The nvisin tool for this: Branded Invoices. Branded invoicing for consultants, agencies and accounting firms.
Most firms start invoicing with a template: a Word or Excel file with a logo in the corner, saved as a PDF and attached to an email. That's a sensible start. The problem shows up later, when invoices go out late because someone had to find last month's file, clients pay the wrong amount, and every invoice has to be typed again into the accounting system.
Here's what an invoice template needs, how to make it look like your business, and how to let clients pay it online. It works whether you keep a template or use a tool like Branded Invoices.
What every invoice needs
| Part | What to put | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Your logo, business name, address, email and tax number if you're registered | The client's accounts team has to know who's billing them |
| Bill to | Client's legal name, billing address and a contact or PO number if they gave one | Invoices without a PO often sit in a queue |
| Invoice number | A unique, sequential number | Payments and questions refer to it |
| Dates | Invoice date and due date | "Due on receipt" is vague. A date isn't. |
| Lines | One line per service or period, with quantity, rate and amount | Clear lines get approved; vague ones get questions |
| Tax | Each tax (sales tax, GST, HST or VAT) on its own line, with the rate | Clients need it to claim the tax back |
| Total and terms | Amount due, currency and payment terms, such as net 30 | Sets the date you can start chasing |
| How to pay | A pay-online link, plus bank details for those who prefer a transfer | The fewer steps to pay, the sooner you're paid |
For what goes in the line descriptions and what clients check first, see what to put on a professional services invoice.
Make it look like your business
A branded invoice isn't vanity. Clients approve invoices faster when they recognise them at a glance, and a plain, unfamiliar invoice is exactly what invoice fraud looks like. Keep three things consistent:
- Logo: a PNG with a transparent background, about 300 to 600 pixels wide, so it's sharp on screen and in print.
- Colours: one brand colour for headings and the total. Keep the rest black on white so it prints well.
- The payment page: if clients click through to pay, that page should carry the same logo and colours. A sudden switch to someone else's branding makes careful clients stop and phone you.
Add a way to pay online
The slowest part of getting paid is usually the client's side: finding your bank details, typing them into their bank, and remembering to do it. A pay button removes that step. There are two common methods:
| Method | Good for | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Card | Smaller invoices and clients who want to pay right away | Fees are higher, and you usually absorb them. Check your provider's pricing for your country. |
| Bank transfer or bank debit | Larger invoices and regular retainers | Lower fees, but a few days before the money clears |
Use a payment account in your own business's name, so the money goes straight to your bank and you can see every payment and fee. We go through the set-up, fees and bookkeeping in how to accept online payments on invoices.
A worked example
Larkspur Advisory, a fictional two-person consultancy, bills a monthly retainer plus extra hours. Its October invoice to a client looks like this:
| Line | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advisory retainer, October 2026 | 1 | $2,400.00 | $2,400.00 |
| Board pack preparation, Oct 14 and Oct 21 | 6 h | $160.00 | $960.00 |
| Subtotal | $3,360.00 | ||
| Sales tax 5% | $168.00 | ||
| Total due by Nov 30, 2026 (net 30) | $3,528.00 |
Under the total: "Pay online by card or bank transfer" with a button, and the bank details below it. The extra hours name the dates and the deliverable, so the client's manager can approve them without asking what they were for.
When a template stops being enough
A template works when you send a few invoices a month. It starts costing time when:
- You send the same invoices every month and copy last month's file each time.
- You chase late payers by hand, and don't always notice who's late.
- You retype every invoice into QuickBooks Online or Xero. A CSV import helps; see importing invoices from a CSV.
- Clients ask for a copy of an old invoice or a statement of what they owe.
That's what Branded Invoices is for. Your logo and colours go on every invoice and payment page, clients pay by card or bank transfer through your own Stripe account, the invoice is marked paid when the money arrives, and each month exports in QuickBooks Online's or Xero's own import format. On the Firm plan, invoices can repeat monthly or quarterly and reminders go out on their own.
Common mistakes
- Payment details only in the email. The email gets lost; the invoice gets forwarded. Put them on the invoice.
- Reusing invoice numbers. Copying last month's file is how two invoices end up as #1042.
- No due date. Without one, there's no clear day to follow up.
- A logo that's blurry in print. Use a large enough file and let the template scale it down.
- Tax folded into the rate. Show it on its own line, or the client can't claim it.
Frequently asked questions
What should an invoice template include?
Your business name, logo and contact details; the client's name and billing address; a unique invoice number; the invoice date and due date; a line for each service with quantity, rate and amount; tax shown separately; the total due; your payment terms; and how to pay, ideally with an online payment link.
How do I add my logo to an invoice?
In a Word or Excel template, replace the placeholder in the header with your logo file, ideally a PNG with a transparent background about 300 to 600 pixels wide. In invoicing software you upload the logo once in settings and it appears on every invoice, PDF and payment page.
How can clients pay an invoice online?
Connect a payment provider such as Stripe and include a pay link or button on the invoice. The client opens it, pays by card or bank transfer, and the money is paid out to your bank account. Good invoicing tools mark the invoice paid automatically when the payment arrives.
Is a free invoice template good enough?
For a few invoices a month, yes. It starts to cost time when you send the same invoices every month, chase late payers by hand, or retype each invoice into QuickBooks Online or Xero. That's the point where invoicing software pays for itself.