× FreshBooks App Logo
FreshBooks
Official App
Free - Google Play
Get it
You're currently on our UK site. Select your regional site here:

How to Create an Invoice With the Free Invoice Generator

The free invoice creator is a simple, user-friendly tool—and it does all of the arithmetic for you.

1

INVOICE HEADING

Stick with the standard template or opt for a more modern style. Change the colour of your invoice, and add your business logo if you wish.

2

COMPANY NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Include your company’s name, address, and phone number. 

3

CLIENT NAME AND DETAILS

Add the client’s name, address, and phone number.

4

INVOICE NUMBER

Enter your own invoice number, or allow the invoice generator to choose it for you.

5

INVOICE DATE

Enter the date of the invoice.

6

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES RENDERED

Fill out a single line item detailing each product or service sold and the quantity.

7

COST OF SERVICES AND VAT

Enter the rate or cost of the services or products provided along with VAT.

8

PAYMENT TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND INSTRUCTIONS

Include information in these optional fields, such as notes you want to add to the invoice or the invoice terms and conditions. 

9

PREVIEW YOUR INVOICE

Click the black “Preview Invoice” button near the top, and carefully review your work for accuracy. To exit preview mode, simply click outside of the invoice.

10

DOWNLOAD AND SAVE YOUR INVOICE

Once you’re satisfied with your work, click “Download Invoice.”

Confirm your email address, and click “Get My Invoice.” The download link for your invoice is automatically sent to your email address. The invoice will also open as a PDF on your computer screen.

1

INVOICE HEADING

Stick with the standard template or opt for a more modern style. Change the colour of your invoice, and add your business logo if you wish.

2

COMPANY NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Include your company’s name, address, and phone number. 

3

CLIENT NAME AND DETAILS

Add the client’s name, address, and phone number.

4

INVOICE NUMBER

Enter your own invoice number, or allow the invoice generator to choose it for you.

5

INVOICE DATE

Enter the date of the invoice.

6

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES RENDERED

Fill out a single line item detailing each product or service sold and the quantity.

7

COST OF SERVICES AND VAT

Enter the rate or cost of the services or products provided along with VAT.

8

PAYMENT TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND INSTRUCTIONS

Include information in these optional fields, such as notes you want to add to the invoice or the invoice terms and conditions. 

9

PREVIEW YOUR INVOICE

Click the black “Preview Invoice” button near the top, and carefully review your work for accuracy. To exit preview mode, simply click outside of the invoice.

10

DOWNLOAD AND SAVE YOUR INVOICE

Once you’re satisfied with your work, click “Download Invoice.”

Confirm your email address, and click “Get My Invoice.” The download link for your invoice is automatically sent to your email address. The invoice will also open as a PDF on your computer screen.

Benefits of Using an Online Invoice Generator 

Look Like a Pro 

Create professional-looking invoices right out of the gate with customisation options that reflect your company’s colours and incorporate your logo. Since online invoices are templated, you’ll never leave out important information—it’s tough to make mistakes with an invoice maker.

Save Time

An online invoice maker does the heavy lifting for you—just enter the information already at your fingertips, and the generator creates the invoice number and performs the calculations. You can even have invoices generated and sent automatically.

Save Money

Time is money, and online invoicing is a great way to streamline your accounting processes and reduce the time you spend creating and managing invoices. The accuracy and efficiency of online invoicing keeps your bookkeeping up-to-date and makes it easy to track payments.

Reduce Errors

As you will be submitting this to HMRC, you want to ensure there are no errors. Keep your invoices accurate and your books balanced with online invoicing. Online invoicing provides easy access to all the information you need to file your quarterly or annual tax payments and stay on track financially throughout the year.

Go Paperless

An online invoice generator makes quick work of sending your invoices electronically—no paper necessary. Keeping digital records also allows you to have your documentation on hand for the HMRC’s 6-year requirement. Create, send, edit, and manage your invoices all in one place, and save money on paper, ink, envelopes, and postage while reducing your impact on the environment. 

Create Your Free Invoice Now or Try MTD Compliant FreshBooks Invoice Software for Free

Free Invoice Generator vs. FreshBooks 

Running a business is more than just invoicing. Payments, recurring invoices, and managing the full scope of each project all impact the future success of your business. With FreshBooks, you can ensure clients can pay invoices as quickly and easily as possible while managing client communication and setting your bookkeeping up for tax time success. Check out the comparison chart below to see if your business needs the full force of the FreshBooks platform.

Free Invoice Generator

VS

FreshBooks

Features

Free Invoice Generator

Customizable invoice templates

Printable for clients who love snail mail

Email invoices to clients for free

Accept safe and secure online credit or debit card payments on invoices

Add a payment schedule, automate late payment reminders and fees

Keep track at a glance of who will get paid and who has not

Easily set up deposits for projects

Easily add a discount to your next invoice online

Automate your invoices for recurring work in online payments and subscriptions

Submit VAT returns and review past submissions

Get a VAT return report

MTD Compliant

Create and send invoices from your mobile device

Sign up for a free FreshBooks trial today

Try It Free for 30 Days. No credit card required.
Cancel anytime.

