client deals with several freelancers. 

When making a follow-up, use the invoice number to identify your invoice. Instead of saying, “I’d like to follow up with the invoice I sent 3 days ago,” you can say, “I’d like to request the payment of our invoice INV023.” 

To learn more about invoice numbers, read our comprehensive guide, Can You Customize Your Invoice Number With An Invoice App? 

Offer rewards or incentives for quick payments

Many freelancers give clients discounts for payments made within 10 days of receiving the invoice. This kind of incentive is a great way to encourage your clients to pay you on time. However, when offering this incentive, make sure to factor its cost into your pricing. 

Impose fees for late-payments

Rewarding your clients for early payments with exclusive discounts will encourage them not to delay payments. Charging fees for late-payments also do the same thing—your clients are likely to pay you early or on time to avoid the fees. 

While implementing a penalty system is not a bad idea, you should still be considerate with your clients regarding payment. Huge companies typically use this strategy, so make sure to check your competitive position and importance before imposing this system. 

You can, of course, give your clients a grace period. Then, set a reasonable deadline. If your client fails to pay within the given grace period, only then should you implement the late fee. 

If you want to impose late fees, it’s best to make a written agreement with your client beforehand to avoid disputes in the future. Make sure your client understands the consequences of delayed payments. 

Make a friendly reminder.

If your client fails to pay on time or within the given period, you don’t necessarily have to go berserk and rage about it. Sometimes, a quick friendly reminder is all it takes. 

Your client may have forgotten about your invoice or they may be having emergencies. Chasing payments can really waste your time, but showing consideration to your clients can build stronger relationships with them. And when it comes to business, a solid customer relationship can scale your business. 

Again, you may use the invoice number when making a follow-up request. If you want to implement weekly reminders, ensure your client agrees with such an arrangement. You don’t want to annoy them by constantly reminding them of the money they need to pay you. 

To learn more about how you can stop chasing payments, check out our guide, What Is An Invoice Maker App. 

Try Spark Invoice Maker Now!

Spark Invoice Maker is a free-to-download mobile app that you can download from Google PlayStore and Apple Appstore. Download Spark Invoice Maker now and start streamlining your invoicing processes. With Spark Invoice Maker, you can generate and send invoices within seconds. This feature-rich productivity tool is the best invoice app for freelancers. 

The post Best Invoice App for Freelancers appeared first on Spark Invoice.

In this guide, we will walk you through how to make an invoice and what information you should include in it. 

What Is An Invoice?

An invoice is a document that states the products or services you have rendered and the total amount the client has to pay you. An invoice is not always necessary, more so if your client pays the full amount upon purchase. 

You should not confuse an invoice with a receipt. An invoice is a bill with descriptions of the items you’re charging, while a receipt is payment proof, which you must issue to a purchaser after they pay the full amount. 

How to Make an Invoice

Follow the steps below to make an invoice from scratch. Take note, each step is critical, so you don’t miss any important information that your client will need.

Create a header with your company information

Write down your business information at the top of your invoice. It should include your business name. If your a limited liability company, make sure to use your registered business name. If you’re a freelancer, this can just be your full legal name. 

Then, add your business address (for registered companies, use your office’s address, and for freelancers, this might just be your home address). Further, add your phone number and email address, so your client can easily contact you in case they have queries regarding your invoice.

Add your client’s contact details.

Next, add your client’s contact information, starting with their name, phone number, then email address. Ensure you enter the correct contact person to receive your invoice. It’s best to verify to whom the invoice should be addressed, especially if you’re sending a new invoice to a new client. 

You want these details to be accurate to avoid mistakes or misunderstandings, which can often lead to delayed payments and disputes. 

Adding your client’s information to the invoice will also help them recognize that the invoice is intended for them. 

Enter invoice information

Every invoice you make must have a unique invoice number. Invoice numbers will help you easily identify and track your invoices, more so if you send multiple invoices every week. 

Invoice numbers should never duplicate. Otherwise, you might lose track of them, or worse, send them to the wrong person. When adding an invoice number, we highly suggest using a numbering system that works best for you. Then, stay consistent to avoid confusion. 

The best way to start with Invoice 0001 at your first invoice. And from there, you can just count up. You will also want to include the invoice date—this is when you created the invoice. 

Adding an invoice date can help you track your invoices. And it’s also easier to charge late fees (or award early payors) when the invoice date is clearly stated in the invoice. 

If you’re charging interest or fees for late payments, make sure you state this to your client before accepting orders or projects. If a contract exists, ensure the payment terms and conditions are stated clearly. 

State your payment terms

It’s critical that your invoice specifies when and how you expect your customers to pay you. We suggest marking your invoice with an invoice due date. It’s common among freelancers and contractors to use a 30-day billing cycle. Some use a 14-day billing cycle. For example, if you issue an invoice on November 1st, the payment due is 14 or 30 days later, which is November 15th or December 1st. 

State what payment options you accept (i.e., PayPal, credit card, wire transfer, Bitcoin, etc.) We suggest having several payment options available to make payment easier for your clients. Besides that, having several payment channels give clients fewer reasons to delay payment!

If you charge late fees, ensure you outline the terms on your invoice clearly. It’s always best to discuss your payment terms with a client before they first sign on to avoid disputes and misunderstandings in the future. 

Late fees will encourage your clients to pay on time, but some customers are not fond of penalty systems. A good alternative would be to reward early payments with exclusive discounts. Some companies give at least a 1% discount on early payments. If you do this, make sure to calculate its cost (you don’t want to jeopardize your profit!) 

Add an itemized list of goods and services

Your invoice should be transparent and include an itemized list of the services or products you rendered for the invoice period. The list should be organized and easy to understand. It’s best to present them as a table with columns that include the following information:

• Products or services provided (with short descriptions)
• Date
• Quantity or billable hours
• Rate 
• Sub-total

Your invoice must also include the taxes you charge your clients. Remember, the tax rate depends on your location and type of business. So make sure to check your local state to know how much tax you should charge your customers. 

