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Every catering business must send invoices to get paid. But the process of billing customers can be time-consuming and even confusing. Spend more time doing what you love by streamlining your billing process with our catering invoice template. From new caterers to established catering businesses, this professional template can be customized to fit your needs for quick, simple invoicing.
You don’t have to be a numbers pro to get the most out of this invoice either. All you have to do is upload and save your company’s logo and contact information, describe the catering or special event services you provided, and indicate whether you are billing hourly or by item. You can even give your customers the option to tip and set up partial payments.
This Microsoft Word invoice template is a great solution for all types of catering businesses, whether you’re working a wedding or providing lunch for a small event. Please note some industries may require mentioning specific terms and conditions on your invoice, so be sure to check the special requirements for your catering business.
From restaurants to corporate catering, you can modify our invoice template accordingly to bill for a variety of different catering services, including:
This invoice template can help take some of the stress out of invoicing customers, helping to create efficiencies and improvements when it comes to billing and payments. This template can also help you look professional and trustworthy to clients.
As the owner of a catering company, you need a quick way to invoice for your services. With our invoice template, you can take care of everything from providing an itemized list of costs, detailing the services provided, and listing your payment terms and conditions.
As for what the invoice is for, catering invoices serve as both a summary of work and a formal written request for payment, making them an essential document for every catering job.
Supplying as much information about the products or services provided on your invoice is important and helps you avoid any potential delays in getting paid. You also want to be as transparent as possible when sending an invoice, making sure to specify not only your rates and applicable taxes but also the terms for payments. Your invoice template should generally include the following:
Be as clear as possible when describing the catering service you’re providing. You may want to consider providing an itemized list of all the food, as well as descriptions of special orders and the price for each item. Include a list of additional charges for items like delivery, serving, and cleanup (if applicable).
This would be the date you performed the catering service.
Be specific. For example, if you're catering a wedding, you may want to say something like “Smoked salmon for 60 guests.” Being clear and descriptive lets your clients know what the bill is for, and that can save you time in follow-up questions.
Depending on the catering product or service you provide, you may want to bill by hours, quantity, or even a flat rate—look for a tool that gives you flexibility to bill whichever way your business needs and allows you to include any related fees or taxes.
If you’re giving a discount for corporate clients or regular customers, add a line that highlights the discount.
Many food service companies who have been in business for a long time rely on customer loyalty, and adding personal touches can go a long way. Whether you add a note that says, “Thank you for your business” or “Hope to see you again,” this section can help you make a lasting impression.
Include payment terms in your terms and conditions (or notes) section and remember to mention your terms for late or early payments. Also, if you’re sending your template to an international customer or vendor, clarify which currency you’re invoicing in, and add any other details like local or industry-related requirements to your catering invoice.
View our 2-minute “How to send invoices online” video and see how easy it is for you to customize and send invoices and how easy it is for customers to pay.
When assigning your catering invoice template, make sure it’s clear who the invoice is from and who it is to. Come up with a numbering system that makes sense for your business and helps you stay organized.
As you customize your invoice, you should include the following information:
Include your company’s name, phone number, email address, and company website.
Make sure to include at least an email address and a phone number. A physical mailing address is a bonus.
There are multiple ways to assign catering invoice template numbers. The simplest is chronological—use the next number in the numerical series. But that may not be intuitive and can quickly become a mouthful. (You don’t want your clients, or your team, to refer to invoice #492485720934.) You can work around this by breaking your catering invoice number into multiple parts, like using a unique customer number with a variable project number. Example, when customer (number 25) hires you for another catering job—the fifth one this year—you could list that on the invoice as #25-0005.
This should be the day you send out the catering invoice, not the day you created it. If your payment terms are 30 days, then the due date should be exactly 30 days from your catering invoice date. Use this date format to solve for international differences: Month (spelled out), date, year. (Example: December 28, 2022)
Tip: With PayPal Invoicing, we’ll automatically help you calculate the due date. And if you’re sending internationally, we’ll automatically display the invoice date in the proper format for your customer.
You can download the catering invoice template in Microsoft Word, or you can make an invoice in Excel or Google Sheets.
Add your logo, font, colors, and other branding materials and business information specific to your company.
Outline the details we mentioned above.
Fill in the “total” section of the invoice with the total billed.
This can include credit card, check, cash, or online payment methods.
You’re ready to proofread, save, and send your invoice, so you can get paid!
If you’re in the catering business, you know prices can vary greatly among companies, making it difficult to determine a standard pricing structure. Keep the following in mind to help you develop the best pricing for every catering job you book:
Learn more about sending invoices with PayPal – and leverage our invoicing tools and templates.
In partnership with three expert business owners, the PayPal Bootcamp includes practical checklists and a short video loaded with tips to help take your business to the next level.
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