Invoicing clients in a professional way is a crucial part of running any service-based business. Whether you‘re a web designer, marketing consultant, photographer, developer, or other freelancer – sending invoices allows you to get paid for work completed.
Without a system for billing clients, you risk not getting paid on time, losing track of finances, and looking less professional.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll show you two excellent options for creating, customizing, and sending invoices directly within WordPress:
- FreshBooks
- Sliced Invoices Plugin
By the end, you‘ll have the knowledge to improve your invoicing process to save time, get paid faster, and look more legitimate to clients.
Contents
Why You Should Create Invoices in WordPress
Before we get into the step-by-step details, let‘s look at some of the key reasons using WordPress for client invoicing is beneficial:
More Professional Presentation
Using WordPress invoicing solutions allows you to create beautifully formatted invoices that impress clients and lend credibility to your business. You can easily add your logo, brand colors, and business details.
According to a study by FreshBooks, 88% of freelancers said a professional invoice template gives them a competitive edge.
Gets You Paid Faster
Tools like FreshBooks and Sliced Invoices make it easy to accept online payments by integrating with payment gateways.
This means clients can pay instantly by credit card, rather than mailing checks which take longer.
Saves Time
No more keeping track of invoices in spreadsheets or reinventing the wheel each month. With WordPress, you can save invoice templates and quickly customize each one before sending.
Better Financial Tracking
When all of your invoices are stored and managed from one place in WordPress, you get better reporting and tracking.
You can see at a glance how much you are owed and filter invoices based on status, client, or date range.
Customizable
Whether you want to add line items, adjust taxes, or change the look, WordPress tools allow you to customize invoices to match your business needs.
Automatic Payment Reminders
Hassle-free automation to send invoice payment reminders is a huge time saver.
Accept Online Payments
Reduce payment friction for clients by accepting credit cards and other online payments.
Send via Email
Email invoices directly to your customers without manual work.
Access from Anywhere
Manage your invoices from any device through the WordPress dashboard.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Solution
When it comes to choosing the right WordPress invoicing solution for your business, there are a few key factors to consider:
- Cost – What is the pricing model? Flat monthly fee? Per invoice charge? Free plan available?
- Features – Do you need time tracking? Payment processing? Project management? Reporting?
- Ease of use – Is it beginner friendly? Or does it have a steep learning curve?
- Customization – Can you tweak the invoice design and information?
- Payment options – Which payment gateways are supported?
- Integration – Does it integrate seamlessly with WordPress? Other apps you use?
- Support – Is customer service and documentation readily available?
I‘ll cover the differences between FreshBooks and Sliced Invoices related to each of these key factors later in the post.
First, let‘s dive into step-by-step guides for getting set up with each solution.
Method 1: Creating Invoices in WordPress with FreshBooks
FreshBooks is one of the most popular accounting and invoicing services for freelancers and small agency owners. With over 30,000 WordPress users, it‘s a great choice for easily creating professional looking invoices.
Although not a plugin, FreshBooks offers deep integration with WordPress including:
- Adding the FreshBooks badge to your site
- One click signup
- Syncing WordPress user profiles
- Embedding invoices and expenses
Let‘s take a look at how to create your first invoice from your WordPress dashboard:
Step 1: Sign Up for a FreshBooks Account
First, you need to create a FreshBooks account. The easiest way is to click on the FreshBooks icon in your WordPress dashboard and then click "Try it Free":
This will open up a sign up window where you can enter your name, email address, and password:
After signing up, you‘ll need to verify your email to activate your account. Then you‘ll be redirected to the FreshBooks dashboard.
Step 2: Customize the Invoice Template
Once in your FreshBooks dashboard, click "+ New" and select "Invoice" from the dropdown menu:
This will open up the customizable invoice template. Here you can:
- Add your logo – Click on the placeholder logo to upload your own.
- Edit business details – Your company name, address etc.