If applicable, consider adding notes to your invoice

While it may not be necessary, you might want to consider adding notes to your invoice. It could be a friendly thank you note for your client. Not only is it good for your business, but it’s also a common courtesy to thank your clients. Plus, it can help you get paid faster. 

Writing An Invoice in the Proper Format

Invoices vary in design and format, but whatever your design is, it must contain the essential information:

• Your business information. It should be at the top of your invoice and placed as a header. The word Invoice must also be stated clearly. 
• Below your business information is your client’s billing details. 
• Beside your client’s information should be your invoice number and invoice date. This is also where you should place the invoice due date. 
• The total payable amount should be in bold and easily distinguishable, so your client can quickly see how much they need to pay. 
• Add an itemized list of goods and services you rendered along with a short description, cost, number of units or hours, and subtotal amount. 
• If you offer discounts, it should be placed under the subtotal. 
• Taxes and fees must also be included. 

Free Invoice Templates For You

If making invoices sounds too complicated for you, you can use our free invoice templates instead. Check out our gallery of invoice templates that you can use for free. You can open them via Google Docs or download them and open them using a word processor program. 

Our free invoice templates are available in various formats. Plus, they’re all highly customizable, which means you can mark them with your company logo and change the color scheme to match your brand. 

Check out our free invoice templates:

• Free Printable Invoice Templates
• Blank Invoice Templates
• Invoice Template Google Docs
• Receipt Template
• Cash Receipt Template

Hassle-Free Invoicing with Spark Invoice Maker

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of downloading and formatting invoice templates, Spark Invoice Maker is here to save your day. Spark Invoice Maker is a mobile application that lets you generate invoices effortlessly—yes, there’s no need for you to open your computer and puzzle over a word processing app. 

When you use Spark Invoice Maker, all you need to do is enter your business information, your client’s billing details, an itemized list of goods and services provided, their prices, and applicable taxes. You can customize the header with your business information and logo. 

You can add notes and insert images to your Spark invoice. Also, Spark does the math for you, ensuring that your invoice is error-free and reliable. 

After entering these details, Spark Invoice will automatically generate a well-formatted, professional invoice that you can send to your client instantly from the app. You can send your invoice via email, text, and other messaging platforms. 

Spark does not only let you generate invoices but estimates too. This means you can immediately provide potential clients with quotations. And should they continue using the services of your company, you can easily convert your estimate into an invoice, so you don’t have to create a new invoice and enter the same information. 

Spark really does boast a lot of great features. To learn more about Spark Invoice Maker, read our comprehensive guide, How to Create an Invoice with Spark. 

Download Spark Invoice Maker Now!

Streamline your billing processes and impress your clients with your professional, beautiful invoices using Spark Invoice Maker. There’s a lot of ways to scale your business, and you can start by modernizing your invoices. Try Spark Invoice Maker now and experience the convenience of digitalizing your invoices. Generate and send invoices within seconds and get paid faster! Spark Invoice Maker is a free-to-download mobile app available on Apple Appstore and Google Playstore.

The post How to Make An Invoice appeared first on Spark Invoice.

Your invoices need to look professional, and your billable hours should be stated clearly and precisely to establish your clients’ solid and continuous trust and confidence in your work. You don’t want to hurt your relationship with your clients because of bad practices with noncompliance entries. So, when you choose an invoice app, you need to look for features that let you generate professional, sleek, and accurate invoices. 

In this guide, we will show you why Spark Invoice Maker is the best invoice app for contractors, elaborating its features and the things that you can do with it.

The Best Invoice App for Contractors

Invoice generators help contractors and business owners bill customers in efficient, time-saving ways. Today, you can find thousands of invoice apps in the market, sharing the same features but at different price points. Some lack features and others stand out because of their unique and practical qualities. 

Spark Invoice Maker outshines other invoice apps out there. We built Spark to help contractors like you create invoices quickly and easily, requiring very little effort at your end. This way, you can focus more on improving your business and providing your customers with top-tier services. 

You don’t need any training to use Spark Invoice—Spark lets you create professional invoices in no time at all, complete with your brand name and company logo. 

As a contractor, you probably spend most of your time shifting from one client to another. If that’s true for you, you need an invoice app that you can quickly access using your mobile device, allowing you to create invoices instantly when the moment demands it. With Spark, you don’t have to worry about frustrating your clients for late invoices—you can absolutely create invoices on the spot.  

Spark Invoice Maker allows you to include billable hours in your invoice, which is particularly perfect if your arrangement with your client requires those. You can also send your invoices via a messaging app or text, which means you can send your invoices just seconds after completing them. 

Now, let’s talk more about what makes Spark Invoice Maker the best invoice app for contractors. 

Spark Invoice Maker Features

As a contractor, running your business means responding quickly to your clients and efficiently provide estimates and invoices. Spark Invoice Maker lets you create and send quotations and invoices in just a few swipes and taps. 

Generate Powerful, Impressive Invoices

A clear and concise invoice can make a huge difference—it can make lasting impressions on your clients, showcase your brand, and guarantee faster payments. Spark Invoice Maker allows you to create professional-looking invoices for your business insanely easy. 

You don’t need to boot up your computer and format a word document to create an invoice—Spark Invoice will take care of that. All you have to do is complete the fields and enter essential details, such as your customer’s information and the services you have rendered, along with your billable hours and rate. 

This speeds up the invoicing process, ensuring that your invoices land in your client’s inbox right after you complete them. 

Spark Invoice Maker lets you mark your invoices with your brand. You can add your business logo and business information to your invoice. And no, we won’t display our Spark Invoice Maker logo to your invoice. 

You can also add notes and images to your invoice. Type in your message and simply select your photos, then we’ll add them to your invoice. You can state the payment terms or specify the due date and the fees that come with it when the payment is made beyond the specified deadline. 

Create and Convert Estimates

As a contractor, you must use an app that lets you create invoices and estimates. Spark Invoice Maker is not just an invoice app—it also allows you to generate estimates within seconds. This means you can instantly send a potential customer an estimate of your services. 

