What to include on an invoice: a checklist

Standardizing your invoice header details

Your header carries your business identity. Include your legal business name exactly as it appears on your account, your registered address, and your tax identification number. For cross-border clients, add your country of incorporation. This stops the client's accounts payable team from rejecting the invoice for mismatched beneficiary details, one of the more common causes of multi-week payment delays.

The mandatory invoice data points

You need nine elements in every professional invoice: invoice number, sender details, recipient details, issue and due dates, itemized goods or services, subtotal, applicable taxes, total amount due, and payment terms. For tax compliance across jurisdictions, the fields remain universal even as labels vary by country.

Standardizing your invoice payment terms

Payment terms define when you expect money to arrive. Standard options include On receipt, Net 15, Net 21, and Net 30. Net 30 is the market default across US B2B and the baseline most other terms are measured against, where Altitude defaults to Net 21. The number indicates calendar days starting from the invoice date unless you specify otherwise, per Invoicera's net terms glossary.

For a founder without a finance team, shorter terms improve cash flow but may strain client relationships. Net 21 offers a middle ground that acknowledges processing time without open-ended delay.

Invoice number and date

Every invoice needs a unique identifier. Sequential numbering (001, 002, 003) works for low volume. Date-based numbering (2026-10-12-01) helps when you issue multiple invoices daily. Enterprise ERP systems typically reject duplicate invoice numbers automatically, so a reissue adds days to settlement. The invoice date anchors the payment term calculation and determines the due date.

Accepted payment methods and details

Specify exactly how you want to be paid. Different rails require different information. Omitting a routing number or wallet address forces the client to email you, adding days to settlement. For ACH, you need your account number and nine-digit routing number. For SWIFT, you need your BIC code and often an IBAN.

Writing professional line item details

Itemize every charge. List the service or product, quantity, rate, and amount per line. Accounts payable teams query vague descriptions like "consulting services," adding weeks to approval. Specific descriptions like "October 2026 content strategy retainer, 20 hours at $150/hour" pass through approval workflows without manual review. Missing or mismatched details stall payments for weeks.

Setting your invoice currency and total

State the currency clearly (USD, EUR) and show the calculation from line items to subtotal, any applicable taxes, and the final total. For cross-border clients, indicate whether the amount is net of tax or includes VAT/GST. Ambiguity here causes FX confusion when the client's bank converts the payment.

Legal requirements for invoice validity

Legal requirements depend on your client's location. EU VAT invoices must include your VAT ID and the client's VAT ID for B2B transactions, plus a reverse-charge reference where applicable. UK clients expect VAT details under HMRC rules. US clients generally need your EIN or SSN for 1099 reporting purposes.

Setting up ACH for client payments

ACH transfers typically take up to three business days and carry no Altitude fee. Same-day ACH is also available, which takes up one business day, and carries no Altitude fee. You need to provide your account number and routing number.

Essential wire transfer details

Domestic wire transfers typically settle in one business day with no Altitude fee. SWIFT international wires cost $35, carry a $100 minimum, and take up to five business days. SWIFT requires a third-party invoice attachment and uses the OUR convention, where the sender covers known fees, though some intermediary banks can still deduct charges, according to Altitude's international payment guide.

How to invoice for USDC payments

Stablecoin transfers settle in seconds to 15 minutes depending on the network, with no Altitude fee and a 1 USDC minimum. Include your USDC wallet address and specify the network (Solana, Ethereum, Base, Avalanche, or Tempo). Stablecoin transfers run continuously, including weekends, while bank payouts still observe banking cut-offs.

Managing multi-currency invoice fields

When invoicing in USD or EUR, specify the currency in the total amount and in the payment instructions. Altitude Invoicing supports USD and EUR only. For FX transparency, fix either the amount you send or the amount the recipient receives, and show the effective rate before the client pays. This stops disputes when the client's bank applies its own conversion rate.

Essential tax data for foreign clients

You generally follow the customer's location for tax purposes when providing B2B cross-border services. Under the reverse charge mechanism, you issue the invoice with no domestic VAT while your client accounts for VAT in their country, according to Avalara's cross-border VAT guide. Include a note stating "Reverse charge applies" or the specific legal basis for zero-rating. The purchaser's identification number must appear on the invoice.

Tax rules vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Confirm current requirements with your accountant before relying on this guidance.

When to expect international payments

Settlement times vary by corridor. SEPA typically settles in one business day. SWIFT takes up to five business days. Stablecoin transfers settle in seconds to 15 minutes, 24/7. If you invoice on Friday with Net 30 terms, the client's payment initiated on the due date may arrive on a weekend if using stablecoins, or the following Tuesday if using ACH.

4 invoice mistakes that delay payment

1. Duplicate invoice numbers: Enterprise systems reject these automatically, requiring reissue.
2. Missing payment details: Clients can't pay what they can't route.
3. Vague line items: Procurement teams query unclear descriptions, adding weeks to approval.
4. Incorrect beneficiary names: SEPA and SWIFT rails reject payments on exact name mismatches and return funds to the sender.

How to track unpaid client invoices

Invoices move through states: Draft, Open, Paid, and Void. Deposit matching is manual today, and automatic matching is coming soon. When a deposit is matched to an invoice, the invoice is marked as Paid in full. Altitude doesn't track partial payments, so a partial deposit that gets matched will mark the entire invoice as Paid, even if the amount received differs from the amount invoiced. If a client pays half the invoice, verify the deposit amount before matching to avoid closing out an invoice that still has an outstanding balance.

Syncing invoices with your ledger

Altitude syncs with QuickBooks Online and Xero one way, from Altitude to your ledger, and you confirm every posting before it applies. Card transactions, Rewards, SOL and cbBTC Holdings, and invoice objects don't sync. EUR postings require a QBO multi-currency subscription.

Signs your invoicing needs automation

Businesses relying on manual invoicing see longer payment cycles, with each manual step adding delay and error risk. Automated payment reminders reduce days sales outstanding compared to manual follow-up, though the exact reduction varies by business size, client mix, and reminder cadence. If your workflow depends on features Altitude Invoicing doesn't yet support, you will need a complementary tool. If you are logging into separate platforms to invoice in different currencies, or if you spend month-end manually matching invoices to bank statements, your process needs consolidation.

See how Altitude generates multi-currency invoices and syncs confirmed postings to QuickBooks Online and Xero. Book a demo.

What is the difference between an invoice and a receipt?

An invoice requests payment before money changes hands. A receipt confirms the payment has been received. You issue an invoice to get paid, and you issue the receipt once you are paid.

How long should I keep invoice records?

Generally, keep invoice records for at least three years from the filing date, but longer in specific situations: six years if you omit more than 25% of gross income, and seven years for bad-debt or worthless-securities deductions, per IRS Publication 583. Cross-border invoices may require longer retention under foreign tax authority rules.

Can I invoice in multiple currencies?

Altitude supports USD and EUR only. You can separately pay out in GBP, MXN, BRL, or COP via Altitude's local rails, outside the invoicing flow.

What payment terms should I set?

Net 21 is the default for Altitude and balances cash flow speed with client processing time. Net 30 is standard for enterprise clients with formal procurement workflows.

Do I need different invoice templates for different countries?

The core fields remain universal, but tax data requirements vary. EU B2B invoices require VAT IDs and reverse-charge notation. UK invoices require VAT details under HMRC rules. US invoices don't require a tax ID on the document itself, but business clients who pay you will typically request your EIN via Form W-9 for 1099 reporting purposes.