Make Invoices in Word

An invoice is an itemized list of charges for products sold or services rendered. Microsoft Word lets you create invoices using pre-made templates or your own design. The following steps cover how to make invoices in Word 2003, Word 2007, and Word 2010.

Steps

Method One: Downloading a Pre-Made Template

1. Create a new document. Although a pre-made template is actually not a "new" document, you begin as though you were actually creating a new document.
   • In Word 2003, select "New" from the File menu.
   • In Word 2007, click the Office button in the upper left and select "New" from the File menu.
   • In Word 2010, click the File tab and then select "New" from the options at left.
   • Do not click the New toolbar button in Word 2003 or the New button on the Quick Access Toolbar in Word 2007 or 2010. These buttons will only let you create a new document using the default Normal.dot or Normal.dotx template. (Do use this method when creating an invoice from a blank document.)
2. Navigate to the template you want.
   • In Word 2003 and 2007, select Invoices in the "Available Office Templates" on the left pane of the New Document task pane. Select the type of template from the list in the center window; then select one of the invoices displayed of that type.
   • In Word 2010, select Invoices in the Office.com Templates section under "Available Office Templates." Double-click the folder for the type of template you want to create; then select one of the invoices displayed of that type.
3. Download the template. Click the Download button at the right of the screen. You can then make changes to the invoice, using the information under "Method Two: Creating an Invoice from a Blank Document," and save it.
   • You can also access invoice templates for Microsoft Word and Excel directly from the Microsoft website at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/results.aspx?qu=invoices&ex=1. Be sure to select an invoice for your version of Word.
4. Method Two: Creating an Invoice from a Blank Document
5. Create the invoice heading. Your heading should include your business name and the word "Invoice" or a descriptive term for the type of invoice it is, such as "Price Quote" if you're only quoting a price for your services instead of billing for them.
   • You can place the heading either at the top of the page or in a Word header. If you put it in a header, and you anticipate the invoice running to a second page, you can use the Different First Page option to set up a more complete header on the first page and a summary header on the second.
   • Your business name should be displayed in the same font as it is on your other company materials.
   • Your invoice descriptor should be in a point size large enough for the person reading your invoice to identify it as the kind of invoice it is.
6. Display the invoice date. You should display the issuing date for the invoice near the top of the document, to the right of the invoice descriptor. It doesn't need to be as large as the descriptor, however.
   • Word has an Automatic Date feature that automatically inserts the date for you. While this feature is handy, if you print and mail your invoices, you shouldn't use it for invoices you send electronically, since it always displays the today's date whenever it's viewed. Although the saved date for your invoice document won't change, the accounts payable person will likely look at the date on the invoice when figuring when to pay you by.
7. Number the invoice. The number should also appear at the top of your invoice. Numbering your invoices provides you a way to track invoices when you have multiple unpaid invoices out. You can number invoices either of two ways:
   • Global numbering, regardless of your client. This method lets you keep all your invoice documents in a single folder.
   • Individual numbering for each client. Use this method if you prefer to create separate invoice file folders for each client. You may wish to include the client's name or a portion of it with the invoice number, such as "Swithin1."
8. Display the sender and recipient addresses. Include your address and the name and address of your client on your invoice.
   • Your contact information should include your name (or that of your accounts receivable person), your company's address, phone, fax (if any), and email.
   • Your client's information should list the company name, the name of the accounts payable person, the client's address, and, optionally, phone, fax, and email.
9. Lay out the billing information. Word's Tables feature provides an easy way to lay out the rows and columns for your billing information, such as quantity, item/service description, unit price/rate, and total price for the quantity purchased.
   • Word's Tables feature also features the ability to do calculations. Instead of manually calculating the total price for quantity purchased, you can set up a field calculation to multiply the quantity by the unit price to produce it. You can then sum all the subtotals to produce the total bill.
10. Display the total bill amount. This should appear at the right, just below the list of itemized charges. You can display the amount in boldface to make it easier to see.
    • If you're charging sales tax, you should display a subtotal of the itemized charges, with the tax listed beneath it, with the percentage to the left of the tax dollar amount, then the adjusted total below that.
11. Include the terms of payment. You can display the terms of payment either above or below the billing information. Common terms of payment are "Due on receipt," "Due within 14 days," "Due within 30 days," or "Due within 60 days."
    • You may also wish to include a memo at the bottom covering methods of payment, general information, or just a thank-you to the client for using your services.
12. Save the invoice. Give your invoice a meaningful name that describes the type of invoice it is. You can also include your company name and possibly the invoice number and the client name.

Tips

• Once you've saved an invoice document, you can use it as a template for creating other invoices by using the "New from existing" option when creating a new invoice. You can also save the document as a .dot or .dotx template for future template use.
• Another way to display the billing and total information is to set it up in a Microsoft Excel workbook and then paste a link to it in your Word invoice. Whenever you update the spreadsheet, right-click the embedded spreadsheet and select "Update Link" to see the modifications.

Related Articles

• Create a Commercial Invoice
• Make an Invoice on Excel
• Format a Commercial Invoice
• Insert Equations in Microsoft Word

Sources and Citations

• http://www.word-2010.com/create-an-invoice-in-word/
• http://www.inflowinventory.com/Blog/index.php/2008/05/28/5-reasons-why-not-to-make-invoices-in-word/
• http://www.techrepublic.com/article/create-an-invoice-template-using-word/5305320
• http://www.uwec.edu/help/word03/basics.htm
• Rodney Ruff, Omaha, NE; Microsoft Word user

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