Creating estimates is just as easy as making invoices. All you need to do is add the recipient’s information and the list of the services you can offer with their rates. Spark Invoice Maker will automatically turn this estimate into a PDF version, which you can send via text or messaging app. 

And if an interested client wants to go with your services, you can instantly convert the estimate into an invoice, so you don’t have to create a new one and enter the same information. This can save you so much time from doing mundane data entry tasks. 

Create and Manage Your Client List

With Spark Invoice Maker, you can create a list of your clients. This is especially helpful when you’re dealing with multiple clients. Having a saved list means you don’t have to enter their information repeatedly when they use your services. 

When adding a client to your list, you can either import their information from your Contacts or manually enter their information. Once a client is saved in your database, you can simply tap on their name to add them to your invoice. 

This feature allows you to check which of your clients use your services frequently, and from there, you can select which of them deserves an exclusive discount or offer! 

Add Your Products and Services

Another reason why Spark Invoice Maker is the best invoice app for contractors is that it lets you add your products and services into the app. Add your products or services into the app along with some descriptions and your rate for each item. When creating an invoice, you can simply select from the products list, so you don’t have to type them in the fields manually. 

Again, this is an excellent feature for contractors who are always on the go. Contractors are typically busy offering their services and growing their business. Having this feature saves you a lot of your time, allowing you to focus on more important matters in your expertise. 

When it comes to charging taxes and fees, Spark Invoice Maker gives you the option of whether your prices are tax inclusive or exclusive. Adding discounts is insanely easy, too. Our app will then automatically calculate the total payable amount. Yes, Spark will do the math for you, which means you don’t have to worry about miscalculations. 

Send or Save Your Invoices

Sending your invoices with Spark is extremely easy. Once the completed invoice is generated, you can send it immediately to your client via email, text, or other messaging apps. Your client will receive the invoice in PDF version, which can be easily printed out if they want to. 

Spark Invoice Maker keeps all your invoices in the app, but you can also opt to save them to your preferred cloud storage provider for record-keeping purposes. When you save your invoices in the cloud, you can access them on any of your devices. It also reduces the risk of losing your important documents in case your device gets stolen or corrupted. 

Invoice Templates for Contractors

Spark Invoice Maker really makes billing processes effortless. It’s a light mobile app that’s heavy on features, all of which allow you to generate invoices whenever and wherever you are. It automatically generates a PDF invoice that you can send electronically or on paper. 

We also have free, highly customizable invoice templates you can use and download for free. Check out our gallery of free invoice templates and blank invoice templates. You can access them via Google Docs or download and open them in your favorite word processing software. 

You can personalize our free templates by adding your business logo, changing the color scheme, or marking them with your company slogan. Yes, we give you complete freedom to customize our free templates to resonate with your brand. 

All of our invoice templates are free to use. If you want to try Spark Invoice Maker, you can take advantage of our three free invoices. Download Spark Invoice Maker now and start streamlining your billing processes.

Conclusion

A contractor like you needs an efficient tool for billing and invoicing. You need an invoice maker that can generate professional and beautiful invoices that can win your customers and amplify your brand—and that’s what Spark Invoice Maker is all about. Spark Invoice Maker brags a ton of unique features, making it the best invoice app for contractors. 

Download Spark Invoice Maker Now

Spark Invoice Maker is a mobile productivity application that lets you generate invoices on the go. It’s the best invoice app for contractors, freelancers, sole traders, and business owners. It packs all the features you need in an invoice app—it’s efficient, intuitive, and user-friendly. Download Spark Invoice Maker now on your iOS or Android device.  

The post Best Invoice App for Contractors appeared first on Spark Invoice.

What You Must Include In Your Invoice

Invoice

You must identify the document by adding the word “invoice” to it. This is so you can differentiate it from an estimate, receipt, or credit note. It must be clear, easy-to-read, and apparent. Most invoices add the word “invoice” at the top left or right of the document. 

Invoice Date

The invoice date must indicate the date when you created the invoice. The date can help you keep track of your invoices. It’s also easier to charge late fees when the date is clearly stated on the invoice. 

Invoice number

Invoice numbers are critical when making invoices. When your invoices have invoice numbers, it’s easier for you to identify and keep track of them. They also make record-keeping easier. And when you need to make follow-ups, you can use them as a reference. The invoice number is usually a combination of numbers and letters. 

When adding invoice number to your invoice, it’s best to keep them in sequence so you can manage them easily. 

Your company information

Your clients need to know whom the invoice came from, especially if they’re dealing with multiple businesses. Hence, you must clearly show your business name, address, and contact information. Adding your contact details will help your customers contact you in case they have queries or disputes. 

Your customer’s information

It doesn’t matter if your customer is a company or a sole proprietor—it’s a standard procedure to add your customer’s information on all invoices, except only for simplified VAT invoices. This is important, so your customers can claim back any VAT that’s been charged. 

Itemized products or services

List down the products or services you have rendered. It’s best to include brief, clear descriptions of the items. Make sure to list each item on a separate line to avoid confusion as well. 

The amount of each item or services to be paid

Along each line of the itemized products and services, make sure they are marked with their prices. 

The supply date

Don’t confuse the invoice date with the supply date. The invoice date is when you created the invoice, while the supply date is when you issued the goods or services. The supply date may be different or the same as the invoice date, but it is typically within 30 days. 

Discounts, fees, and tax

If you have discounts, fees, and tax to charge your customers, you must indicate them in the invoice in separate lines. As for discounts, they can be either in fixed rates or percentages. 

Additional notes

If there is anything you want the client to know about the invoice, products, or services, you may write them down in the Additional Notes section. You can also thank your customers for their patronage of your business. 

You may also use this section to state your payment terms and preferred payment channels. When your customers know how to pay the invoice, you are more likely to receive your payment fast. 

I own a limited company. What should I include in my invoice?

