Interactive Invoice Creation Wizard
Follow this step-by-step walkthrough to create your first FreshBooks invoice in under 2 minutes.
Navigate to Invoices
Log into your FreshBooks account and click "Invoices" in the left sidebar, then click the blue "+ New Invoice" button in the upper right corner.
Details: Alternative: Click the "+" button in the top navigation bar and select "Invoice" from the dropdown menu.
FreshBooks Payments Fee Calculator
Compare credit card (2.9% + $0.30) vs ACH bank transfer (1%, capped at $10) fees. See exactly what you'll receive after fees.
Credit Card Payment
ACH Bank Transfer (Recommended)
Savings: $19.30 vs. credit card
Pro tip: For large invoices ($1,000+), ACH saves significantly. A $5,000 invoice saves $135.50 in fees with ACH vs credit card.
Time Tracking to Invoice Calculator
Calculate invoice total based on hours tracked and your hourly rate. FreshBooks automatically converts tracked time to invoice line items.
How it works: Click "Import Hours" when creating an invoice → Select client and date range → FreshBooks automatically adds time entries as line items with descriptions and rates.
Expense Markup Calculator
Calculate billable amount when marking up expenses. Common markups: 10% (overhead), 15% (standard), 20%+ (premium service).
Markup strategies: 10-15% covers administrative overhead, 20%+ for premium service with vendor management. Some businesses pass through expenses at cost (0% markup) for nonprofit work.
FreshBooks Pricing Plans Comparison
Compare Lite, Plus, Premium, and Select plans. All plans include unlimited invoices and 30-day free trial.
30-day free trial: All plans include a free trial with no credit card required. Test all features before committing to a paid plan.
Platform Comparison: FreshBooks vs Competitors
Compare FreshBooks to QuickBooks Online, Wave, and Xero across 10 key features. See which platform fits your business best.
| Feature | FreshBooks | QuickBooks | Wave | Xero |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $17/month | $30/month | Free (limited) | $13/month |
| User Experience | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent | ⭐⭐⭐ Good | ⭐⭐⭐ Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good |
| Mobile App Quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best-in-class | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good | ⭐⭐⭐ Good | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good |
| Time Tracking | ✓ Built-in (excellent) | ✓ Built-in (Essentials+) | ✗ Not included | ✓ Via add-on |
| Client Portal | ✓ Professional & branded | ✓ Basic portal | ✓ Basic portal | ✓ Basic portal |
| Recurring Invoices | ✓ Advanced automation | ✓ Standard | ✓ Standard | ✓ Standard |
| Payment Processing Fees | 2.9% + $0.30 (card) | 2.9% + $0.25 (card) | 2.9% + $0.60 (card) | Stripe rates (separate) |
| Double-Entry Accounting | ✓ Premium plan | ✓ All plans | ✓ Free | ✓ All plans |
| Inventory Management | ✗ Not included | ✓ Plus plan | ✗ Not included | ✓ All plans |
| Best For | Service businesses | Product + service | Very small businesses | International businesses |
FreshBooks Invoice Template Gallery
FreshBooks includes 3 professional templates. Click each to see best use cases and styling details.
Classic Template
Traditional invoice layout with your logo at the top, clear line item table, and prominent total. Best for professional services.
Best for: Professional services, consultants, agencies
Modern Template
Contemporary design with bold typography and accent colors. Great for creative professionals and tech companies.
Best for: Creative professionals, designers, tech companies
Simple Template
Minimalist layout focusing on clarity and readability. Ideal for freelancers and small businesses that want a clean look.
Best for: Freelancers, small businesses, minimalist brands
FreshBooks Invoicing Tutorial: Complete Guide to Professional Invoicing
Introduction
FreshBooks is one of the most popular cloud-based invoicing and accounting platforms for small businesses, freelancers, and service professionals. With its intuitive interface, powerful automation features, and comprehensive invoicing tools, FreshBooks makes it easy to create professional invoices, get paid faster, and manage your business finances.
This complete tutorial will walk you through everything you need to know about FreshBooks invoicing, from creating your first invoice to setting up advanced automation workflows.
