Paid invoice download
After successful payment, the clean invoice PDF download starts automatically. The same clean PDF is also sent by email when email delivery is available.
Free Invoice Generator — Your First Invoice Is Free
1Invoice details
2Preview & checkout
3Invoice delivery
Secure invoice delivery
1. Invoice details
2. Business & client
From
Bill to
3. Items
DescriptionRateQuantityAmountTaxable
Amount
$0.00
Invoice total
$0.00
First invoice free
First Invoice Free — Current Price Shown Before Checkout
An invoice is the document that handles your billing: what work you did, what the client owes, and when payment is due. This online invoice generator builds that invoice, calculates the totals, and creates the finished PDF.
Pricing
Your first eligible invoice is free, with the clean PDF delivered by email. Additional invoices use the current price shown before checkout. There is no monthly invoice subscription. Paid invoices provide PDF download plus email delivery. Refund terms are set out in our refund policy.
| Invoice | Price | Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| First eligible invoice | Free | Clean PDF by email |
| Additional invoice | Current price shown before checkout | PDF download plus email |
If you're comparing free vs. paid invoice generators, that is the entire fine print.
Try the invoice creator free above — the PDF you see is the same professional invoice format used throughout the product.
Built by PayStubGo · Updated July 13, 2026
Support: support@paystubgo.com · Contact support
Step-by-step invoice guide
How to Make an Invoice Online — Step by Step
How do I make an invoice for free? Use this invoice maker online free for your first eligible invoice, then work through the five steps below. They follow the standard US invoice format, and each step mirrors a field in the generator above.
- 1
Step 1 — Add your company and customer information
Start with the From section: your name or company name, address, and contact details. Then fill in Bill To with your client's name and billing address. On the sample invoice, Cedar Lane Design Co. of Austin, TX bills Harbor Point Consulting LLC.
You do not need a registered business to send an invoice. If you freelance under your own name, put that name in the From field. Accurate details here prevent payment questions later.
- 2
Step 2 — Set the invoice number, invoice date, and due date
Give the invoice a unique number and keep your numbering sequential. The sample uses INV-001, followed by INV-002, INV-003, and so on.
The invoice date is the day you send the invoice. The due date is the day payment is owed. On the sample, Net 30 turns July 1, 2026 into a due date of July 31, 2026.
- 3
Step 3 — Add line items: quantity, rate, and amount
List each product or service as its own line item with a quantity and a rate. The invoice builder turns those two numbers into the third: quantity × rate = amount. On the sample invoice, five website mockups at $130.00 each come to 5 × $130.00 = $650.00.
Use quantity for hours, units, or deliverables. A flat project fee is simply quantity 1 at the project rate. Line-item amounts add up to your subtotal: $1,250.00 on the sample.
- 4
Step 4 — Apply tax, discounts, and payment terms
Three fields affect the invoice total and deadline: sales tax, discount, and payment terms. Enter tax as a percentage, add any discount, and choose terms such as Net 30 or Due on receipt.
For how each one works in the US, including rates, calculation order, and payment deadlines, see Built for US Invoicing below.
- 5
Step 5 — Add notes, then generate your invoice
Use the notes field for information the client needs beyond the numbers: payment instructions, a thank-you, a late-fee policy, or a purchase-order reference.
When everything reads right, generate your invoice above. Your first eligible invoice is free and the clean PDF is delivered by email.
Professional PDF delivery
Download or Email Your Invoice as a Professional PDF
This is an invoice PDF generator at its core: the finished product is a professional invoice as a fixed, print-ready PDF. It looks consistent on screen and in print, and gives you a clean document to keep or send.
First free invoice by email
Your first eligible invoice is free. Enter a delivery email, complete the invoice, and PayStubGo sends the clean PDF there as an attachment.
No watermark appears on the delivered final invoice. The preview watermark is removed from the clean PDF used for final delivery.
Professional here means specifics: aligned totals, complete fields, consistent dates, and a clean PDF output based on the information you provide.
Finished invoice example
Invoice Example: A Finished Invoice, Annotated
Below is a finished invoice from this generator, worked in one fixed order: subtotal − discount + tax = total. The $1,250.00 subtotal minus the 10% discount leaves $1,125.00. Tax at 8% adds $90.00, for a total due of $1,215.00, matching the live math in the tool above.
