Sales invoice template
A sales invoice bills for goods rather than services. The difference matters: goods have quantities, unit prices, and usually a delivery that happened separately from the paperwork.
The invoice needs to connect to that delivery, or reconciliation becomes guesswork for both sides.
What a sales invoice needs
- Product description, specific enough to identify the item — including model or code where you use them.
- Quantity and unit — and the unit matters. “12” is meaningless without knowing whether that is bottles or cartons.
- Unit price and line total.
- Discounts, shown as a line rather than silently applied to unit prices.
- Tax, separately, if registered.
- Delivery reference — the waybill or delivery note number.
- Payment terms and bank details.
Connecting the invoice to the delivery
Where goods are delivered separately from the paperwork, the invoice should reference the waybill or delivery note number, and the quantities on both must match.
Where they do not match — a short delivery, a breakage, a partial dispatch — the invoice should reflect what was actually delivered, not what was ordered. Invoicing the full order against a partial delivery is the fastest route to a disputed account and a delayed payment.
Discounts done properly
Show discounts as an explicit line rather than quietly reducing unit prices. Two reasons.
First, the customer can see the concession, which is worth something commercially. Second, your own records keep the true list price, so you can later see what you are actually discounting across the year — a figure most businesses find higher than they assumed.
For trade customers on agreed pricing, state the agreed rate rather than a discount, so the invoice matches the terms in their record.
Returns and credit notes
When goods come back, issue a credit note — not an amended invoice. It should carry its own number, reference the original invoice, list the returned items and quantities, and state the reason.
Editing the original invoice leaves two versions of the same document number in circulation, one with the customer and one in your records. Credit notes keep both sides consistent, and they are what your accountant will expect to see.
How to use this template
- Open the free invoice generator.
- Add your business and customer details.
- Enter your items, prices, tax and branding.
- Preview, then download the PDF or share it directly.
Frequently asked questions
What is a sales invoice?
An invoice for goods rather than services, itemising products with quantities and unit prices, and normally referencing the delivery document.
Should the invoice reference the waybill?
Yes, where goods are delivered separately. The quantities on both should match, and if delivery was partial the invoice should reflect what actually arrived.
How should discounts be shown?
As an explicit line, not by quietly reducing unit prices. The customer sees the concession and your records keep the true list price, which lets you see what you are discounting overall.
What do I do when a customer returns goods?
Issue a credit note with its own number that references the original invoice, lists the returned items and states the reason. Do not edit the original invoice.
Why does the unit matter on a sales invoice?
Because a quantity without a unit is ambiguous — twelve bottles and twelve cartons of twelve are very different. Ambiguous units are a common cause of both billing and stock disputes.