What you'll learn:
- Step-by-step invoice creation (with interactive 10-step wizard)
- Invoice customization (templates, logos, colors, branding)
- FreshBooks Payments setup (credit cards, ACH, Apple Pay)
- Time tracking to invoice conversion (with calculator)
- Expense tracking and markup strategies (with calculator)
- Automation features (recurring invoices, payment reminders, late fees)
- Client portal and communication tools
- Pricing plans comparison (Lite, Plus, Premium, Select)
- FreshBooks vs competitors (QuickBooks, Wave, Xero)
QuickBillMaker offers a simpler invoicing alternative without the complexity of full accounting software. Create professional invoices with AI-powered automation—free for up to 5 invoices/month, $29/month unlimited.
What Makes FreshBooks Invoicing Different?
FreshBooks stands out in the crowded invoicing software market for several key reasons:
User Experience First: FreshBooks was built from the ground up with user experience as the top priority. The interface is clean, intuitive, and designed for non-accountants. You don't need any accounting knowledge to create professional invoices.
Mobile-First Design: The FreshBooks mobile app is consistently rated as one of the best in the industry, allowing you to create invoices, track expenses, and manage your business from anywhere.
Time Tracking Integration: FreshBooks includes built-in time tracking that seamlessly converts tracked hours into invoiced line items, making it perfect for service professionals who bill by the hour.
Client Portal: Every client gets access to a professional client portal where they can view all their invoices, make payments, and communicate with you - all without you having to manually send updates.
Automation Capabilities: From recurring invoices to payment reminders to late fee calculations, FreshBooks automates many of the tedious tasks that eat up your time.
Payment Processing: FreshBooks Payments is integrated directly into the platform, allowing clients to pay invoices with credit cards, bank transfers, or even Apple Pay - right from the invoice itself.
FreshBooks Invoice Customization
Invoice Templates
FreshBooks provides three professionally designed templates:
Classic: Traditional invoice layout with your logo at the top, clear line item table, and prominent total. Best for professional services, consultants, and agencies.
Modern: Contemporary design with bold typography and accent colors. Great for creative professionals, designers, and tech companies.
Simple: Minimalist layout focusing on clarity and readability. Ideal for freelancers and small businesses that want a clean, no-frills look.
All templates are fully responsive and look great on mobile devices.
Branding Options
Make your invoices unmistakably yours:
Logo Placement: Upload a logo up to 200KB. FreshBooks automatically sizes it appropriately for professional presentation.
Brand Colors: Use your exact brand colors (hex codes supported) for headers, accents, and call-to-action buttons.
Custom Fonts: Choose from Google Fonts library or use system fonts. FreshBooks ensures fonts render correctly in PDFs and emails.
Header Images: Add full-width header images for visual impact (photographers and designers love this feature).
Custom Fields
Add unlimited custom fields to capture business-specific information:
- Project code / Job number
- Job site address / Location
- Purchase order number
- Department / Division
- Account representative
- Contract number
- Billing period / Service dates
Custom fields appear on invoices and in FreshBooks reports, making it easy to filter and analyze your data.
FreshBooks Payments: Getting Paid Faster
Setting Up FreshBooks Payments
FreshBooks Payments integrates directly with Stripe and WePay to process credit cards, bank payments, and Apple Pay.
Application Process:
- Go to Settings > Payments
- Click "Accept Credit Cards"
- Complete the application (takes 5-10 minutes)
- FreshBooks typically approves accounts within 24 hours
- Once approved, payment buttons automatically appear on all invoices
FreshBooks deposits funds into your bank account on a rolling basis (typically 2-3 business days).
Payment Options for Clients
When you enable FreshBooks Payments, clients see a prominent "Pay Now" button on invoices with multiple payment options:
Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
ACH Bank Transfer: Direct bank-to-bank transfer (lower fees for large invoices)
Apple Pay: One-tap payment for clients using Safari or iOS devices
Offline Payments: Clients can mark invoices as "paid by check" or "paid by cash" for your records
Auto-Charge Saved Payment Methods
For recurring invoices or retainer agreements, FreshBooks can automatically charge a client's saved payment method:
- Client enters credit card or bank account information
- You enable "Auto-Charge" on recurring invoices
- FreshBooks automatically charges the card when each invoice is generated
- Client receives a receipt immediately
This is perfect for subscription services, monthly retainers, or any recurring billing.
Automation Features That Save Time
Recurring Invoices
Set up invoices that generate and send automatically on a schedule:
Frequency Options:
- Weekly (every Monday, every other Thursday, etc.)
- Monthly (1st of the month, 15th of the month, last day of month)
- Quarterly
- Yearly
- Custom (every 6 weeks, every 3 months, etc.)
