Invoicing offers the opportunity to build positive and productive client relationships, which are the beating pulse of your freelance business.

Proper invoicing also ensures you get paid the correct amount at the expected time so you can:

Moxie gives you the complete toolkit you need to create professional, accurate invoices. Create recurring invoices, set up a custom invoicing number scheme, and invoice in multiple currencies. Moxie also supports subscription billing.

Respectfully communicate when and how you wish to be compensated, thus supporting a positive client relationship. It also empowers you to legally hold your clients accountable for paying the correct amount on time.

Creating an invoice with Moxie is easy, and there are multiple ways to generate an invoice from within the app.

Create a new invoice

Add billable items

Add payment information and terms

Email or download the invoice

Freelance industry best invoicing practices

Additional resources

Create an invoice quickly from homebase in the focus tab using the invoice icon under "Add new." You can also make an invoice from your client page by clicking the +.

Find a list of invoices in accounting > invoices. You can create a new invoice from this tab using the + button.

Ready to jump to customizing your invoice? Start at invoice templates.

All activities in Moxie centralize around the client. This is because we know your freelance business revolves around your clients and that you need a seamless, client-centered app experience.

Select or create a new client to invoice.

Choose "Standard" for a regular invoice. Choose "Deposit" to request a deposit from a client. Deposits can be credited to future standard invoices. You can also choose to create a recurring invoice.

If you choose to create a new client at this stage, it will begin a client file. Only the client name is required to continue. We recommend completing as much of the form as you can since it will auto populate in other needed areas of the site, including your invoices.
​
​Pro tip: The most ideal way to create invoices is by using the automation with agreements this allows you to create a proposal or contract signed by you and your client while simultaneously creating the projects and invoices for those projects. You can also toggle on requesting your first deposit with integrated payments in agreements.

In your invoice template there is a section to add line items wherever you want to in your invoice. In that section, you'll have several options to add items to your invoice.

These are products and services that are not tied to a tracked project. Create a new line item and it will save for you to use in the future using this line in your invoices. Manage these in your product and service library.

These are all items you have tracked in Moxie. Any un-billed recurring payments (retainers), time tracked (sorted by month and week), flat rate projects, or per item tasks that are completed* can be added at this point.

*Per item tasks can only be added to your invoice when they are in the column you designated as your completed column, or to the right of that column on your Kanban board.

If you have a project that doesn't have fees set up, you'll be able do to that from this screen by clicking set up fees.. Choose how you want to group the hours shown on your invoice - daily, weekly, monthly, or total.

For items with time tracking, set up how much detail to show your clients in your invoice template. Start from Accounting > Invoice templates. Once you've added line items to your invoice template, click to edit and use the toggle to enable detailed time entries.

If you have an expense assigned to this client and you have checked the "reimbursable" box in the expense, you will also see a line that says "Add reimbursable expense." Click it to quickly add your expenses to the invoice.

If there are no outstanding reimbursable expenses, this line will not be shown.

If you collected a deposit from your client (which we highly recommend, especially if it is a new client), you will see a link to apply the deposit credit to an invoice before you send it. You can click this button to see the deposit collected, deposit available, and choose how much of the deposit to apply to this invoice.

If there is no deposit available to credit, you will not see this line item.

Create your own custom invoice using invoice templates.

For items with time tracking, set up how much detail to show your clients in your invoice template. Start from Accounting > Invoice templates.

Once you've added line items to your invoice template, click the line items to edit and use the toggle to enable detailed time entries.

In your invoice template, toggle on tax settings. Add a line item block to your invoice template then click the block to edit it. Toggle the tax column on.

​
Scroll down in the left column to change labels as necessary.

Add a text box to add your compliance header or any other legal needs to all of your invoices.

Q: When do I include tax?

A: In the US, almost never. Most states allow merchants to charge sales tax for goods but not services. However, some states allow sales tax for services, especially if these services accompany a good. For example, Delaware, Hawaii, New Mexico, and South Dakota tax most services. So be sure to consult with an expert on whether you can charge sales tax for your services, even if you live in these states.

Be sure to add a text box at the bottom of your invoice with payment instructions.

There is a token - {{Invoice.PayInstructions}} - that will draw from the invoice pay instructions that you write in your settings. Create these instructions under workspace settings > preferences > invoices > payment instructions.

Here are some ideas to include in your payment instructions.

Payment terms represent the timeframe within which the client must pay your invoice. You want to structure your payment terms in a way that fosters a positive client relationship. Payment terms will populate automatically based on what you set up with this particular client.

Set your payment terms from your client overview screen when you click on edit and then the "Invoicing & payment settings" tab. Here you can set terms as well as choose to bill in increments of 5, 10, 15, 30, or 45 minutes.

You can use invoice tokens in a text box in your invoice template to reference this number on your invoices.
​

"If invoice is not paid on or before {{Invoice.DateDue}} a {{Invoice.LateFee}}% monthly late fee will be applied to the outstanding balance."

Charging late fees is best practice in freelancing because it leads to a higher percentage of paid invoices and shows you take yourself and your work seriously.

In Moxie's invoicing system, late fees are calculated daily. If your client pays 1 day late, the fee is smaller than 2 days late, etc. It's calculated at the time they view the invoice. A late fee is not applied in one lump sum.

Typically, late fee charges for unpaid invoices fall between 1.5% and 3% interest per month after the payment due date. These percentages seem small, but they're mighty; they serve as written (and legal) incentives for clients to pay on time.

Make sure any late fee conditions you include within your payment terms are per usury state laws. Familiarize yourself with the maximum annual interest rate in your state and consult a professional if you have questions.

Pass credit card fees onto client?

Moxie gives you the ability to either pay the credit card fees yourself, pass them onto the client, or split them with the client.

Before passing them onto the client, keep in mind that these fees can usually be considered tax-deductible for you as a freelancer, but be sure to consult with a tax professional for verification.

When you click the "Share" button in the top right corner, you will see two ways to get the invoice to your customer:

Harvard Business Review: How Freelancers Can Make Sure They Get Paid on Time

What Business Owners Need To Know About Stripe Fees