A business invoice — one company billing another — clears fastest when it matches the buyer's accounts-payable process: the legal entity names on both sides, the buyer's PO number, a unique sequential invoice number, itemized lines mapping to what was ordered, correct tax treatment, agreed payment terms (Net 30 is the B2B default), and remittance details. The two biggest causes of late B2B payment are missing PO references and entity-name mismatches — both fixable on the template before the first invoice goes out.
Business Invoice Template
Reviewed by the Agiled editorial teamUpdated June 2026
Business-to-business invoices aren't read by the person who hired you — they're processed by an accounts-payable workflow that matches your paper against a purchase order, a vendor record, and an approval chain. The invoice that sails through is the one built for that machine: exact legal entity names, the PO number where AP expects it, lines that map to what was ordered, and remittance details that match the vendor file. The invoice that stalls is missing one of those — and nobody calls to tell you. This template is built for the machine. Download it in PDF, Word, Excel, Google Docs, or Google Sheets, or generate a pre-filled version below.
Part of our free invoice template library — 80+ industry-specific templates in PDF, Word, Excel, Google Docs, and Google Sheets.
Your Company Name
123 Business St, City, State 12345
billing@yourcompany.com
INVOICE
INV-0001
Bill to
Client Company
Due
Net 30
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting services | 10 | $150.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Project management | 20 | $100.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Administrative support | 8 | $60.00 | $480.00 |
Download this invoice template
Pick a style, choose a format, and download — generated locally in your browser.
Style
Format
Fixed layout for sending and printing
Word
Editable in Word or Google Docs
Excel
Live formulas for recurring invoices
Or create and send invoices online
Create online- Terms
- Net 30 B2B default
- Critical field
- The buyer's PO number
- Entity names
- Legal names, exactly matched
- Stall cause #1
- Missing references — not disputes
What to include on a business invoice
Legal entity names, both sides
Your registered business name (matching your W-9 and bank account) and the client's legal entity — not the brand, the entity. AP systems match on exact names.
The PO number, prominent
If the buyer issued a purchase order, its number goes near the top. Invoices without it route to a manual exception queue that can add weeks. No PO process? Reference the contract or the approving person.
Sequential invoice number and dates
Unique, unbroken numbering plus issue date and due date. Your number is how every future conversation — theirs and yours — references this bill.
Lines that map to the order
Descriptions, quantities, and unit prices that mirror the PO or quote line-for-line. Three-way matching (PO, receipt, invoice) approves automatically when the lines agree.
Correct tax treatment
Sales tax where the goods/services and jurisdiction require it, stated separately with the rate — or the exemption noted (resale certificates, exempt services). B2B tax errors compound across every invoice.
Remittance details that match the vendor file
Bank details for ACH (the B2B standard), and a remittance email for advice notices. If you've changed banks, update the client's vendor record before invoicing — mismatches freeze payments.
Terms and early-payment options
"Net 30. 2/10 Net 30 available" if you offer the classic early-payment discount — 2% off for payment in 10 days, which many AP systems chase automatically.
B2B invoicing conventions (U.S., 2026)
| Convention | Standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Payment terms | Net 30 | Net 45–60 at large enterprises |
| Early-payment discount | 2/10 Net 30 | Optional, widely automated |
| Late fee | 1 – 1.5% / month | Per contract terms |
| Payment method | ACH preferred | Checks declining; cards for small amounts |
| Invoice delivery | Email PDF or AP portal | Portals increasingly required |
| Three-way match | PO + receipt + invoice | Auto-approval when aligned |
| New-vendor onboarding | W-9 + banking verification | Complete before first invoice |
Large buyers increasingly require supplier portals (Coupa, Ariba, Bill.com) — invoice through the channel the client specifies, or the PDF simply never enters their workflow.
How business billing actually works
Getting set up as a vendor — before the first invoice
The unglamorous step that determines everything after: vendor onboarding. Provide the W-9, complete banking verification, learn whether they use POs and which portal (if any) invoices must enter, and get the AP contact's details. The first invoice against a complete vendor record pays on terms; the first invoice against an incomplete one starts a multi-week scavenger hunt. Ask the buyer's AP team directly: 'what does a perfect invoice look like for your system?' — they will tell you, gratefully.