Configuration:
- Create a normal invoice
- Click "Make Recurring"
- Set frequency, start date, and end date (or "Never End")
- Choose "Send Automatically" or "Generate as Draft"
FreshBooks generates the invoice on schedule and either sends it immediately or saves it as a draft for you to review first.
Automatic Payment Reminders
FreshBooks can automatically send payment reminders for overdue invoices:
Default Schedule:
- 3 days before due date: Friendly reminder
- On due date: "Your invoice is due today"
- 3 days after due date: First overdue reminder
- 7 days after due date: Second overdue reminder
- 14 days after due date: Final reminder
Customization:
- Edit email templates for each reminder
- Change timing (send reminder 1 day overdue vs 3 days overdue)
- Disable reminders for specific clients
- Set reminders only for invoices over a certain amount
Tracking: FreshBooks tracks which reminders have been sent and shows client engagement (opened email, clicked links, etc.).
Late Fees
FreshBooks can automatically calculate and apply late fees to overdue invoices:
Percentage-Based: Add 5% (or any percentage) to the invoice total after the due date
Flat Fee: Add $25 (or any amount) for each overdue invoice
Compound Late Fees: Apply late fees weekly or monthly as the invoice remains unpaid
Late fees are configured per client or as a global default, and FreshBooks automatically adds them to invoices when they become overdue.
Time Tracking and Invoicing
FreshBooks includes powerful time tracking features that integrate seamlessly with invoicing.
Desktop and Mobile Time Tracking
Desktop Timer:
- Click "Start Timer" from any project or task
- Timer runs in the background
- Click "Stop" when you're done
- Add notes describing what you worked on
- Time entries automatically sync to the cloud
Mobile App:
- Start/stop timer from your phone
- Add time entries manually (great for tracking after the fact)
- Attach photos to time entries (useful for documenting job sites or deliverables)
Converting Time to Invoices
When creating an invoice:
- Click "Import Hours"
- Select the client and date range
- FreshBooks shows all unbilled time entries for that client
- Select which entries to include
- Click "Import"
FreshBooks automatically:
- Creates invoice line items from time entries
- Applies your billable rate
- Includes task descriptions as line item text
- Calculates totals
Team Time Tracking
If you have a team, FreshBooks tracks time for multiple people:
Individual Rates: Set different hourly rates for each team member (e.g., senior consultant $150/hr, junior consultant $75/hr)
Role-Based Rates: Apply rates based on the type of work (design $125/hr, development $150/hr, project management $100/hr)
Blended Rates: Invoice all team time at a single blended rate, regardless of who did the work
Detailed Reporting: See who worked on what, when they worked, and how much time was spent
Expense Tracking and Invoicing
FreshBooks makes it easy to track expenses and bill clients for reimbursable costs.
Recording Expenses
Manual Entry:
- Go to Expenses > + New Expense
- Enter vendor, amount, category, and description
- Mark as "Billable to Client"
- Attach receipt photo (mobile app makes this easy)
Receipt Scanning:
- Take a photo of any receipt with the FreshBooks mobile app
- FreshBooks automatically extracts vendor, date, and amount
- Review and save (takes 5 seconds)
Credit Card Import:
- Connect your business credit card or bank account
- FreshBooks automatically imports transactions
- Categorize expenses and mark billable items
- No manual data entry required
Billing Clients for Expenses
When creating an invoice:
- Click "Import Expenses"
- Select the client and date range
- Choose which expenses to bill
- Apply markup if desired (10% markup, 20% markup, or custom)
- Click "Import"
FreshBooks adds expenses as invoice line items with full details. If you've attached receipt images, clients can view them directly from the invoice.
Client Portal and Communication
Every FreshBooks client gets access to a professional client portal.
What Clients Can Do
View All Invoices: Past, current, and upcoming invoices in one place
Make Payments: One-click payment via credit card, bank transfer, or Apple Pay
Download PDFs: Get PDF copies of invoices for their records
View Payment History: See all payments, dates, and amounts
Communicate: Send messages directly to you from the portal (no need for separate email threads)
Manage Auto-Pay: Update payment methods or disable auto-charge
Client Experience
Clients access the portal via:
- Link in the invoice email
- Direct portal URL you share
- Login at your-business.freshbooks.com/client
The portal is white-labeled with your business name and logo, creating a professional branded experience.
