How to make an invoice on iPhone, with a simple template

To make an invoice on iPhone, list your business details, the client's details, a unique invoice number, the date, a description of the work with amounts, and the total due, then save it as a PDF and send it. You can build one in Apple's free Pages app, or use an invoice app that fills in the repeat parts for you. Below is what every invoice needs, a simple template you can copy, and both ways to make it on your phone.

What should be on an invoice?

Rules differ by country, so check what applies where you work. As a useful baseline, the UK government's guide to what invoices must include lists:

• A unique identification number.
• Your company name, address and contact information.
• The company name and address of the customer you are invoicing.
• A clear description of what you are charging for.
• The date the goods or service were provided, and the date of the invoice.
• The amounts being charged, any VAT or sales tax, and the total amount owed.

In the United States, the IRS does not set an invoice format, but it does list invoices among the supporting documents a business should keep. A clear, complete invoice makes your own records easier as well as getting you paid.

Is there a simple invoice template for freelancers?

Yes. This layout covers the parts above and works for most freelancers and contractors:

1. Header: the word Invoice, your logo if you have one, your business name, address, email and phone, and any license number your trade requires.
2. Bill to: the client's name or company, address and email.
3. Invoice details: invoice number, invoice date, date of service and due date.
4. Line items: one row per piece of work, with a description, the quantity or hours, the rate and the line amount.
5. Totals: subtotal, tax if it applies, and the total due.
6. How to pay: the methods you accept, such as check, bank transfer, PayPal or Venmo, with the details the client needs.
7. A short note: a thank-you line, and your payment terms if you have them.

Keep the descriptions specific. "Kitchen faucet replacement, parts and labor" gets paid faster than "Plumbing work", because the client does not have to write back and ask what it was for.

How should I number my invoices?

Every invoice needs its own number, and the simplest scheme is one that never repeats and always goes up. A year followed by a running number, such as 2026-001, 2026-002 and so on, is easy to read and easy to sort. Do not reuse a number, even for an invoice you canceled; mark the canceled one as void instead, so your records have no gaps.

How do I make an invoice in Pages on iPhone?

Pages is Apple's word processor and is free on the App Store. Every new document starts from a template; Apple's guide to creating a document in Pages covers the template chooser. Then:

1. Start a new document. Open the Pages app, tap Choose a Template and pick a plain word-processing template.
2. Add your details and the client's. At the top, type your business name and contact details, then the client's name and address.
3. Number and date it. Add a unique invoice number, the invoice date, the date of the work and a due date.
4. List the work in a table. Insert a table with a row for each item: a description, the quantity or hours, the rate and the amount. Add tax if it applies, then the total.
5. Say how to pay. Below the total, list how the client can pay you and by when.
6. Export it as a PDF and send it. Tap the More button, tap Export, choose PDF, then send it by Mail, Messages or AirDrop.

Apple's guide to exporting a Pages document as a PDF covers the last step. Always send a PDF rather than the Pages file: it looks the same on every device and the client cannot accidentally edit it. Once your first invoice looks right, save it as your own template, so the next one starts with your details already filled in. Pages has a guide to custom templates for that.

The downside is the bookkeeping around it. Pages does not know what an invoice is, so you set up the totals and tax in the table yourself, and you keep track of the numbering, your clients and which invoices have been paid.

How long should I keep copies of my invoices?

Keep a copy of every invoice you send. The IRS says to keep records that support income on your tax return until the period of limitations for that return runs out, and explains how long that is for different situations. An easy habit is to email each PDF to yourself, or save it to a folder in the Files app, the moment you send it.

Where Paper Invoice fits

We made Paper Invoice for people who send invoices from a job site or a kitchen table, not an office. It is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. You add your business once: your logo, business profile, licenses such as a contractor license, and the payment methods you accept, such as Venmo, PayPal or check. From then on, they print on every invoice.

To make an invoice, choose a client, a due date and line items from your saved hourly or flat rates, then preview the PDF and tap Share to send it by email, Messages or AirDrop. Invoices are filtered by draft, sent and paid, so you can see what is still outstanding. It works fully offline, so a basement or a remote site with no signal is not a problem.

Your data stays on your device: there is no account, no cloud and no tracking. That also means invoices do not sync between devices or back up to the cloud, so share or export your PDFs to keep copies, as above. Paper Invoice makes the document; it is not a payment processor, and you collect payment however you prefer. It is free during launch, with every feature and no subscription or in-app purchases, and runs on iOS 15.1 or later.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make an invoice on my phone for free?

Yes. Pages is free and can export a PDF, and Paper Invoice is free during launch with every feature. Both work on iPhone without a computer.

What file format should I send an invoice in?

PDF. It keeps your layout the same on every device, opens without special software, and cannot be edited by accident.

Does an invoice app collect payment for me?

Not necessarily. An invoice is a request for payment. Paper Invoice prints how to pay you on the invoice, and the client pays you directly by the method you listed.

What is the difference between an invoice and a receipt?

An invoice asks for payment and says when it is due. A receipt confirms that payment was made. Many freelancers send an invoice first, then mark it paid when the money arrives.