C
Cedar Lane Design Co.
Austin, Texas
INVOICE
1INV-001
From
Cedar Lane Design Co.
Austin, TX
Bill to
Harbor Point Consulting LLC
Client billing address
Invoice date
2July 1, 2026
Due date
July 31, 2026
Payment terms
Net 30
DescriptionRateQtyAmount
3Website mockups$130.005$650.00
Logo design$600.001$600.00
4Subtotal$1,250.00
5Discount 10%−$125.00
6Sales tax 8%$90.00
7Total due$1,215.00
8Notes
Thank you for your business. Reference PO-2026-114.
Invoice sample INV-001: Cedar Lane Design Co. bills Harbor Point Consulting LLC — dated July 1, 2026, Net 30, due July 31, 2026. A professional invoice, field by field.
- 1Invoice number — INV-001; keep numbering sequential.
- 2Invoice date and due date — Net 30 turns July 1, 2026 into a due date of July 31, 2026.
- 3Line items — quantity × rate: 5 website mockups × $130.00 = $650.00.
- 4Subtotal — all line amounts added: $1,250.00.
- 5Discount — 10% of the subtotal: −$125.00.
- 6Sales tax — 8% on the discounted $1,125.00 adds $90.00. The rate is illustrative, not tax advice.
- 7Total — subtotal − discount + tax: $1,215.00 due.
- 8Notes — payment instructions, a thank-you, and "Reference PO-2026-114."
US invoice guidance
Built for US Invoicing
Most invoice tools are built for everywhere and tuned for nowhere. This is an invoice generator for USA billing, with tax, discount, and payment-terms fields that behave the way US clients expect.
Adding sales tax to an invoice
To add sales tax to an invoice, enter your rate as a percentage in the tax field. Tax applies to the subtotal after any discount: on the sample invoice, 8% on the discounted $1,125.00 adds $90.00.
Tax note
That rate is illustrative — nothing here is tax advice.
Whether you need to charge tax depends on your state and what you sell — some states tax most services, while others exempt them. Confirm your rate with your state's revenue department before you bill. Once you know it, an invoice generator with tax built in does the arithmetic.
A "tax invoice," meanwhile, is a Commonwealth document term — a US invoice simply adds sales tax.
Applying a discount
Enter a discount as a percentage of the subtotal. On the sample, 10% off the $1,250.00 subtotal removes $125.00 and leaves $1,125.00. The discount applies before tax, so tax is calculated on the discounted amount — the order that keeps the client's tax charge accurate.
Show the reduction as its own labeled line: clients remember a visible discount, and a lowered rate becomes the new anchor for the next job. One-time price cuts, loyalty rates, and early-payment incentives can all be handled with the discount field.
Payment terms and due dates (Net 15, Net 30, Due on receipt)
Net 30 means the full invoice amount is due within 30 days of the invoice date. On an invoice dated July 1, 2026, Net 30 makes payment due July 31, 2026. The term you pick is the rule; the due date the generator fills in is the result.
The three terms US clients see most:
| Term | Meaning | Typical US usage |
|---|---|---|
| Net 15 | Payment due 15 days after the invoice date | Freelancers and smaller jobs; keeps cash moving |
| Net 30 | Payment due 30 days after the invoice date | The default for US business invoices |
| Due on receipt | Payment due as soon as the client receives the invoice | First-time clients, small amounts, completed work |
Shorter terms get you paid sooner but can feel abrupt to corporate clients whose payment cycles run monthly. An invoice generator with payment terms does the date math for you — you choose the rule, and the invoice shows the deadline. For how long to give a specific client — and what happens after the due date — see the FAQ below.
Add tax, discounts, and payment terms in the generator above.Who it is for
Who Uses This Invoice Generator
Freelancers and self-employed professionals
Freelance work swings between hourly gigs and flat-fee projects, and line items cover both. Put hours or units in quantity, with your rate beside them. For a flat fee, bill quantity 1 at the project rate — the sample's $600.00 logo design works exactly that way.
Start numbering at INV-001 and count up; clients never need to know it's your first. Net 15 and Net 30 are the freelance norms — lean shorter when the work is already delivered.