Tips for Getting the Most from FreshBooks
1. Set Up Recurring Invoices Immediately
If you have any clients on retainer or subscription billing, set up recurring invoices on day one. This alone can save you hours every month.
2. Enable Payment Reminders
Turn on automatic payment reminders to reduce follow-up time. Most businesses see 20-30% faster payment when reminders are enabled.
3. Use FreshBooks Payments
Even with the 2.9% fee, accepting online payments typically results in getting paid 2-3 weeks faster. The time value of money and reduced collection effort usually outweigh the fees.
4. Track Time Even for Fixed-Price Projects
Even if you're not billing hourly, track your time. This data helps you:
- Price future projects accurately
- Identify scope creep
- Understand which clients are most profitable
- Make better business decisions
5. Customize Invoice Templates
Take 15 minutes to customize your invoice template with your logo and brand colors. Professional branding increases trust and can reduce payment times.
6. Use the Mobile App
Install the FreshBooks mobile app and enable notifications. You'll be amazed how quickly you can handle invoicing tasks during downtime.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"Client Says They Didn't Receive Invoice"
Check: Go to the invoice and look for the "Viewed" status. This shows if the email was opened.
Solutions:
- If not viewed: Check that the email address is correct, and check their spam folder
- If viewed: Point out that it was viewed on [date] at [time] - this usually resolves the issue
- Resend via portal link or download PDF and send through their preferred channel
"Payment Not Showing Up"
FreshBooks Payments: Payments typically take 2-3 business days to deposit. Check the Payments page to see the expected deposit date.
Manual Payments: If a client paid by check or wire transfer, you need to manually record the payment in FreshBooks (click "Record a Payment" on the invoice).
"Recurring Invoice Not Sending"
Check:
- Is "Send Automatically" enabled on the recurring invoice profile?
- Is the client email address valid?
- Is the recurring invoice active (not paused or ended)?
Go to Recurring Invoices > Edit > Make sure "Send Automatically" is checked.
Conclusion
FreshBooks is one of the most user-friendly and powerful invoicing platforms available, especially for service-based businesses, freelancers, and small agencies. Its combination of intuitive design, robust automation, integrated time tracking, and professional client experience makes it an excellent choice for businesses that want to get paid faster and spend less time on administrative tasks.
The investment in FreshBooks (starting at $17/month) typically pays for itself many times over through:
- Time savings: 5-10 hours per month on invoicing and follow-up
- Faster payments: Average 15-20 days faster than manual invoicing
- Fewer errors: Automated calculations eliminate math mistakes
- Better cash flow: Automatic reminders and online payments reduce late payments
- Professional image: Branded invoices and client portal enhance credibility
Whether you're a solo freelancer just starting out or an established agency with a team, FreshBooks scales with your business and provides the tools you need to manage invoicing professionally.
Start with the free 30-day trial to experience the difference for yourself - no credit card required, and you can import your existing client and invoice data in minutes.
Ready to simplify your invoicing? Try QuickBillMaker for a lightweight alternative—free for up to 5 invoices/month, $29/month unlimited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I customize invoice numbers in FreshBooks?
Yes. Go to Settings > Invoice Customization > Invoice Number. You can set a custom prefix (like "INV-" or "2025-"), choose the starting number, and decide whether to reset numbering yearly. FreshBooks automatically increments the number for each new invoice.
Does FreshBooks work offline?
The mobile app has offline mode - you can create invoices and track time without internet, and everything syncs when you're back online. The web version requires internet connectivity.
Can I send invoices in different languages?
Yes. FreshBooks supports 30+ languages. Set a default language per client in their profile, and all invoices for that client will use their language for labels and text while you continue using your preferred interface language.
How do I handle multiple currencies?
Go to Settings > Currency and enable multi-currency. You can then invoice clients in their currency (GBP, EUR, CAD, etc.) while FreshBooks tracks everything in your home currency. Exchange rates update automatically daily.
Can multiple people work on the same FreshBooks account?
Yes. The Plus plan supports up to 5 team members for time tracking, and the Premium plan supports unlimited team members. You can set different permission levels (Admin, Member, or Contractor) and assign different hourly rates per team member.
What happens if I exceed my client limit?
If you have 6 active clients on the Lite plan (5 client limit), FreshBooks will prompt you to upgrade to Plus. You won't lose any data, but you'll need to upgrade before creating new invoices for the 6th client. Archived clients don't count toward the limit.