What to include on an invoice: a checklist for small sellers and makers

Updated October 28, 2026 · SellerSheetKit Guides

Marketplace orders invoice themselves. But the moment you take a custom order, a wholesale order from a shop, a commission, or a market booking, you need to send a proper invoice. A clear invoice gets paid faster, answers questions before the buyer has to ask, and gives you a clean record for your books.

This guide is a field-by-field checklist, with a worked example, numbering advice, payment terms, and a simple way to track who still owes you.

The invoice checklist

Who and when

The word "Invoice" at the top, so it is not mistaken for a quote or estimate.
Your business name, address, email, and phone. Use the business name your customer will recognize.
Customer name and billing address. For wholesale, include the store name and the person who placed the order.
Invoice number — unique and never reused (see numbering below).
Invoice date and due date.
Customer reference, such as their purchase order number, if they gave you one. Wholesale buyers often need this to approve payment.

What they are paying for

Line items with a clear description, quantity, unit price, and line total. "12 × Soy candle, 8 oz, Cedar" beats "Candles".
Subtotal.
Discounts shown as their own line.
Shipping as its own line.
Sales tax, if you are required to charge it, shown separately with the rate. Whether you must charge tax depends on what you sell, where the buyer is, and whether the buyer gave you a resale certificate — check your state's rules.
Total, any deposit already paid, and the balance due.

How to pay

Payment terms — for example, "Due on receipt" or "Net 15".
Accepted payment methods and the details needed to use them.
Late payment terms, if you have them, stated plainly.
A short thank-you note — optional, but it helps for repeat customers.

Worked example: a wholesale order with a deposit

Illustrative figures only.

Item	Qty	Unit price	Line total
Soy candle, 8 oz, Cedar	24	$11.00	$264.00
Soy candle, 8 oz, Lavender	24	$11.00	$264.00
Wax melts, 6-pack	12	$6.50	$78.00
Subtotal			$606.00
Shipping			$38.00
Sales tax (resale certificate on file)			$0.00
Total			$644.00
Deposit paid			−$300.00
Balance due (Net 15)			$344.00

Everything the buyer needs to approve and pay is on the page: what was sent, what was already paid, what is left, and when it is due.

How to number invoices

Sequential: 1001, 1002, 1003. Simple, and gaps are easy to spot.
Year prefix: 2026-001, 2026-002. Makes it obvious which year an invoice belongs to.
Customer code: MAPLE-2026-004. Handy if a few wholesale accounts make up most of your invoices.

Whichever you pick, never reuse a number. If an invoice is wrong, mark it void and issue a new one rather than editing and resending the same number. Starting at 1001 rather than 1 is a common, harmless choice.

Payment terms that get you paid faster

Due on receipt for one-off custom orders and new customers.
Deposits for custom work and large orders — many makers take a deposit before buying materials. State what happens to the deposit if the order is cancelled.
Net 15 or Net 30 for established wholesale accounts that expect terms. Shorter terms mean you wait less, so offer longer terms only where you need to.
Put the due date on the invoice, not just the terms. "Due November 12" is harder to misread than "Net 15".
Send the invoice the day the order ships or the work is delivered. The clock on terms starts when they receive it.

Track open balances

An invoice log is one row per invoice: number, customer, date, due date, total, amount paid, balance, and status. Sort by due date once a week and send a friendly reminder on anything overdue. It also gives you an accurate figure for money owed to you at month end, which feeds your monthly P&L.

Common invoice mistakes

Vague line items the buyer's accounts team cannot match to an order.
Missing the buyer's purchase order number, which can delay approval.
No due date, or a due date that differs from the agreed terms.
Forgetting to subtract the deposit, so the buyer sees the full amount and questions it.
Reusing or skipping invoice numbers, which makes records hard to reconcile.

Make sure the price you invoice wholesale accounts still leaves room for your costs; our COGS guide shows how to work out true unit cost. Educational content only — check your state's sales tax rules or ask a tax professional for your situation.

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SellerSheetKit is not affiliated with Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon. Fee figures are summarized from official sources on the date above and can change; verify against your seller account. Educational content only — not tax, legal, or accounting advice.