# Free consulting invoice template A consultant sells expertise, so the invoice has to make hours and deliverables easy to see. Clients with finance departments need a clear description of the work, a purchase order number if they use one, and a due date they can put in their payment run. The template below covers a month of advisory work with a workshop and expenses. Change it for your own engagement and save the PDF from this page. No account, nothing uploaded. More on this in the [invoice app for consultants](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-app-for/consultants). ## Fill it in and save as PDF The lines are examples for consultants. Change anything, add your details and download the PDF. Nothing you type leaves this browser. - Hartwell Advisory - Calder Logistics, Inc. - Operations review, PO 48217, March | Description | Qty | Price | Amount | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Strategy consulting (hours) | 32 | $175.00 | $5,600.00 | | Leadership workshop, half day | 1 | $1,800.00 | $1,800.00 | | Written findings report and recommendations | 1 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 | | Monthly advisory retainer: executive calls | 1 | $800.00 | $800.00 | | Travel expenses, at cost | 1 | $312.00 | $312.00 | Invoice references purchase order 48217. Expenses are billed at cost with receipts available on request. Payment due within 30 days (net 30). ## What to put on an invoice for consultants - The client's legal name and billing address, plus a purchase order or reference number if required - The period or the project the invoice covers - Hours worked with your hourly rate, or the fixed fee for a defined deliverable - Workshops, reports and other deliverables as their own lines - Retainer or advisory fees, shown with the month they cover - Expenses at cost with receipts available, and tax or VAT if applicable - Payment terms, such as net 30, and the bank details or payment link ## How consultants bill Consultants bill in three common ways: by the hour or day, by the project with a fixed fee, or by a monthly retainer for ongoing access. Hourly suits uncertain scope. Fixed fees reward efficiency and give the client a clear price. Retainers fit advisors who stay on call. Many engagements combine them: a retainer plus project fees plus expenses. Corporate clients often pay on net 30 or net 60 terms and need a purchase order number on the invoice. Put it on in the reference field and send the invoice to the right accounts-payable address. Late payment is common, so state the due date plainly and follow up with [payment reminders](https://jiffy-invoice.com/features/payment-reminders). For fixed-fee work, a signed [estimate](https://jiffy-invoice.com/estimate-app) sets the scope in advance. ## Tips to get paid faster 1. Always include the client's PO number if they gave you one. Invoices without it can sit unpaid in accounts payable. 2. Describe the work in one line per task. "Strategy consulting" is fine, but "Operations review: interviews and process map" is better. 3. Bill monthly on the same day, so the client's finance team expects it and plans for it. 4. Pass on expenses at cost with receipts, and say so. It makes the totals easy for the client to approve. 5. Ask who approves invoices and send them there directly. A [reminder](https://jiffy-invoice.com/features/payment-reminders) a week before the due date works well with corporate clients. ## Common invoice mistakes - Billing hours without a description of what was done - Missing the PO number, which holds up payment for weeks - Sending an invoice to the sponsor instead of to accounts payable ## Questions ### What should a consulting invoice include? Your details, the client's legal name and address, a PO or reference number, the period, hours and rate or fixed fees, retainers, expenses, tax, the total, payment terms and bank details. ### How do I invoice a retainer? Add one line for the retainer with the month it covers and bill it on the same date each month. Work beyond the retainer goes in separate lines. ### Should I charge for expenses? Yes. Pass them on at cost, list them clearly and keep receipts. Many contracts specify which expenses you can bill. ### Is this consulting invoice template free? Yes, with no account. Fill it in here and save the PDF. ## Templates for other trades - [bookkeepers](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/bookkeeping) - [freelance writers](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/freelance-writing) - [tutors](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/tutoring) - [web designers](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/web-design) [Invoice templates by trade](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template) Source: https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/consulting