Your invoice must include your full company name and the registered office address if you own a limited company. You must also indicate your registered company number, which you find on your certificate of incorporation. 

Take note, you don’t need to state the names of the directors of your company. But if you do, make sure to list down all the directors.

I’m a sole trader. What should be on my invoice?

Besides the information we listed above, you must add your name and the business trading name you use. If you use a business trading name, you must write down the address of your business premises. 

VAT invoices

You must generate a VAT invoice if you are registered for VAT. When creating a VAT invoice, ensure to keep a copy—whether digital or paper. Made mistakes? Don’t throw them away. Keep all invoices you issued, even the ones canceled or issued by mistake. 

Important Elements On A Standard Invoice

Here’s a list of elements to keep in mind when you’re creating your invoice: 

Branding

We said this before—your invoice represents your business. Therefore, you must craft your invoice in a way that will resonate with your brand. Think of the color, fonts, logo, and wordings in your invoice. 

Make sure to add your business logo to your invoice. Our free invoice templates are highly customizable, allowing you to mark them with your company logo. You can also change the color schemes, edit the labels, and add rows or columns. 

You want your invoice to impress your customers. A beautiful, sleek, professional invoice can make lasting impressions. 

Adding your company logo to your invoice also helps your customers recognize your invoice easily. 

Legal information

Some information should be legally included on your invoice, including invoice number, business information, customer’s information, itemized products or services, invoice date, VAT amount, and the total amount payable.

Price

When it comes to billing, it’s crucial to keep the amounts accurate. Otherwise, you could find yourself in disputes. What’s even worse is that you might find yourself asking your customers for more money or giving them money back. Inaccurate amounts on invoices can have an impact on your reputation and therefore hurt your brand. 

You want to be professional when it comes to billing, so ensure the prices are indicated correctly. And when you offer discounts or charge fees and taxes, ensure you calculate them right. 

Download Spark Invoice Maker Now

We offer free invoice templates that you can freely use anytime you want. Our free templates are editable, meaning you can add your own brand to them. You may also edit the labels or add more fields to suit your business needs. Our free invoice templates are available in various formats. 

If you want to generate invoices easier, use Spark Invoice Maker. 

Spark Invoice Maker is a mobile app that enables you to generate invoices and estimates instantly. You don’t have to worry about creating tables or formatting a document—Spark does the job for you. 

When you use Spark Invoice, you can make a list of your clients and your products. Once you have added them, you can just easily select them when creating an invoice. 

Spark Invoice displays your business information to your invoice. It also allows you to add your company logo, making it easy for your clients to recognize your invoice. Spark also automatically generates invoice number in a sequence, which you can customize or change. 

Adding Business Information

When you first open Spark Invoice, it will prompt you to enter your business details. Complete the form by adding your name or company name, address, and contact information. 

This information will be saved on the app and will be displayed on your invoices automatically, meaning you don’t have to enter your business information every time you make an invoice. 

Next, it will ask you to add a company logo, which you may choose to skip. Lastly, it will let you modify your tax type and estimate name. The tax type could be tax-inclusive (all prices include tax) or tax-exclusive (you have to add the tax manually). To learn more about charging tax, read our guide How Do I Charge Taxes Using the Invoice Generator?

Managing client and product list

Spark Invoice lets you create a client and product list. This is ideal, especially if you have multiple repeat clients. When you have your client’s information stored in the app, you can just tap on their name when creating an invoice. It will automatically enter your client’s information, saving you time from repetitive data entry tasks. You can also import a client straight from your contacts list. 

As for your products, you can make a list of your items or services, along with short descriptions and prices. Spark Invoice automatically stores your product’s information whenever you add new ones. The next time you need to create a new invoice with the same products, you can just select them from your list. 

Accurate, error-free calculations

Spark Invoice does the math for you. With our smart app, you don’t have to worry about miscalculations. Our app will automatically calculate the total amount payable for you, including the discounts, charges, and taxes.

If you have important messages for your clients (may that be regarding the amount, the items, or services), you can use the Additional Notes section.

Spark Invoice Maker is a free-to-download mobile app available on Google PlayStore and Apple App Store. Download Spark Invoice Maker now and start streamlining your invoicing processes!

The post What Information Should Be On A Standard Invoice? appeared first on Spark Invoice.

This guide will help you understand how to charge taxes using Spark Invoice Generator and everything else you need to know about sales tax. 

Sales Tax, What Is It?

Sales tax is a tax monitored at the state level that charges a percentage of a sold product at retail. The government decides the percentage rate for its sales tax, but it usually varies depending on your location or state. The percentage rate is not permanent, and they usually change depending on the political party in charge. 

When a customer buys your item, it’s your responsibility to collect your customers’ sales tax and then pay it to the government. Customers who try to avoid sales tax by purchasing an item out-of-state cannot really dodge the responsibility of paying for the tax. For example, if a customer buys a car out-of-state, while he may have evaded the tax, he will still be charged for sales tax when he registers the vehicle in their state. 

Since you will give the sales tax back to the government (also known as tax remittance), it is practically not part of your business’ income. Paying the sales tax back to the government is usually done at specific intervals, depending on your government’s requirements. 

But how do you calculate sales tax?

How to Calculate Sales Tax

When selling products, it is generally known that the sales tax is not included until the customer purchases the product. For example, if you sell an item for $12.00 in Massachusetts, the payable price at checkout would be $12.75 because its sales tax is 6.250%. We get this amount using the following: $12.00 x 0.0625 (6.250%) = 0.75 cents. $12 + 0.75 cents = $12.75. 

Remember, sales tax differs depending on your state or country. For example, Alabama’s state rate is at 4%, while Arizona’s is at 5.6%. Make sure to check out your state’s sales tax rate. 

Some states allow non-standard rates on several products, including meals, telecommunications, lodging, and other specific items and services. Tax rates typically change on a monthly or yearly basis. 