Helpful Invoicing Resources

Check out these helpful pages and articles to learn more about HMRC invoice requirements and how VAT works, plus everything you need to know about Making Tax Digital.


HMRC Invoice Requirements

HMRC Invoice Requirements


How Does VAT Work in the UK?

How Does VAT Work in the UK?


What Is Making Tax Digital: An Extensive Guide

What Is Making Tax Digital: An Extensive Guide


Other Free Business Tools

ROI Calculator

Calculate your FreshBooks
ROI (return on investment).

Markup Calculator

Calculate your product markup
and margin

Business Loan Calculator

Calculate how much it will cost to take out a loan

VAT Calculator

Use this tool to take the effort out of VAT calculations

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is an invoice generator? 

An invoice generator is an online tool that helps you create clean, professional invoices for your business that can be sent electronically or downloaded as a PDF. Invoice generators make it easy for business owners and accountants to calculate VAT and send and file invoices paperlessly using standard invoice templates or tailor unique invoices that suit your business’s specific needs.

Why use an invoice generator?

Using a generator tool for invoicing is fast and simple, saving you time—especially if you opt to have your invoices automatically generated and sent. Auto-invoicing streamlines accounts receivables, increases organisational efficiency, and saves paper and postage. 

What should be included in an invoice?

An invoice should contain the seller’s business name and address, the buyer’s name and address, a detailed list of all items or services purchased, an invoice number, an invoicing date, a due date, payment processing terms, VAT, and the total amount due upon receipt. 

Can I generate and send invoices on the go using an invoice generator?

Yes—with an invoice generator, you can create and send mobile invoices from wherever you are and whatever device you’re on. FreshBooks allows you to generate and send a finished invoice from your mobile phone in minutes using the FreshBooks app, available on iOS 9.0 or higher or Android 4:2 or higher.

What are the benefits of using an invoice generator?

There are many benefits to using an invoice generator. It saves time by automating the invoice creation process. It improves accuracy since it does all of the arithmetic for you. Invoice generators allow you to automate invoice tracking, and they make it easy to create invoices that look sleek and professional.

What information is required to use an invoice generator?

To use an invoice generator, you’ll need several key pieces of information: Your name and contact information, the recipient’s name and contact information, the invoice number and date of issue, the products or services provided and their cost breakdowns, the payment terms, and remittance information.

Is it possible to customise the look and feel of the invoices generated by an invoice generator?

Yes. FreshBooks invoice template generators allow you to customise the colours of your invoices, add your company logo, choose your own font, or add background images. Invoice generators make it easy to design professional, branded invoices.

Are there invoice generators that integrate with accounting software or payment gateways?

Yes—many. One of the best things about some invoice generators is that you can integrate them with many different types of accounting software—including FreshBooks. This makes invoice generators a great way to streamline your invoicing and payment processes.

Can an invoice be used to create estimates or quotes as well?

No. An invoice is different from an estimate or a quote. However, with just a few clicks, FreshBooks can be used to create estimates or quotes. This can be useful in situations where your client wants to see how much a project or product will cost before committing to it. Try FreshBooks for Free.

Can an invoice generator be used on a mobile device?

Yes. You can use most invoice generators on your mobile device. As long as the generator is responsive (which just means they adjust their layout depending on the type of device you’re using). Some invoice generators have an app you can download to your mobile device for invoicing on the go, making these great for freelancers and those who work out of the office.

Can an invoice generator be used to generate invoices in different currencies?

Yes. Many invoice generators, including the FreshBooks Invoice Generator, allow you to adjust the currency based on where your client is located. This feature is ideal for people who trade goods in multiple countries or have customers who live all over the world. Even better, some invoice generators will automatically convert your currency into the selected different currency based on the exchange rate at that time. 

What information is required on an invoice to be MTD compliant?

To make a VAT invoice MTD compliant, you’ll need to include the following: 

  • Your business name
  • Your business’s main address
  • The buyer’s name
  • The buyer’s main address
  • Date
  • VAT numbers for the buyer and seller 
  • A description of the goods or services provided 
  • VAT and value of the goods or services
  • The VAT rate charged 
Is there a limit to the number of invoices I can create with the FreshBooks invoice generator? 

The Free Invoice Generator allows you to create one invoice, but customers can create an unlimited number of invoices using the FreshBooks invoice generator. FreshBooks invoice generator produces professional invoices that allow you to put your business on autopilot so you can focus your time on what matters most. 

WHY BUSINESS OWNERS LOVE FRESHBOOKS

553 HRS

SAVE UP TO 553 HOURS EACH YEAR BY USING FRESHBOOKS

£ 7000

SAVE UP TO £7000 IN BILLABLE HOURS EVERY YEAR

160+

PEOPLE IN OVER 160 COUNTRIES 
HAVE USED FRESHBOOKS

Try it free for 30 Days. No credit card required. Cancel anytime.