As part of our guide to learning the steps to create a professional invoice let’s learn how to properly email an invoice in order to get it to your client faster, and of course, get paid much quicker. And not to worry, emailing an invoice is easier than you probably think.

Create the invoice

When you plan to send your invoice via email, you can create the invoice using Microsoft Word or you can use an invoice generator such as Yes Invoice.The invoice to be emailed should have the same information as any other invoice would, including: contact information for both parties involved (physical addresses and email addresses), the invoice date, the unique invoice number, a detailed list of the services completed and/or products sold, the dollar amounts for each line item, the date for each line item, a subtotal, any taxes or fees to be added to the subtotal, the total dollar amount owed, any boilerplate language around a return policy or late fees on payment, and a thank you note.

Send the invoice email

Sending your invoice via email has another part to it: writing the actual email. With the right wording, you can get past fast and accurately from your client. Start by sending your email and invoice as soon as you get the job completed. When writing your email, be professional and courteous, and include “please” and “thank you” within the body of the email.

Although it is likely included in the invoice itself, feel free to use the body of your email to mention the total dollar amount that is owed, along with the payment due date. Don’t be afraid to clearly state these numbers instead of skirting around them – you don’t want your client to think it’s okay to pay “whenever”. For example, write something in the email such as: Please pay the balance of $250.00 by October 1, 2016. This way, there is no question about when the payment is due, and how much it is.

You can also use the email itself to include the address where you expect payment, or other payment information, such as a PayPal username, or other online payment information. 

Reminder email

Feel free to send a friendly reminder email if you haven’t received payment and it is 7 days out from the due date. If the invoice becomes past due, send another email that is still friendly, yet stern. You can write something such as: We are contacting you in regards of invoice #0001, as it is now past due. Please pay the balance of $250.00 immediately. You can send your payment to XXX. This way, the client has another reminder, but will take it seriously.

Email invoicing is now very common in the business world, so if you have the right equipment and software to send custom, professional invoices via email, don’t be intimidated or think it will be seen as unprofessional. If anything, sending an email invoice will show the client that you are tech savvy, prompt, efficient, and that you care about the environment.