INVOICE GUIDES
What Should an Invoice Include? A Pre-Send Checklist
An invoice should contain enough information for the right customer to recognize the purchase, verify the amount and pay through the agreed method. Start with the seller and buyer, a distinct invoice reference, relevant dates, itemized charges, currency and payment instructions. This checklist helps you review those details before entering them into the ToolNivo Invoice Generator.
Confirm the parties before the numbers
Use the business or personal billing identity appropriate to the transaction. Check spelling against the customer’s instructions instead of relying on a contact’s email signature. A project manager may work for a parent company while a subsidiary is responsible for the invoice.
- Supplier: business name, relevant address and a contact route for invoice questions.
- Customer: correct billing name and billing address.
- Attention or contact: the person or team who can route the document.
- Tax or registration details: information that applies to your circumstances, checked separately.
A logo can help recognition but does not replace written identity. If the work site differs from the billing address, label the site separately rather than substituting it for the payer.
Make the invoice searchable
Give the document a reference that is unique within your chosen system. Compare it with your own register before sending. ToolNivo’s editable number field does not search past invoices or reserve the next number for you.
Add a purchase-order number when the customer requires one. Keep it separate from your invoice number: the buyer’s order and your billing document are different records. Confirm whether the customer also needs a project code, department or contract reference. Put a required contextual reference in Notes if no dedicated field exists, and check that the customer accepts this placement.
Use dates that tell the same story
Review the issue date, service date or period, and payment deadline as separate facts. A monthly service completed in June might be invoiced in July; there is no reason to hide the June period. In ToolNivo, service dates can be stated in the description or Notes because the form has no separate service-date control.
Write an explicit due date consistent with agreed terms. Avoid mixing ambiguous numeric date formats in free text. “15 July 2027” is easier to distinguish internationally than a short date whose day and month could be read differently.
Check every charge against an agreement
For each row, ask what the customer can use to verify it. A product may need its model or approved order description. A service may need a deliverable, period or job reference. Quantity and rate must use the same unit: hours multiplied by an hourly rate, or units multiplied by a unit price.
Review discounts, applicable tax, shipping and previous payments separately. An earlier payment is not a discount. Currency selection changes the displayed currency and rounding precision; it does not convert your agreed prices. The existing totals calculation guide explains the tool’s arithmetic in detail.
Ask whether payment can actually be made
A visible total alone does not tell a customer how to settle it. Include the agreed method and the reference to use. Where appropriate, give enough recipient information to identify the destination accurately. Do not include passwords, card security codes or account-login credentials.
Verify payment details through a trusted route when they have changed. Also confirm where to submit the invoice: an email attachment might be unsuitable if the customer requires a procurement portal. ToolNivo creates the PDF but does not submit it or check payment details.
Run a recipient-side review
Open the downloaded PDF and answer these questions without looking back at the form: Can I identify both parties? Can I match the work to an order? Can I reproduce the balance? Can I see the deadline and payment method? Can I contact the supplier if something is unclear?
Then compare the attachment’s invoice number and amount with your email. A complete document can still be sent to the wrong mailbox or attached from an older draft. Use the invoice email checks for that final delivery step. Requirements vary, so confirm any transaction-specific or local obligations separately.
Frequently asked questions
Must every optional field be filled?
No. Empty optional fields should not be filled with invented information. Include information needed for the transaction and applicable requirements.
Can the tool tell me which tax number is required?
No. The form records information you enter. It does not validate registration, tax treatment or local invoice rules.
What should I do when the buyer has not provided a PO number?
Ask whether a purchase-order reference is required before issuing. Do not invent one or place your own invoice number in the PO field.