Free invoice template
Freelance invoice template: itemized, dated, due.
A freelancer's invoice that answers every question before it's asked: what you did, when, for how much, and when it's due. Fill it in, download the PDF, send it.
- 30 days
- the default under NYC, NY State, IL and CA laws
- $250 to $800
- work that needs a written contract in those places
- Itemized
- services, rate and due date: what those laws ask for
The lines on this invoice, and why
| Line | What it tells your client |
|---|---|
| Blog articles | Count what you delivered: four posts, about 1,500 words each. Quantity times rate is easier to approve than one round number. |
| Case study edit | Hourly work with the hours as the quantity and what you did in the description. |
| Rush fee | Anything extra you agreed to, on its own line with the reason, so nobody thinks it's a mistake. |
The 30-day laws
New York City and New York State ($800), Illinois ($500), California ($250), Los Angeles ($600 a year), Seattle, Minneapolis and Columbus protect freelancers with written-contract rules, and most of them set payment within 30 days when the contract doesn't say otherwise. An invoice with both parties' names and addresses, itemized services, the rate and a due date lines up with what they require.
General information, not legal advice. Thresholds and dates from each law's text and official summaries.
Say what it's for
Name the agreement or the email where the work was agreed. Accounts payable teams match invoices to approvals; one line of context saves a week of back and forth.
Number them and keep a copy
Use a number you've never used, keep every PDF you send, and the date you sent it. If you ever have to claim under one of these laws, that record is what you'll show.
Wording you can copy
Payment due within 30 days of the invoice date.
A late fee of 1.5% per month applies to balances unpaid after the due date.
Questions
What should a freelance invoice include?
Your name and address, the client's, a unique number, the date and the due date, each service with its quantity and rate, the total, and how to pay you.
Can I charge a late fee?
Yes, if the client agreed to it before the work, in your contract or on the invoice. 1 to 1.5% a month is common, and some states cap it. How late fees work in BillGrid.
Do I need a contract as well?
In the cities and states above, yes, above their thresholds. The invoice doesn't replace it.
Sources: NYC Freelance Isn't Free Act (BCLP) · New York State FIFA (Vedder Price) · Illinois Freelance Worker Protection Act (IDOL) · California SB 988 · Los Angeles FWPO (Fisher Phillips)
Written by the BillGrid team. Checked .