The District of Columbia and forty-five other states impose general sales taxes that apply to all goods and services, with some exceptions. Alaska has no state tax, and thirty-seven states allow general sales taxes to be at the local level. Most states levy separate sales taxes on particular items, such as alcohol, motor fuels, and tobacco. 

Sales Tax  VS VAT

You may have encountered the words sales tax and VAT. Some people use them interchangeably, but it shouldn’t be. Sales tax is collected by the seller or retailer when the final sale from the consumer. End consumers pay the sales tax on the products they purchase. Businesses provide resale certificates to their customers when purchasing business supplies that will be resold since sales tax is not imposed. Jurisdictions in tax don’t receive the tax revenue until the sale is made to the end consumer. 

On the other hand, VAT (value-added tax) is collected by the sellers in each stage of the supply chain. Manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and retailers collect the value-added tax on taxable items. Each business must monitor and document the VAT they pay on purchases to receive a credit for the VAT paid on their tax return. 

Tax jurisdiction receives the revenue from tax throughout the entire supply chain, unlike sales tax, which is received at the sale to the final consumer. 

Now, you might be wondering who collects and remits the tax. 

For both VAT and sales tax, it is the seller’s responsibility to collect the tax and remit it to the right authority. However, there are cases where the consumer or buyer must recognize the tax instead of the seller. 

Invoicing is especially important when it comes to taxes. When you invoice a customer, you must separately state the sales tax. The same goes for VAT. The seller must state the VAT separately. Some businesses include the registration number for a VAT invoice. In most cases, the prices are tax inclusive. 

How do I charge taxes using Spark Invoice Maker? 

Tax is imposed on the price of your products and services. It is typically charged as a percentage of the selling price and is collected at the time of purchase. As mentioned earlier, the amount of tax depends on your location, so make sure to check the tax amount in your state. In some cases, you can charge multiple or different taxes at the same time. 

Adding a tax to your invoice using Spark is easy. 

Download Spark Invoice on your mobile device. Spark Invoice Maker is currently available on iOS and Android devices. 

Add tax on business setup.

Open the Spark Invoice Maker app once the installation is complete. You don’t need to create an account to use Spark Invoice Maker. When you first open the app, it will prompt you to enter your business information, including your business name, address, and contact details. You can always change them later from the Settings page. 

After completing the fields, click Next. Then, it will ask you to add your business logo. While adding a business logo is optional, we highly recommend putting a business logo into your invoice for brand awareness. 

If you don’t have a business logo ready, you can skip this step. You may add or change your business logo from the Settings menu. Tap Next or Skip to go to the next page. 

The next page will ask you to add more information—and this is the part where you can modify your invoice’s tax type. Tap the drop-down menu under the Tax Type section. 

You have two options when it comes to taxes:

• Items prices are tax inclusive.
• Items prices are tax exclusive.

Tax-inclusive means the prices in your products already include the tax. When you choose tax-exclusive, you will have to input the amount of tax manually. Take note, the amount will be in percentage. 

Then, choose your estimate title and date format. Once done, you’re all set! This will be your Spark Invoice Maker’s default setting, which you can all change later from Settings. 

Change the tax amount while invoicing.

There’s a lot of fields you need to fill out when creating an invoice using Spark. First, the invoice number, which will serve as your invoice’s unique identifier. You can use the invoice number as a reference when making a follow-up or keeping track of your invoices. 

Next, the date. You can change the date format according to your preference. Some countries prefer the month-day-year format, while in some areas, they are accustomed to the day-month-year format. 

After adding the invoice number and adjusting the date, enter your client’s information. If you have your client’s information already saved on the app, you can just select the client from your list. 

Then, itemize the products or services you rendered in the Add Items section. When adding a product, you will be prompted to add product descriptions, units (or quantity), and unit price. 

All the items you add to the invoice will be calculated automatically. If your tax setting is set to Items prices are tax-inclusive, that means each product’s unit price already includes the tax. Therefore, when you check the calculations in the invoice, you will see the tax rate is at $0. 

If you want the prices to be tax-exclusive, you can go to Settings > General > Tax Rate > then change the tax type to Items prices are tax-exclusive. Then, a field will appear where you can input the tax rate manually. 

Another way is to simply tap Tax in the calculations (you will see it just below Discounts). From there, you can change the tax type to tax-exclusive. If you choose this option, Spark will automatically calculate the tax based on the amount you have inputted—the sum will be added to the sub-total and reflected in the grand total.   

Complete Your Invoice

After adding the tax, you can proceed with filling out the fields in the invoice. You can add a message in the Additional Notes section. Or, if you want to send images of your products or services, you can do so by selecting the Add Image option. You can import an image from your gallery or capture a photo straight from the app. 

Adding discounts is just as easy. Simply tap Discount, then add the discount amount. You can set the amount to fixed ($10) or percentage (10%).

Spark Invoice Maker also makes sending invoices fast and easy. Once you have completed the invoice, Spark Invoice will automatically generate a PDF version, which you can send via email or other messaging platforms.

The post How Do I Charge Taxes Using the Invoice Generator? appeared first on Spark Invoice.

Improving productivity and offering more convenience for their customers is crucial. And by using an invoice app, businesses can scale their billing models. 

Growing your business may not be very easy, but you can start by streamlining your billing. You can do that by looking for efficient ways to create invoices, along with keeping track of your inventory. On top of that, you can improve your cash flow, ensuring that your business has all the means to continue its operations. 

Now let’s dive into the top five reasons to use an invoice generator app. 

Five Reasons to Use an Invoice Generator App

Generating invoices is fast and easy.

When your business operates vigorously, and you have many things to attend to, you need something to help you perform tasks quickly. 

Many business owners either waste time filling out a spreadsheet or searching free invoice templates online. And they spend up to 20 minutes entering critical information—address, invoice number, itemized products, prices, discounts, etc. 

While it may not sound as strenuous, that process becomes lengthy and repetitive when you’re sending out multiple invoices at once. 

Probably the best advantage of invoice generating apps is automation. This means you can set up recurring payments for long-term customers. 

