Separate the buyer from the delivery location
The company paying the bill may have a different address from the warehouse or shop receiving the goods. Use separate bill-to and ship-to sections, and add the purchase order reference when the buyer supplies one.
- Business and buyer names, addresses and contact details
- Unique invoice number, issue date and agreed due date
- Purchase order reference and delivery address
Make every line item easy to reconcile
Use a specific product description and a consistent unit. A carton price and a per-unit price are different: show which one applies before multiplying by quantity.
- Product description or SKU and unit of measure
- Quantity, unit price and any agreed discount
- Tax rate and tax amount where applicable
- Freight, adjustments and currency
Worked example: a wholesale coffee order
Illustrative billing arithmetic in your chosen currency: 20 units × 42.00 = 840.00 before tax. If an example tax rate of 10% applies to the goods, that adds 84.00. Adding a shipping charge of 25.00 gives 949.00 before any additional tax on shipping. These are sample values; use the actual rates and freight tax treatment for your transaction.
- Check delivered quantities against the order
- Keep the dispatch record alongside the invoice
- Record partial payments against the same invoice number
Handle returns with a linked credit note
If goods are returned or the price changes after invoicing, preserve the original document and issue the appropriate adjustment document. Reference the original invoice so the customer can reconcile the balance.
- Identify the returned goods and quantities
- Show the credited amount and applicable tax adjustment
- Reconcile the remaining amount owed
Frequently asked questions
What belongs on a wholesale invoice?
Include seller and buyer details, invoice number, dates, product quantities, units, prices, discounts, applicable tax, freight, currency and payment instructions. A purchase order reference and separate shipping address help buyers reconcile the order.
Are these ten different invoice layouts?
The supplied images show one professional wholesale invoice layout in ten accent colors. They are visual examples you can download, rather than editable invoice files.