- Change the due date – Set the number of days for payment.
- Modify subject line – Customize the invoice email subject.
- Rearrange sections – Drag and drop sections to organize.
Spend some time personalizing the look and feel of your invoice template:
The more you can brand the invoice as your own, the more professional it will appear to your clients.
Step 3: Add Invoice Line Items
Next, you need to add the actual line items that you are invoicing the client for. This includes details like:
- Description of the work
- Number of hours
- Hourly rate
- Total amount
To add a line item, click "+ Add an item" and fill in the details:
The total will calculate automatically based on the rate x hours.
You can add as many line items as needed to the invoice. Common items include:
- Website design
- Logo creation
- Content writing
- Consulting fees
- Monthly retainer
Make sure to give enough detail so it‘s clear to the client what they are being billed for.
Step 4: Configure Online Payments
One advantage of FreshBooks is the ability to easily accept online payments by integrating with payment processors like Stripe.
To enable this, click "Accept online payments" and choose which provider you want to setup:
You‘ll need to enter your Stripe or PayPal account details to connect it. Once setup, clients will be able to pay invoices instantly by credit card.
Step 5: Send the Invoice
When your invoice is ready, click the "Send to" button in the top right and choose how you want to send it:
You can email directly to the client or just save it without sending.
If emailing, customize the subject line and message as needed before sending. The client will instantly receive the beautifully formatted invoice.
Step 6: Manage Invoices in One Place
One major benefit of using FreshBooks is that you can easily manage all of your invoices from a single dashboard.
To view all invoices, click "Invoices" in the left menu. Here you can see totals, filter by status, and track who has paid:
You can also run reports to see income over time, expenses, and other financial snapshots.
Having a centralized place to manage your billing and accounting makes the entire process much smoother.
FreshBooks Pros
Some of the key advantages of using FreshBooks for client invoicing include:
- User-friendly interface – Very easy to use, especially for beginners.
- Excellent templates – Professionally designed, customizable invoice templates.
- Flexible pricing – Lower cost plans available (currently starting at $6/mo).
- Payment processing – Integrated credit card payments via Stripe or PayPal.
- Time tracking – Invoice based on billable hours tracked.
- Expenses – Track business expenses for better financial insights.
- Mobile app – Manage invoices on the go from your phone.
FreshBooks Cons
Some downsides to consider with FreshBooks:
- Not a plugin – Additional service, not built into WordPress.
- Reports could be better – Reporting functionality lacks some advanced filters.
- Extra features cost more – Must upgrade for features like recurring invoices.
- Steep learning curve – Can take some time to master more advanced features.
Overall FreshBooks is a fantastic solution for most freelancers and small businesses to create professional invoices and get paid quickly.
Next let‘s look at how the Sliced Invoices WordPress plugin compares.
Method 2: Creating Invoices in WordPress with Sliced Invoices Plugin
Sliced Invoices is a free WordPress plugin you can use to easily create, manage, and send invoices without any external services.
With over 10,000 active installs, it‘s a great option if you want invoicing fully integrated into your WordPress dashboard.
Let‘s go through how to setup and start using Sliced Invoices:
Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin
First, install and activate the Sliced Invoices WordPress plugin. You can search "Sliced Invoices" in Plugins > Add New to find it.
After activating, you‘ll see a new "Sliced Invoices" menu item in your WP dashboard.
Step 2: Configure Basic Settings
Go to Sliced Invoices > Settings to configure your business details and other default options:
- Business Details – Your logo, company name, address etc.
- Year Settings – Fiscal year start and end.
- Email Settings – Invoice email settings and reminders.
- Payment Settings – Default currency, payment position, and gateways.
Enter all the info to match your business needs.
Step 3: Create a New Invoice
To create your first invoice, go to Invoices > Add New Invoice:
Give it a title and description so you can identify the invoice.