When you use an invoice generator app, you can save your client’s information beforehand. So, when you need to invoice a client, you can easily tap on their names to pull up their information. The same goes for your products. You don’t have to input them manually every time you create an invoice. Instead, you can store all product information at once and just click on them when filling out an invoice. 

In a nutshell, an invoice generator app helps speed up the billing process. Spark Invoice is insanely user-friendly, allowing you to generate invoices quickly and easily—no training needed to create an invoice with Spark!

Sending your invoices is a piece of cake, too. You may send your invoices via a text message or email (Spark supports major messaging platforms) or print them to hand out hard copies. 

Green, green, green

Using an invoice generator app not only saves time but also on the costs of paper, envelopes, and stamps. Even more so, when you go with paperless invoicing, you don’t need filing and storage. After all, you need to keep all documents such as invoices, receipts, and tax financials for up to 7 years. 

Have you seen old receipts and invoices? Have you noticed how their inks fade away as time goes by? Unlike printed receipts and invoices, you can store electronic invoices in the cloud and never be worried about the text fading away.

Many people hold on to all of their paper receipts and invoices. They usually take pictures of their receipts or scan them, which we can all agree is time-consuming. When you use an invoice generator app, it generates an electronic copy of the invoice, so you don’t have to scan them. Another benefit of going digital is the ability to have transparency between you and your accountants. 

Spark Invoice offers paperless invoicing, so you don’t have to spend on paper, envelopes, and mailing. It will save your business money, aside from the fact that it lets you contribute to the environment. 

Yes, invoice generators are environmentally friendly, at least when compared with paper billing. It saves trees, water, energy and significantly reduces pollution (you can advertise these). You spend less money on inks, and it reduces your business’s carbon footprint exponentially. 

Supports different currencies

If you’re an eCommerce or a freelancer dealing with clients from different parts of the world, you can easily bill them regardless of what currencies they use. Thanks to technology, we are essentially all global citizens. Now we can order stuff from the other side of the world. Freelancers from the UK can now offer their services to interested clients in the US. 

Because of this, you need an invoicing platform that will allow you to select any currencies your clients prefer. Yes, invoice generators do make the billing process much more convenient—it removes payment barriers!

And as mentioned earlier, you can quickly send your invoices electronically to your client via email or message. That means no matter where your clients are, you can send them invoices and get paid faster. 

Builds your brand

Establishing your brand is paramount to your success, especially now that businesses have become more competitive. An invoice generator app can help reinforce your brand’s identity. 

Spark Invoice allows you to add your business information and logo, so your invoice matches your brand’s voice. 

When you add your identity to your invoice, the chances of getting paid on-time increase, as your clients can easily recognize your invoice. Spark Invoice also lets you add notes to your invoice, which you can use to send personal messages to your clients—be that a simple “thank you” message or an update about an ongoing project.   

Considering these factors, it’s safe to say that invoice generator apps can enhance your customer relations. As mentioned several times in this post, they allow you to create accurate billings, use different currencies, and generate aesthetically pleasing and professional invoices. 

You can even add personal messages laser-targeted to your clients. With invoice generators, it’s so much easier to make each client feel like VIPs. When you strengthen your relationship with your customers, it will encourage them to pay you on time. It will also drive them to stay on your service and refer you to others, which will grow your customer base.

Anytime, anywhere

If you’re a vendor who frequently participates at events or a business that provides mobile services to clients, then getting an invoice generator can help grow your business. 

Invoice generators let you create invoices anytime and anywhere—whether you’re at a bazaar fair or in your business area. They allow you to manage your business on the go. 

Spark Invoice Maker is a mobile app that enables you to create invoices and estimates within seconds! It’s fast and easy to set up. You don’t need any accounting skills to generate invoices using Spark.

One of the best things about Spark Invoice is that you can store your invoices in your preferred cloud storage provider. That means you can create invoices wherever and whenever you want and then keep them in your cloud storage for later use. 

You may also send the invoices instantly once they’re generated, which means you can send a customer an invoice even before they leave your store. 

When you can deliver your invoices instantly, the more likely you are to get paid faster. As we emphasized many times in this guide, you can make invoices and send them to your customers within a matter of seconds. And it’s even faster if you’re making recurring invoices since Spark stores your client and product information in the app. 

Gone are the days when you have to wait for weeks for a client to receive, review and return an invoice via snail mail. With Spark, you can send invoices instantly and receive your compensation way faster.

Spark Invoice Maker Can Help Your Business Grow

Spark Invoice boasts a plateful of features that can scale your business. It enables you to make invoices quickly and efficiently, making sure you don’t waste time on mundane tasks—and by that, we mean filling out invoices repeatedly. 

That way, you can spend more time growing your business and improving your products and services. 

Setting up your Spark Invoice is easy. The best part is that you don’t have to create an account to use our app. Once you have downloaded Spark Invoice, all you need to do is set up your business by filling out the field. Add your business name and contact information. Next, it will prompt you to add your business logo, which you can just skip and add later. 

Our guide, How to Create An Invoice With Spark, will walk you through how to generate invoices using Spark Invoice Maker. 

You can utilize Spark Invoice not only for making invoices but also for managing your inventory too. By adding all your products to our app, you can easily monitor which product needs replenishing. It will also help you assess which of your products make the most sales and which is not. 

Having this feature means that you don’t have to spend a day checking your inventory. We understand how tiring it is to inventory your stocks. 

Download Spark Invoice Now

Spark Invoice Maker is a great free-to-download productivity tool that allows you to generate invoices and estimates quickly and easily. It’s simply perfect for any freelancers and business owners. It has all the features you need to generate professional and impressive invoices that will get you paid faster. Download Spark Invoice now on your Android or iOS device!  

The post Invoice on the Go: Top 5 Reasons to Use an App appeared first on Spark Invoice.

When you search the internet for free best invoice generator, you’ll see thousands of apps out there—all claiming to be the best. So, you might be wondering what makes Spark Invoice stand out among the rest. 

