Types of Invoices, Explained
"Invoice" covers a lot of different documents. A proforma invoice quotes a sale that has not happened yet. A credit note reduces one that already has. A commercial invoice travels with a shipment; a timesheet invoice carries the hours behind a fee. Using the wrong one is one of the most common causes of a payment being delayed or an account failing to reconcile.
This hub covers 27 invoice types. Each guide explains what the document is, when to use it, who uses it, the fields to include, the mistakes that cause disputes, and the practices that avoid them — then links straight through to a matching template if you just need to produce one.
These pages are general educational information, not tax or legal advice. Where requirements are set by national rules — GST, VAT, e-invoicing, customs — they differ by country and change over time, and each page says so rather than guessing.
Most-Used Invoice Types
If you are not sure which document you need, start here — these are the 8 types most businesses encounter first.
- Tax InvoiceAn invoice that itemises the tax charged on a sale as a separate line.Read the guide
- Commercial InvoiceThe document that describes and values goods being shipped across a border.Read the guide
- Proforma InvoiceA good-faith estimate issued before a sale, formatted like an invoice.Read the guide
- Credit NoteA document that reduces the amount owed on an invoice already issued.Read the guide
- Recurring InvoiceAn invoice issued on a repeating schedule for ongoing work.Read the guide
- GST InvoiceA tax invoice formatted for Goods and Services Tax regimes.Read the guide
- VAT InvoiceA tax invoice formatted for Value Added Tax regimes.Read the guide
- E-InvoiceA structured electronic invoice exchanged machine-to-machine.Read the guide
All 27 Invoice Types
Every document type below has its own guide covering what it is, when to use it, the fields to include, and the mistakes to avoid — plus a link to the matching invoice template.
27 invoice types
Core Invoice Documents(5)
The everyday documents that request or record payment for a sale of goods or services.
- Tax InvoiceAn invoice that itemises the tax charged on a sale as a separate line.
- Commercial InvoiceThe document that describes and values goods being shipped across a border.
- Proforma InvoiceA good-faith estimate issued before a sale, formatted like an invoice.
- Service InvoiceAn invoice for labour and expertise rather than physical goods.
- Product InvoiceAn invoice for physical or digital goods, itemised by SKU and quantity.
Adjustments & Corrections(2)
Documents that change the value of an invoice already issued, up or down, without deleting it.
Staged & Progress Billing(5)
Used when one job is billed across several payments — before, during, and at the end of the work.
- Deposit InvoiceAn invoice for an upfront payment before work starts or goods ship.
- Interim InvoiceA progress invoice issued part-way through a long job.
- Milestone InvoiceAn invoice triggered by completing and delivering an agreed milestone.
- Partial Payment InvoiceAn invoice for one instalment of an amount being paid in parts.
- Final InvoiceThe closing invoice that reconciles everything billed on a project.
Recurring & Subscription Billing(3)
For work billed on a repeating cycle rather than per job: plans, seats, and monthly arrangements.
Time & Expense Billing(2)
For work billed by the hour and for costs you paid on a client’s behalf and are passing on.
Tax & Compliance Documents(4)
Invoice formats shaped by national tax rules. Requirements differ by country and change over time.
International Trade Documents(2)
Invoices that travel with a shipment across a border and are read by carriers and customs.
Business & Administrative(4)
Business-to-business arrangements, batching, chasing payment, and the documents invoices are confused with.
- B2B InvoiceAn invoice from one business to another, built to clear an approval process.
- Consolidated InvoiceOne invoice covering many deliveries, jobs, or sites in a period.
- Past Due InvoiceA reissued invoice or notice for an amount that has passed its due date.
- Quote vs InvoiceWhat separates a quotation from an invoice, and when each is used.
Where to Go Next
Invoice templates
Know the document type and just need to make one? Every industry template opens the generator pre-configured for that trade.
The generator
Custom document titles, VAT/GST/CGST-SGST-IGST, 30+ currencies, logos, signatures and payment QR codes — all free, all in your browser.
Guides
Longer reads on the mechanics of invoicing — numbering, terms, tax, chasing payment and getting paid faster.