How to create an invoice, quote, or estimate online

What you'll do

• Start an invoice or choose another billing format
• Add your business and client details
• Create line items with tax and discounts
• Add a built-in scan-to-pay QR code
• Pick a template, bring your own logo, and export

Step 1: Start an invoice or choose another format

Open the editor and use Document Type to choose Invoice, Quote, Estimate, Receipt, or Credit Note. The heading updates in the preview and every exported format. If you'd rather start from something closer to your situation, use the "Load a sample" dropdown to pre-fill realistic business and line-item data, then change its document type if needed.

Tip: a contractor invoice sample includes separate labor and materials lines, since that split is what most clients and accountants actually expect from a contractor invoice — starting from a sample that already matches your situation saves you from re-structuring a generic template.

Step 2: Add your business details

In the "From" section, add your name or business name, address, and contact information. Add any business-registration or tax identifier that your circumstances require. The Tax ID field is optional in the editor, but the rules in your jurisdiction—not InvoiceCraftly—determine whether an identifier or additional legal entity information must appear.

This is also where your invoice or reference number lives, and it auto-fills from your latest draft so your records remain easy to track.

Step 3: Add your client's billing details

The "Bill To" section works the same way as your own details—name, address, and a tax ID field when applicable. Some B2B, cross-border, or reverse-charge transactions require a customer tax ID and specific legal wording; adding an ID alone does not establish the correct tax treatment. Confirm the requirements and add any mandatory wording to the notes. Accurate billing details and a purchase order reference can also help the client's accounts payable team process the document.

Step 4: Add line items and let tax calculate automatically

Add each product, service, or billable item as its own line: a description, quantity, unit price, and — if applicable — a tax rate. Each line item has its own tax rate, not just one flat rate for the whole invoice, because real invoices often mix taxable and tax-exempt items on the same bill. The subtotal, tax breakdown, and grand total all update automatically as you type.

• Billing hourly? Set the unit to "hrs" and the quantity to your hours worked.
• Selling a fixed-price package? Use a quantity of 1 and describe the full package in the description.
• Need a line with no tax charged? Enter 0% only after confirming the correct treatment. Zero-rated and exempt supplies are not interchangeable, and local rules may require an exemption reference or other wording in the notes.

Step 5: Add a discount or fee (optional)

Toggle on a discount (percentage or fixed amount) if you're offering one, or add a fee—like a shipping charge or processing fee—if it applies. Both are optional and only appear on the invoice, quote, estimate, receipt, or credit note when turned on.

Step 6: Add a built-in payment QR code

Choose your payment terms (Due on Receipt, Net 7, Net 14, or Net 30), and add a PO or reference number if your client gave you one — this is a small detail that meaningfully speeds up payment on the client's end, since it lets their accounts payable system match your invoice automatically.

InvoiceCraftly generates the QR code inside the invoice preview and includes it in PDF, PNG, and SVG exports, so you do not need a separate QR generator. Pick one of three modes:

• Payment link — paste in a supported Stripe, PayPal, Wise, or other payment URL. Availability and payment processing depend on that provider.
• EPC / SEPA — encodes euro SEPA credit-transfer details using the EPC invoice QR format. Banking-app support varies, so test the code and verify the beneficiary, IBAN, amount, and reference before sending.
• Contact card — encodes your contact details as a scannable vCard, useful even on invoices that aren't primarily about collecting payment.

Step 7: Choose a template and bring your own logo

Switch between the available templates to find the layout that fits your brand—a clean minimal layout, a bolder branded banner style, or a warmer editorial design. Upload your own business logo and choose an accent color; both carry across invoices, quotes, estimates, receipts, credit notes, and every export format.

Step 8: Export as PDF, PNG, or SVG

Once everything looks right in the live preview, export the finished invoice or billing format. PDF is the standard choice for emailing to a client or attaching to accounting software; PNG is handy for sharing inline in a chat or email; SVG is useful if you need to make further edits in a design tool later.

Open the editor and try it

Step 9: Back up your invoices and drafts

Because everything is stored locally in your browser rather than on a server, it's worth exporting a backup occasionally—especially before clearing your browser data or switching devices. The Backup button downloads a single JSON file with your full invoice and billing history, which you can re-import from the same or a different browser.