This guide will show you the top 10 reasons why Spark is the best free invoice generator.

Top 10 Reasons Spark Is the Best Free Invoice Generator

Spark Invoice offers a wide array of features that can help ease your workload in managing your business. With Spark, you can efficiently work around your finances and clients without spending too much time, allowing you to focus on more important things in your business. 

Lets you create invoices easily

Spark is simple to use, with one core goal: create invoices quickly and easily. We made sure that you don’t have to go through complicated formatting and calculations when making an invoice for your clients. This will save you a lot of time (because, let’s admit it, creating invoices is not the most exciting part of a business, but you have to do it anyway). 

With Spark, you don’t have to boot your computer app and get puzzled by creating tables and formulas. All you have to do is complete the necessary fields, and then our app will generate the invoice for you. 

The best part is that you can do this right on your phone! Spark Invoice is a mobile app that’s heavy on features but light on your mobile device. 

Generate estimates in an instant

Spark is abundant in features. And yes, it does not only let you create invoices but estimates as well. 

Clients usually ask for estimates before they shake hands with a contractor, seller, or supplier. This way, they can compare prices and choose the ones that they can leverage from. 

With Spark, you can send your clients and customers estimates even before they leave your place. It’s just as easy as creating an invoice. All you have to do is enter your business details, your client’s, and your products. It’s even faster if you have all the details saved in the app (in that case, all you need to do is select them manually from your list). We’ll talk more about that in a bit. 

Spark automatically generates the PDF version of your estimates, which you can print or send electronically. 

Turn estimates into invoices in just a click

Say you just sent your client an estimate, and they agreed to do business with you according to the estimate you provided. After providing the products or services, you don’t have to worry about creating a new invoice and writing the same information in the estimates. Instead, you can just convert the estimate into an invoice. 

This feature will save you a ton of time. You don’t have to create a new invoice and input the same details. We all know how tedious it can be to input repetitive information over and over again. 

Spark Invoice Maker lets you turn estimates into invoices with just a click. Simply go to your estimates list, then select the estimate you want to convert. Next, click Convert to Invoice. This will automatically change the estimate number to invoice number. 

You can turn estimates into invoices anytime. Simply go to the Manage Estimates section, then select the estimate that you want to convert. 

Keeps your invoices organized

A business is easier to manage when all the important documents are organized. Spark Invoice puts your invoices in order, so it’s easy to find invoices should your clients ask about them. 

Our invoice numbers will help you keep track of your invoices. They also prevent invoices from duplicating. The invoice numbers serve as their identifiers, so if you need to make a follow-up for an overdue invoice, you can just use the invoice number as a reference. 

Spark invoice numbers are a combination of alphabet and numbers. By default, your first invoice in Spark will use the invoice number Invoice 0001. You can change the prefix manually. Go to Settings > Invoice > Prefix. If you wish to change the invoice number, you can do so as you create the invoice. Tap on the invoice number to change it. 

Manage your items and products effortlessly

Aside from generating invoices quickly, you can also use Spark to manage your items and products effortlessly.

You may input all your products in the app, with their prices. If you have products that you sell as bundles, you may also enlist the bundles as a separate product with their prices. 

By adding all your products to our app, you can easily check which products make the most sales. On the contrary, you can also see which of your products might need some tweaking (in quality or price) so you can profit from them. 

Aside from that, you may also use Spark as an inventory checker. You can easily glance at which products need to be replenished. When you have these critical pieces of information at hand, you can manage your business better. 

Add your brand to your invoice

Unlike other invoice generators that display their brands in their so-called “free” invoice templates, Spark Invoice lets you customize your invoice by adding your brand logo into it. And no, we won’t show our company logo in your invoice. 

We understand how brand awareness can help your business grow. That’s why we let our users display their company logo in our free invoices. When you add your own logo to your invoices, your clients can easily recognize it. And while it does not guarantee faster payment, it sure does help make your client remember that they need to pay you. 

Spark lets you add personal touches to your invoices to make them officially yours. When you first open Spark, it will ask you to enter your business details and logo. You can skip that part and go to Settings anytime you want to add or change your business logo. 

Does the math for you

Miscalculations can hurt your business. And it can also result in delayed payments. When your clients receive invoices with wrong indicated amounts, they’ll just return the invoice, which will hold up your money.

To avoid such scenarios, Spark automatically calculates the total amount payable. You can add discounts and tax to your invoice, then let Spark do the math, saving you time and avoiding miscalculations. 

Discounts can be in fixed amounts or in percentages. By default, the prices you put into each of your products are set to tax-inclusive. To change this, head to Settings > Tax Rate > then change to Tax exclusive. 

Also, you can change the currency in your invoice. The currency is set to US dollars $ by default. If you wish to change this, you can do so by going to Settings > Currency. 

When it comes to invoicing, mistakes are a big no-no. But with Spark, you can generate perfect invoices every time. 

Sending invoices is fast and easy

Spark makes everything smooth and easy. After creating invoices or estimates, you can instantly send them electronically. Spark supports major messaging platforms, allowing you to send your invoices via text message. 

You may also send your invoices as emails. Our app will automatically detect the email apps on your device. Then, you can choose which email provider you want to use. 

Another option is to store your invoices to your preferred cloud storage provider—for personal record-keeping purposes. You may also choose to save the invoices as PDF and print them. This option is ideal if you want to send your clients a hard copy of the invoice.

Because your clients will receive your invoices almost instantly, it’s more likely that you will receive the payment faster. We understand how annoying it is to chase payments!

Generates simple, well-formated, and professional invoices

Lastly, Spark Invoice is the best free invoice generator because it creates simple but professional-looking invoices—the kind that will impress your customers and clients.

We want to keep the invoices neat and well-formatted, not grandiose and elaborate. We want the client to see the important information: your business details, the products or services you have rendered, and the total amount they must pay. With that in mind, we made sure our template is simple and straightforward. 