An invoice generator for freelancers should make invoice one painless. Send it the day the work wraps; invoices age poorly.
How do independent contractors invoice clients?
Independent contractors invoice clients directly: an itemized invoice listing the work, the agreed rates, sales tax where it applies, and payment terms. As a 1099 contractor, you bill the full contract amount; nothing is withheld from it. Keep a copy of every invoice — when the client's 1099-NEC arrives, your numbered invoice trail lets you check their total against yours.
US contractor invoicing needs the same ten fields as any other trade: who, what, how much, when. Use the terms your industry expects — Net 30 is standard across construction and consulting — and reference the client's PO in the notes. An invoice generator for contractors needs nothing more.
Consultants, agencies, and small businesses
Consulting and agency work is rarely one deliverable, so itemize it: each service on its own line, like the sample's two-line invoice. For a small business or startup, a clean business invoice with posted terms reads as established. An invoice creator for small business billing should cost nothing to try — here, the first eligible invoice is free.
Questions about invoices
Free Invoice Generator FAQ
Is this invoice generator really free?
Your first eligible invoice is free — generate your first invoice and receive the clean PDF by email at no cost. Additional invoices use the current price shown before checkout. There is no monthly invoice subscription. Paid invoices provide PDF download plus email delivery. Refund terms are set out in our refund policy.
Do I need to sign up or enter a credit card?
You enter a delivery email before completing the free invoice. No card is charged for the first eligible free invoice. The clean PDF is sent to that delivery email, and later account access is linked to the same email address.
How do I email my invoice?
Generate your invoice and use the delivery email field — we email the PDF to that address. Forward it to your client from your own inbox, so it arrives from an address they already know. Paid invoices also start a clean PDF download after successful payment.
How do I add sales tax or a discount?
Enter both in the generator: sales tax as a percentage, and any discount as a percentage of the subtotal. For how each works — rates, order of operations, and worked examples using the sample invoice's numbers — see Built for US Invoicing.
How long should I give a client to pay?
Net 30 is the safe US default — established clients expect it, and it matches most corporate payment cycles. Use Net 15 when you need cash sooner, and Due on receipt for first-time clients or finished work. Whichever you choose, put it on the invoice.
What invoice number should I start with?
Start with INV-001 and count up sequentially — INV-002, INV-003, and so on. Sequential numbers make invoices easy to reference in emails, easy to match to payments, and easy to defend in an audit. Never reuse a number, and do not worry that a low one signals a new business; clients rarely notice.
Do I need an invoice template if I use a generator?
No. A template is a static file you fill in by hand — the layout is done, but the math, the numbering, and the PDF conversion are still on you. A generator does those steps for you: enter your details, and it calculates the totals and outputs the finished PDF. The template step disappears.
| Comparison | Template | Generator |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A static file you fill in by hand | A form that builds the invoice for you |
| Who does the math | You — totals, tax, and discounts by hand | The tool — subtotal, discount, tax, and total |
| Output file | A document you still convert to PDF yourself | A finished, print-ready PDF delivered through the invoice flow |
What's the difference between an invoice and a receipt?
An invoice requests payment; a receipt confirms it. You send an invoice before money moves — it lists what you did, the amount owed, and the due date. A receipt comes after payment, as proof the balance was settled. Same transaction, opposite ends: one opens the request, the other closes it.
What's the difference between an invoice and an estimate?
An estimate or quote comes before the work and shows the projected cost; an invoice comes after the work and bills the actual cost. Clients approve estimates and pay invoices. A bill, meanwhile, is the same document as an invoice — your invoice is simply your client's bill, seen from the other side.
Is an invoice a legal document? Are online invoice generators safe?
Yes — an invoice is a legally recognized record of a payment request and part of your business records. It is not a contract by itself; the agreement behind it is. As for safety: your data here is used to generate your invoice. See our Privacy Policy for the full terms.
What happens if a client doesn't pay by the due date?
State your payment terms on the invoice up front — an overdue invoice with clear terms is far easier to chase. If you charge a late fee, say so in the notes field before you send. Once the due date passes, follow up promptly and attach the original invoice; most late payments are oversights, not refusals.
Still have a question? Contact support.
Ready to bill a client? Create your invoice now in the generator above.
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