A practical six-step guide

Make a complete invoice from blank page to PDF

You do not need to learn a billing system first. Fill the document, check the amount due, choose how it looks, and keep or send the finished invoice.

Open a fresh invoice

Go to the editor. There is no account setup and no form to complete before you can begin.

Start with the three essentials

Add your business or name, the client name, and one described line item with a quantity and rate.

Watch the readiness guide

The editor shows what is still missing and unlocks save, print, and PDF actions when the invoice is ready.

Good to know

A zero-value row can be used for helpful information, but at least one described row needs a quantity and rate greater than zero.

Add your business and client

Type directly on the invoice or use the Business and Client sections in Invoice settings.

Your side

Add a business name, sender name, email, phone, address, tax ID, and optional logo.

Their side

Add the client name, email, phone, billing address, and an optional separate shipping address.

Good to know

After a successful save, your business identity can appear on future invoices. Notes and terms remain specific to each invoice.

Describe the work and set the price

Add one row for each service, product, material, fee, or milestone the client should understand.

Write a useful description

Use language the client can connect to the agreed work, such as “Homepage design” or “On-site repair — 3 hours.”

Enter quantity and rate

CatInvoice recalculates every line amount. Add or remove rows as needed; imported or old stored amounts are not trusted.

Good to know

Saved clients and line items appear as suggestions only after you interact with those fields. Choosing one fills its known details without changing a new invoice automatically.

Set dates, currency, and adjustments

Use the Dates and Taxes sections for the details that affect when and how much the client pays.

Dates and references

Check the invoice number and issue date, then add a due date, P.O. number, or payment terms if required.

Money details

Choose the currency, then add tax, a percentage or fixed discount, shipping, and any amount already paid.

Good to know

CatInvoice blocks negative values, percentage discounts over 100%, fixed discounts above the subtotal, and payments above the invoice total.

Choose the presentation and review

Switch templates without losing invoice data, then read the document as your client will see it.

Check the story of the invoice

Confirm who is billing whom, what was supplied, the dates, the total, the balance, and how the client should pay.

Check optional sections

Review the logo, shipping address, notes, terms, payment instructions, pay-online link, and payment watermark.

Good to know

Changing templates changes presentation, not the underlying invoice. Currency and totals should remain consistent in every layout.

Save, download, print, or email

Choose the output that matches how you work and keep a record if you will need the invoice again.

Save locally

Save adds the invoice to the browser library. From Saved invoices you can load, update, duplicate, search, filter, and change its status.

Deliver the document

Download an A4 PDF, use the browser print dialog, or open a prepared message in your email app and attach the PDF yourself.

Good to know

Export a JSON backup regularly. CatInvoice has no account-based cloud copy, and it will warn you if browser restrictions make a save available for the current session only.

After your first invoice

The next one gets faster without becoming automatic or surprising.

Reuse a client

Focus or type in Client name
Select a saved suggestion
Review the filled contact and address details

Reuse a service

Open the Items section
Select a saved description
Adjust its quantity and rate for this invoice

Duplicate a record

Open Saved invoices
Choose Duplicate
Review the fresh number, date, scope, and payment state

Ready to make the real invoice?

Keep this guide open if you need it. The editor itself will show the three essentials required to finish.

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