If you run a business, you know how important handling your invoices are.
One of the greatest challenges to running a business is having to chase up unpaid invoices.
Chasing up invoices that are overdue can be a stressful and incredibly draining task.
This is why it is so important that ensuring your invoices are crafted to a tee.
In today’s article, we have a look at the 5 must-have qualities of an invoice that will ensure you get paid on time, each and every time.
5 Must-Have Qualities Of A Perfect Invoice
1. Accurate Contact Details
Accurate contact details on your invoice are of utmost importance. This is especially important if your clients want to contact due regarding the invoice.
Ensuring that your contact details are accurate and the front and center of your invoicing are important for both you and your customers.
Furthermore, by the time an invoice reaches the right department of a company, it will become separated from the details of the job.
This is when you may be contacted, so ensuring that people don’t have to scramble around looking for your contact details will ensure that delays are kept to a minimum.
2. Payment Details
This sounds like something that is so obvious that it needn’t even be mentioned, but you will be surprised at how many people accidentally forget to include payment details in their invoices.
You make it extra difficult for someone to pay off their invoices if they don’t know where they should be sending the funds to.
Make sure you include your account name, ABN if you have one, bank account, BSB code and name of your bank when sending invoices.
Another fantastic option if you send invoices online is to include a “pay now” button which allows clients or customers to pay you as soon as possible.
3. Payment Terms
Payment terms are an important addition to invoices if you are looking to get paid properly and on time.
Some of the most important terms you should be including in your invoice are what date payment is expected to be in by and late payment terms if payment is received after your agreed date.
This is also known as a “punishment” in the world of invoicing and is set up to ensure that you avoid late payments or even worse, missing payments.
Make sure to spell everything out clearly in print on your invoice and always check-up with your legal team to ensure that you are in line with legalities.
4. An Invoice Number
Numbering your invoices is important as they help both you and your clients differentiate one invoice from another. Each invoice should have a unique number in order to avoid confusion.
If you send multiple invoices to the same customer, a unique invoice numbering becomes all that more important.
When deciding on your invoice numbers, you can choose from sequential numbers, letters or multiple parts. Just remember to keep things chronological and consistent.
5. Breakdown Of Costs
Lastly, the perfect invoice comes with an accurate breakdown of costs and charges. It is important to keep this breakdown transparent and easy to understand in order to avoid any confusion.
Rather than listing the entire job on one line, we recommend breaking it down into different sectors so that your client has a deeper understanding of all the work you have put into their project.
This not only shows accuracy and transparency but will give your clients peace of mind as they will be able to physically see all the efforts you have put into their project.