How to create an invoice: a worked example and checklist

1. Gather the details before you start

Have the customer’s billing details, your agreed scope or order, your prices, and the payment arrangement beside you. Use the name of the person or business responsible for the bill, not just the person you spoke to.

• Your business: the name, contact information and identifying details appropriate to the transaction.
• Your customer: billing name, address and any reference they asked you to include.
• The work or goods: useful descriptions, quantities or hours, and agreed rates.
• The payment arrangement: currency, due date and verified payment instructions.

These are practical preparation steps, not a universal list of legally required fields. Tax and invoicing requirements depend on your situation. NineBrief does not decide your tax treatment or submit the document to a tax authority.

2. Understand the invoice you are building

Here is a fictional design project for Harbor Studio, billed to Maple Workshop. The example separates hourly production work from a fixed-price deliverable. All names, dates and amounts are illustrative; they are not suggested prices.

The calculation: 6 × USD 50.00 = USD 300.00; 1 × USD 150.00 = USD 150.00. The two lines add to USD 450.00. With no payment entered in this example, the amount due is also USD 450.00.

The explicit due date is 14 calendar days after the issue date. It is an example of an agreed date, not a default term every business should use. Keep the displayed payment terms and due date consistent.

3. Add the business and customer details

Open the NineBrief Invoice Generator, then enter the studio. In editing mode, select an outlined document section to change its details, or use the editor’s grouped fields. Start with Business & customer.

Enter your business name and the customer’s billing name. Add the address and contact information that belongs on this particular document. A logo is optional: clear names and correct information matter more than decoration.

Check the preview as you go. Some information has a visibility setting, so entering a value does not necessarily mean it appears on the printed document. Avoid adding private notes, passwords or unrelated personal information.

4. Check the invoice reference, currency and dates

Give the invoice a reference you can find again, such as HS-2026-001. Use a numbering approach that fits your own record-keeping requirements. Do not rely on a generated number to guarantee uniqueness across other browsers, devices or invoicing systems.

Check the issue date, due date and payment terms together. Add a customer purchase-order reference where relevant. For our example, use an issue date of 29 September 2026 and a due date of 13 October 2026.

Select the agreed currency before entering prices. NineBrief’s currency selection changes how amounts are presented; it does not convert one currency into another. If the tool displays a precision warning, verify that its calculations suit your transaction before using the result.

5. Write line items the customer can recognize

For hourly work, enter the hours as the quantity and the agreed hourly price as the rate. For a fixed-price deliverable, use a quantity of one and the agreed fee. Choose or describe the unit so the customer can follow the calculation.

Name the work, period or deliverable instead of relying on an unexplained total. Put separately agreed extras on their own lines. Do not charge a fixed fee and the same included hours again unless your agreement actually calls for both.

Enter applicable tax, discounts or other supported adjustments only after you know how they should apply. Check whether a discount or tax is being applied at the line or invoice level so you do not accidentally count it twice. The tool’s input validation is not tax advice.

6. Make payment instructions clear, then review

Use the payment fields or instructions to tell the customer how to pay. Verify the recipient and account details against a trusted record. For a reference, use the invoice number so the payment can be matched to the document.

Only enter an amount already paid when you have verified that payment. A deposit requested in a quote is not the same as money received. Changing a status to “Paid” does not collect or confirm a payment.

Select Finish editing to inspect the clean preview. Read it as your customer would: are the parties correct, the charges understandable and the amount due clear? Return to editing if anything is missing.

7. Save the PDF and a separate editable backup

Select Download PDF. NineBrief uses your browser’s print/PDF function. Choose the available PDF destination, review the page settings and save the file. The exact destination label depends on your browser and operating system.

Open the saved PDF before sending it. Check all pages, line items, totals and any payment instructions. A successful click is not proof that a PDF was saved; cancelling the print dialog does not create a file.

For an editable copy, open More and choose Export JSON. Keep that file somewhere appropriate for your business records. Import JSON can reopen a supported export later; review any replacement confirmation before overwriting the current draft.

Send the checked PDF through your chosen email or business system. NineBrief’s current free editor does not email the invoice, schedule reminders, process payment or save it to a NineBrief cloud account.

Your final pre-send checklist

• The business and customer names match the transaction.
• The invoice reference is correct and not already used in your records.
• The issue date, due date and written payment terms agree.
• Descriptions, quantities, rates and currency match the agreed work.
• Applicable adjustments and any verified payments are reflected correctly.
• The total and payment instructions have been checked.
• The saved PDF contains every intended row and page.
• An editable backup and any other required records are stored safely.

This checklist helps you review the document; it does not certify legal, accounting or tax compliance.

Common questions

Do I need a NineBrief account?

No account is required for the current free generator. Your working draft is held in the browser. An account, permanent archive and cross-device synchronization are not part of that workflow.

Can I edit the downloaded PDF in NineBrief?

Use a supported JSON export to return to an editable NineBrief document. A PDF is not an editable backup for the current import workflow.

Can I reopen an invoice from another device?

A local draft does not automatically follow you. Transfer your editable export securely and import it in the other browser. Keep the original backup until you have checked the imported document.

Is an invoice proof that the customer paid?

Not by itself. Verify payment using your payment records. A user-entered “Paid” label is not independent payment confirmation.