Step 4: Add Invoice Line Items
Next, add the individual line items that you want to bill for. Enter a name, description, quantity, rate, and amount for each item:
The total will calculate automatically. Click "+ Add item" to add additional rows.
Step 5: Set Invoice Options
Scroll down to set additional options for the invoice:
You can choose the client, customize the invoice number, set the date, and add notes.
Step 6: Send the Invoice
Once you‘re ready, click "Publish" to send the invoice. It will automatically email the client with a link to view/pay.
You‘ll also see the published invoice on the front end of your WordPress site:
Step 7: Manage Invoices in Your Dashboard
To view all invoices, go back to Invoices > Invoices in your WP dashboard:
Some key options:
- Filter invoices by status
- Quickly view amounts due
- Send invoice reminders
- Mark invoices as paid
- Export all invoices as PDFs
The entire invoicing workflow happens right inside WordPress!
Sliced Invoices Pros
Benefits of using the Sliced Invoices WordPress plugin include:
- Free WordPress plugin – No monthly costs (free version available).
- Easy to use – Very user-friendly and intuitive invoicing workflow.
- Customizable – Add your logo, change design, modify PDFs.
- Accept payments – Integrates with Stripe and PayPal for fast online payments.
- Client management – Uses WordPress user system for managing clients.
- Email notifications – Automatic emails when creating, sending, and paying invoices.
- Dashboards and reports – Review invoices and financial snapshots.
Sliced Invoices Cons
Some downsides to note:
- More basic templates – Invoice templates are decent but less customizable compared to FreshBooks.
- Limited reporting – Reporting functionality lacks some advanced filters and customization options.
- No time tracking – Ability to invoice based on billable hours requires a premium upgrade (starts at $99 per year).
- No expenses – Cannot track business expenses like you can with FreshBooks.
- No mobile app – Requires logging into WordPress dashboard to manage invoices.
Overall Sliced Invoices provides an excellent free invoicing solution conveniently inside your WordPress site.
Key Differences Between the Solutions
Now that you‘ve seen step-by-step guides for both FreshBooks and Sliced Invoices, let‘s summarize some of the key differences:
| Feature | FreshBooks | Sliced Invoices |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Monthly fee (starts at $6/mo) | Free plugin. Premium upgrades available. |
| Ease of Use | Very easy and intuitive | Easy with simpler interface |
| Customization | More template customization options | Decent customization features |
| Payment Processing | Stripe, PayPal, and others | Stripe, PayPal |
| Time Tracking | Robust time tracking and billing | Requires premium upgrade |
| Expenses | Track expenses | No expenses tracking |
| Mobile App | Full-featured mobile app | No mobile app, web-based |
| In WordPress | Deep integration but separate service | Built directly into WP |
| Best For | Freelancers and agencies | Smaller WordPress-based businesses |
Quick Recommendations
-
FreshBooks – Best for freelancers and agencies who want very professional and customizable invoices along with robust time tracking and expense features.
-
Sliced Invoices – Best for smaller businesses based on WordPress who want an easy way to create basic invoices directly within their dashboard.
Summarizing the Benefits of WordPress Invoicing
Throughout this guide, we‘ve looked in-depth at how to use both FreshBooks and the Sliced Invoices plugin to create professional invoices and get paid faster.
Whichever solution you choose, creating and sending invoices in WordPress provides many benefits including:
- A standardized process saves you time and headaches.
- Beautiful customized templates look credible and legitimize your business.
- Online payments allow clients to pay instantly by credit card.
- Centralized invoice management gives you better reporting and tracking.
- Automation features like reminders take work off your plate.
- It‘s more professional than spreadsheets and homemade invoices.
As a freelancer or agency, your time is valuable, so investing in a WordPress invoicing solution can provide a major return through time savings and faster payments.
Both FreshBooks and Sliced Invoices are excellent options that integrate smoothly into your WordPress workflow.
So give one a try and you‘ll quickly see the benefits of creating professional invoices for your clients!