We also added a feature where you can attach images and additional notes to your invoices. This is so you can put important information that your client needs to know about a product or project.

Download Spark Invoice Generator Now!

Spark is the best free invoice generator, and for good reasons. As you can see, Spark is loaded with features that can lighten your workload. Spark Invoice is a free-to-download app, available on iOS and Android devices.

The post Top 10 Reasons Spark Is the Best Free Invoice Generator appeared first on Spark Invoice.

Invoices are crucial for entrepreneurs to get paid for the goods or services they offer. On top of that, it’s an important document that makes bookkeeping easier. Whether you run a physical store or eCommerce, you need an invoice generator and invoice maker for small business to create sales invoices and get paid faster.

The Importance of Invoice Generator and Invoice Maker for Small Business

An invoice is a document that lists the services or products a vendor has provided a client. It gives the client the obligation to pay for the goods he has acquired. Needless to say, invoices are of utmost importance for small businesses. 

The easiest way to create an invoice is by getting an invoice generator and invoice maker for small business. Spark Invoice Maker is an invoice-generating app that lets you create and send invoices quickly.

Learn how to create an invoice using Spark Invoice Maker by reading this guide: How to Use An Invoice Maker for Freelancers and Self-Employed.

Gets you paid fast

An invoice generator and invoice maker saves you time… a lot of time, actually. You don’t have to boot your computer and scrabble around Word or Excel to create an invoice. Spark Invoice Maker takes care of the template and calculations. All you have to do is add the client information and the products or services acquired with their prices, then you’re all set. 

Sending the invoice is just as easy, too! You can save and send the invoice as a PDF file via email or messaging apps. 

Our guide, What Is An Invoice Maker App, covers tips on how to get paid faster using Spark invoice generator and invoice maker for small business.

Essential for bookkeeping

Businesses—small or large—need accurate bookkeeping, and invoices play a massive part in that. Invoices document every sale being made. When recorded properly, you will have all the crucial information to monitor your sales, track cash flow, and create clear and accurate financial reports. 

That’s why Spark Invoice Maker keeps all your invoices organized and secured. The app automatically saves your client list and the invoices you have created for each client. So when you need to monitor the invoices to develop reports or track unsettled invoices, you can access them easily with just a click!

Helps you manage and track inventory

If your small business sells tangible goods, your invoice generator and invoice maker for small business helps you manage your inventor and ensure you have enough supply of each product to accommodate incoming orders. 

By checking your invoices, you’ll know how many products have been sold, how many are left, and how much you will need for the upcoming months, based on your previous sales.

Essential documents for tax returns

An invoice generator and invoice maker for small business is also crucial when you need to verify your claims you make on your tax returns. Well-recorded invoices are also essential when completing your tax returns—it makes the process a lot easier since you will have all the records you need to check your expenses and revenue. 

Helps build your business plans

Your invoices provide essential data about how your small business is or has been performing. 

For example, a small business can check how much revenue was made in the past three months. And if the sales are low, the business owner can make campaigns, promotions, or marketing strategies to boost the revenue. 

It also helps business owners to determine weak points that need to be strengthened. 

Clearly, invoices help you get the data you need to build business plans. With it, you can see which products or services have made the most enormous earnings, and what other offerings you can provide to complement those goods. 

Use the information to update your offerings and pricing to attract more potential customers or clients. 

Protects you (legally)

Invoices aren’t just your golden ticket to get paid. They also protect you from trifling lawsuits that may be brought against your small business. 

Your invoice generator and invoice maker for small business shows what services or products you have provided your client, along with the timeline or duration of the process. 

Sales invoices protect you, especially when they are signed and approved by your clients. 

How to Send Your Invoice Via Email

By default, Spark Invoice Maker saves your invoices as PDF. After creating your invoice, the Send button will show up at the bottom of the screen. 

From there, you will have options to send your invoice via messaging apps or email. 

Many small businesses send their invoices through messaging apps that their clients use. You may want to ask your client how they like to receive their invoices. 

If you ask us, we recommend sending your invoices through email. Here are a few reasons why:

Free and paperless

Email is free—you don’t need to buy envelopes and stamps. These may not be as costly as you may think, but they actually add up over your business’s lifetime. 

Convenient

Unlike a paper invoice that can get dirty, crumpled, and filed away, an emailed invoice is easier to access. For example, if you speak with a client on the phone and questions come up, you can ask your client to check his email, or you can just resend the invoice immediately. 

Emailing your invoice is especially convenient when you don’t have access to a computer or laptop. Spark Invoice Maker is available in the App Store and PlayStore, meaning you can create and send invoices in the palm of your hand! 

Say a client calls you and asks you how many products were send the last time, you can just check your email without having to open your computer!

Fast and hassle-free

Sending your invoices via email saves you a lot of time. You don’t need to worry about finding and addressing an envelope, adding a stamp, and dropping it into a mailbox. All you have to do is attach it as a PDF in your email, then hit send.

Unlike traditional mail that takes days before the recipient receives your mail, email is lightning fast! Once you hit send, it doesn’t take a minute before your client receives your email. This leads us to our next reason why you should send your invoice via email…

Gets you paid fast

Because your client received the invoice one week faster than it would have been if you sent it via mail, he can instantly send the payment. 

Yet, let’s say your client’s email is a mess, and your invoice email was pushed down your client’s inbox. Sending him a friendly reminder should be just fine. You can either send a reminder on that same thread or send a new email with the invoice number referenced or the invoice attached. 

Learn more about how an invoice number works by reading this guide: Can You Customize Your Invoice Number With An Invoice App?

It’s easy to track

Lastly, emailed invoices are easier to track. Once you have sent the email, the email platform you use will automatically record the time you hit the send button. Also, you can check the Sent folder to see the time and date the invoice was delivered. 

Emailing platforms also allow you to enable delivery or read receipt. When enabled, you will get notified once the receipt has opened or read your email. 

The post Why You Need An Invoice Generator & Invoice Maker for Small Business appeared first on Spark Invoice.