Word Invoice Templates

To start using one of our free Word invoice templates for your business, follow these simple steps:

1. Select a Template from among our templates or, if you prefer, from the Microsoft Office template library.
2. Fill it out with your information, your client’s information, and a unique invoice number.
3. Calculate and record subtotals, totals, and taxes/fees on the invoice.
4. Save your invoice as a PDF, labeling the file with the client’s name and the unique invoice number to make it easy to find again later.
5. Email the completed invoice PDF to your client.

After you have input all the necessary information into your Word invoice template, you need to save it in a non-editable format (a PDF) before sending it to your client. Here’s how to save your Word invoice as a PDF before sending:

1. In your Word software, open the File menu.
2. Select “Save As”
3. Under “Save as type,” select PDF.
4. Choose a file name that helps you stay organized, such as “Client Name – Invoice No. #”
5. Choose a save location where you store all of your invoices or files for that client.
6. Click “Save.”

When you present your client with a neat, professional invoice that makes the process of paying you simple and straightforward, it gives your client a positive impression of your business as a whole. Word templates can work well when you’re first starting out and wanting to create a professional experience, but using invoicing software will take your professionalism to the next level with a consistently high-quality process that makes getting paid even easier.

Pros:

• Several Free Templates: For businesses just starting out, Microsoft Office has a wide variety of free templates for standard invoices to help you adjust to the ins and outs of billing your clients.
• Free to Use: If you already have Microsoft Office software, you don’t need to pay another dime to start invoicing your clients! Just use one of our free templates and start invoicing clients as quickly as today.
• Easy to Send: Sending a completed invoice to your clients doesn’t have to be complicated. With Word invoice templates, you can quickly create an invoice, convert it to PDF, and attach it to an email to bill your clients right in their inbox.
• Create Pre-filled Templates: Once you’ve found a template you like, you can save pre-filled-out versions for repeat clients and avoid the tedium of inputting the same information time and time again. Just don’t forget to update that Invoice number with each new invoice!

Cons:

• No Automation: Creating sendable and non-editable invoices with Word is a much more DIY, manual process compared to integrated solutions like invoicing software. Beyond the need to manually edit your invoices with new billing information and invoice numbers for each new invoice, you also have to take the extra step of saving it as a PDF before it is ready to be sent.
• Manually Calculate Totals: Word invoice templates do not offer formulas for calculating totals automatically, so you have to do the math yourself. This can risk errors that result in over or undercharging your clients! While Excel solves this problem with formula functionality, invoice software takes this to the next level by saving you the stress of maintaining the formulas when adding or removing rows and columns.
• No Payment Solutions: Beyond tacking your banking information onto the invoice or writing out extensive instructions, there is no simple way to request payment directly from a Word invoice template. This means your clients are required to problem-solve paying you on their own, which is frustrating for them and slows the whole billing process significantly. Integrated solutions such as invoice software incorporate the entire payment process within your invoicing.
• No Storage Capabilities: Unlike invoicing software, which can organize and store your invoices all in one place for ease of access in the future, Word is simply a tool for writing documents, which can be used to create generic invoices. It does not act as a storage container for record-keeping purposes, meaning you’ll need to manually save and store your invoices on your computer’s harddrive or in a cloud system.

Invoicing software will take your business’s finances to the next level with automated integrations and an effortless customer experience unlike anything you’ll find with basic Word templates. Here are just a few of the key benefits:

• Invoicing integrated with your other financial software
• Easily customizable to showcase your branding
• Automatically generates invoice numbers
• Saves customer details for future invoicing
• Ability to send invoices via multiple channels
• Connects with payment apps for ease of processing
• Unlimited invoice creation and storage