Pick one of three Word designs
All three files hold the same fields: your details, the customer, number and dates, a line table, totals and payment details. They differ only in look, so choose the one that suits your business and the way your bills are usually printed or viewed.
- Classic: a traditional layout with ruled lines, suited to trades and professional services.
- Modern: a bolder header in one accent color, which you can change to match your logo.
- Simple: black text on white with very little decoration, the best choice for printing on an office printer.
How to fill in the invoice template Word file
Open the download in Word, replace the sample text, and save a copy under the invoice number before you send it. The steps below assume Word for Windows or Mac; Word for the web works the same way with slightly different menus.
- Download the .docx and open it. If Word shows a Protected View bar, select Enable Editing.
- Click into each placeholder, such as Your Business Name, and type over it.
- To add your logo, click the logo area, then choose Insert, Pictures, and pick your file.
- To add a line, right click inside the last line, then choose Insert, Insert Rows Below.
- Type the quantity, unit price and line amount for each row.
- Save with File, Save As, using a name such as
INV-0042 Harbor Dental.docx. - Make a PDF with File, Save As and the PDF file type, then send the PDF.
Updating totals in Word
A Word table is text, not a spreadsheet, so the totals do not change when you edit a line. You have three options: work them out with a calculator, use a Word table formula, or switch to the Excel file, which calculates everything for you.
To use a formula, click in the subtotal cell, open the Layout tab for tables, choose Formula and accept =SUM(ABOVE). Word inserts the sum as a field. Fields do not refresh on their own: after you change a line, select the total and press F9 to update it. Then work out the tax and the amount due the same way, and check them once by hand before sending.
Tips for cleaner Word invoices
Most problems with Word invoices come from editing the master by accident or sending the .docx itself. A couple of habits prevent both, and they take seconds once you are used to them. Keep your master safe and send a PDF every time.
- Keep one master file with your details filled in, and never type a customer into it.
- Send a PDF, not the .docx. The layout cannot shift and the figures cannot be edited.
- Put your bank details in the payment area once, in the master, and check them twice.
- If you charge GST or VAT, change the tax label and rate in the master, and add your tax number.
Country rules still apply
A Word file has no country settings, so it is up to you to add what your tax office expects. Check the page for your country before you set up your master, because the title, tax label and required details differ. Australia, Singapore and the UAE require the words tax invoice when you are registered.
Our pages for the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States list what each needs, and the rest are linked from the template library.
Other formats and the free generator
If you would rather not maintain totals by hand, the same three designs come as Excel files with formulas. If you work in Google Drive, see how to use these files in Google Docs. For a step by step walk through with the menus, read how to make an invoice in Word and Excel.
The quickest option of all is the free invoice generator: it does the sums, sets the tax for your country and downloads a finished PDF.
Fill it in on screen and download or email a real PDF. No sign up.