Create invoices in QuickBooks Self-Employed

Learn how to add products and services to an invoice and send it to your customers.

Here's how to send invoices to your customers in QuickBooks Self-Employed so they can pay for their purchases in the future. If your customer wants to make a payment right now or has already paid you, enter the transaction manually.

If you are VAT registered, switch to QuickBooks Online.

Step 1: Set up your invoice preferences

When you create your first invoice, enter your business info. Enter your business name, email address, location, and logo so your customers can see them when you send invoices. You only need to set it up once. Here’s how.

1. Go to Invoices and select Create invoice.
   Note: If you don’t see the Invoices menu, go to Settings and turn on the Invoices switch.
2. Select Edit work info.
3. Enter your business info, then select Save.

Step 2: Create an invoice

On a web browser

1. Go to Invoices and select Create invoice.
2. Select an existing customer, or create a new one by entering their name, address, and email address.
3. Decide when you want to be paid and enter the date in the Due date field.
4. To add items to the invoice, select Add work, then select Flat rate or By hour from the dropdown menu. Or select By item if you're charging for a product. Enter an amount. Then select Add to invoice.
5. To add more items to the invoice, select Add work.
6. When you're ready, select Send invoice to email your invoice. You can also select the arrow and Preview to see what your customer will receive.

On an iPhone or iPad (iOS)

1. Select Invoices from the menu.
2. Select the Plus sign.
3. Select Add customer to select a customer.
4. Select Add product or service. You can choose one of your frequently used items or create a new one.
5. If you create a new product or service, give it a name. Select flat rate or hourly for services. Select quantity for a product. Then enter an amount. Select Add to add the product or service to your invoice.
6. To add more items to the invoice, select Add another product or service.
7. Select the Invoice contact info section if you need to edit your business info. Select Save to save your changes.
8. Select the Invoice details section if you need to change the due date, creation date, or invoice number. Select Save to save any changes.
9. When you're ready, select Email to send your invoice. You can also tap Preview to see what your client will receive.

On an Android phone or tablet:

1. Select the menu ☰ icon and then select Invoices.
2. Select the Plus sign.
3. Select Add customer to select a customer.
4. Select Add product or service. You can choose one of your frequently used items or create a new one.
5. If you create a new product or service, give it a name. Select flat rate or hourly for services. Select quantity for a product. Then enter an amount. Select Add to add the product or service to your invoice.
6. To add more items to the invoice, select Add another product or service.
7. Select the Invoice contact info section if you need to edit your business info. Select Save to save your changes.
8. Select the Invoice details section if you need to change the due date, creation date, or invoice number. Select Save to save any changes.
9. When you're ready, select Send invoice to send your invoice. You can also tap Preview to see what your client will receive.

Step 3: Process an invoice

After you get the invoice payment, mark it as paid.

If you use QuickBooks Payments, we do this for you automatically. If you use another payment processing service, you need to manually mark the invoice in QuickBooks:

1. Go to Invoices.
2. Find the invoice.
3. Select the small arrow ▼ icon in the Action column.
4. Select Mark as paid. If you're on a web browser, select Send to send your customer a copy of their paid invoice, or select Email if you're on the mobile app.

Next steps: Manage invoices

You can see all of your open and completed invoices in the Invoices menu. This is where you can print invoices, export them as PDFs, and send reminders for ones that are overdue. In terms of reports, please remember that all reports in QuickBooks Self-Employed are generated on Cash basis.