Invoice

An invoice is a document used in commerce, particularly in retail. It is made by a person or company who is selling something to a customer (or "buyer"). The invoice is given to the customer as a request for payment. It lists the goods or service provided to the customer, along with the price being charged for each of them.

An invoice from a hardware shop

Once the customer has paid for the goods or services, they may be given a receipt. The receipt is the customer's proof that they have paid for the products. A receipt is not the same thing as an invoice.^[1]

From the seller's point of view, an invoice is called the sales invoice. From the buyer's point of view, an invoice is called the purchase invoice.

Components

• The word invoice
• Unique reference number
• Invoice date
• Credit terms
• Tax payments
• Name and contact detail of the seller and buyer
• Tax or company registration details of seller
• Date of transaction
• Purchase order number
• Description of products
• Unit prices of products
• Total amount charged
• Payment terms

Types

• Collective invoice
• Continuation invoice
• Commercial invoice
• Credit memo invoice
• Debit memo invoice
• Electronic invoice
• Evaluated receipt settlement invoice
• Pro forma invoice
• Progress billing invoice
• Self-billing invoice
• Statement invoice
• Timesheet invoice

Electronic invoices

• EDIFACT
• Open Application Group Integration Specification
• UBL
• ISDOC