What is the difference between a bill and an invoice?

In practice, none. The seller calls it an invoice, the buyer calls it a bill. Accounting software uses the two words to mean money in and money out.

Does a bill need a number?

It should have one. Without a sequence you cannot prove later that none went missing.

Should tax be shown separately?

If you are registered, yes. The rate and the tax amount both have to appear, not just the total.

Can I use this for a restaurant bill?

Yes. Add the service charge as its own line rather than folding it into the item prices.

Do I still need to give a receipt?

If the customer pays, yes. The bill is the request; the receipt is the proof of payment.

Free Bill Generator

A plain bill, without the invoice formalities. Fill the form, watch it build itself, download the PDF. No sign up, no watermark, and nothing you type is sent anywhere.

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Bill, invoice, or both

In everyday use a bill and an invoice are the same document seen from two sides. The business issuing it calls it an invoice; the person receiving it calls it a bill.

The word matters in one place: bookkeeping software usually files invoices as money owed to you and bills as money you owe. Use whichever word your customer will recognise on the document itself.

For a shop, a cafe or a trade job settled on the spot, bill is the natural word and this is the right generator for it.

What to put on a bill

Your business name and how to contact you.
A bill number and the date.
The customer, if it is going to a business rather than being handed over a counter.
Each item with a quantity and a price.
The subtotal, any tax, any service charge, and the total.
How to pay, and by when if it is not being settled immediately.

If you are registered for VAT or GST, the tax has to be shown as its own line with the rate stated. A total that quietly includes tax is not enough for a customer who needs to reclaim it.

Service charges and tips

A service charge added by the business is part of the sale and is normally taxable in the same way as the rest of it.

A tip the customer chooses to leave is usually treated differently, because it is voluntary. The rules vary by country, so check yours before you put it through as a sale.

Whichever you do, show it as a separate line. A total that folds in a service charge without saying so is the fastest way to a complaint.

Getting paid on the spot

Put the total in the largest type on the page. It is the number the customer is looking for and hiding it wastes everyone's time.

If you take bank transfer, print the details on the bill rather than reading them out. Transposed digits are the most common cause of a payment that never arrives.

Give a receipt once it is paid. The bill shows what was owed; only a receipt shows it was settled.

How to make a bill

Enter who is billing and who is being billed.
List what is owed.
Add how you would like to be paid.
Download the PDF.

Questions about bills

What is the difference between a bill and an invoice?: In practice, none. The seller calls it an invoice, the buyer calls it a bill. Accounting software uses the two words to mean money in and money out.
Does a bill need a number?: It should have one. Without a sequence you cannot prove later that none went missing.
Should tax be shown separately?: If you are registered, yes. The rate and the tax amount both have to appear, not just the total.
Can I use this for a restaurant bill?: Yes. Add the service charge as its own line rather than folding it into the item prices.
Do I still need to give a receipt?: If the customer pays, yes. The bill is the request; the receipt is the proof of payment.