Shouting “show me the money!” might work in the movies, but when it comes to getting paid on time in real life, you’ll have more luck with an invoice. Time is money, and the faster you create and send an invoice, the sooner you get paid.
You can save precious hours by using software to streamline the process. Here are some things to keep in mind:
What to include on an invoice.
A basic invoice should include the details of your business, your customer’s information, a description of services rendered or products sold, the total amount due and clear payment terms. You’ll also want to use a numbering system to keep track of them all — invoicing software does this for you automatically.
Customizing your invoice per customer.
Ask your customers what they want you to include on their invoices so you can tailor it to them. You should assume that you’ll need to itemize every charge, for instance, but for some customers this extra information is unnecessary. If you do have lots of charges, create multiple invoices for smaller amounts as this makes them more likely to be paid quickly.
Fine-tuning your invoice for fast payment.
There are several small touches you can include in your invoices that might speed up payments. Add a polite please and thank-you, offer an incentive for faster payments and phrase your desired payment terms in a relatable value such as the number of days. Give the recipient the option to pay electronically to expedite the process.
How to create an invoice using Square.
Square Invoices makes life easier by combining customization and automation. To send a Square Invoice, visit your Dashboard, click on Sales and then Invoices. Each new invoice is automatically numbered and you can simply fill in the name of your customer and add a personalized message with payment terms.
Because Square Invoices is linked to your stock library, you can easily add items or services and the cost of each. There’s also an option to customize this field for one-off charges or special services. Then click Send and your invoice will be emailed to the customer. You can then check the status of your invoice on your Dashboard to find out whether an electronic payment has been made.
Square’s service allows you to send an unlimited number of invoices with no monthly fee. You pay a 2.75% processing fee on all online invoice payments made by your customer and the money is transferred into your bank account within one to two business days.