The monthly rhythm with recurring clients
Ongoing B2B relationships settle into cycles: invoices on a fixed day, consolidated where the client prefers (one invoice with line sets per project or location beats fifteen small ones), each referencing its PO or contract. Statements of account monthly when multiple invoices are open. The predictability is the product — AP teams process rhythmic vendors automatically and investigate erratic ones.
When Net 30 becomes Net 75
B2B lateness is usually process, not malice: an invoice missing its PO, a vendor record with stale bank details, an approval sitting in someone's inbox. The escalation that works is diagnostic — at +5 days, email AP asking the invoice's status in their system (not 'where's my money'); the answer reveals the blocker. Past that: the contractual late fee, a statement to the business contact, and for chronic late-payers, terms renegotiation or prepayment requirements on future work. Enterprise clients stretching all vendors to Net 60+ is a financing decision you can price into the next contract.
Invoicing mistakes that cost business professionals money
Brand names instead of legal names
Billing 'Acme' when the entity is 'Acme Holdings LLC' — or invoicing from your brand while the W-9 says your LLC — creates match failures that quietly park payments. Legal names, both directions.
Missing the PO
The single most common B2B payment delay. If a PO exists, its number goes on the invoice; if you never received one, ask before invoicing, not after the stall.
Ignoring the portal
Emailing a PDF to a buyer who requires Ariba submission means your invoice doesn't exist in their system. Invoice through the specified channel, every time, however tedious.
Lines that don't match the order
Renamed items, regrouped quantities, or prices drifting from the PO break three-way matching and trigger manual review. Mirror the order's structure exactly.
Stale remittance details
Changed banks without updating client vendor records means payments to the old account or frozen runs. Update the vendor file first — and expect callback verification, which protects you too.
How to use this template
- 01
Download the template in your preferred format, or generate a pre-filled version with the download studio above.
- 02
Complete vendor onboarding first: W-9, banking verification, PO and portal requirements.
- 03
Set both legal entity names exactly, and place the PO number prominently.
- 04
Itemize lines to mirror the PO or quote, with tax treated correctly.
- 05
Include ACH remittance details matching the vendor file, and state Net-30 terms (with any early-payment discount).
- 06
Deliver through the client's required channel, and check invoice status in their system at due date + 5.
Skip this template if…
- Consumer billing — individuals don't run AP systems; the simple invoice format fits.
- Construction progress claims — schedule-of-values applications need the construction template.
FAQs
What should a business invoice include?
Both legal entity names, the buyer's PO number, a unique sequential invoice number, issue and due dates, itemized lines matching the order, correct tax treatment, payment terms (Net 30 standard), and ACH remittance details matching the client's vendor file. The references matter as much as the math — AP systems pay matched invoices and park unmatched ones.
Why is the PO number so important?
Because most corporate AP runs on three-way matching: the invoice must match a purchase order and a goods/services receipt to auto-approve. An invoice without its PO number can't match, so it drops into a manual exception queue — the most common cause of B2B payment delay, and entirely preventable.
What payment terms are standard between businesses?
Net 30 is the default; large enterprises often impose Net 45–60. The classic early-payment discount is 2/10 Net 30 (2% off if paid within 10 days), which many AP systems take automatically — effectively a financing rate you can decide to offer. Late fees of 1–1.5%/month apply per contract.
What is vendor onboarding and why does it matter?
The buyer's process for setting you up as a payable supplier: W-9 collection, banking verification, portal registration, and PO procedures. No invoice pays until it's complete — finishing onboarding before the first invoice is the highest-leverage step in B2B billing.
How should businesses handle a late B2B payment?
Diagnostically first: ask AP for the invoice's status in their system a few days past due — the answer (missing PO, pending approval, payment-run timing) tells you the actual fix. Then the contract's late fee, a statement of account, and for chronic cases, renegotiated terms or prepayment on future work.
Should I send one invoice or many to the same client?
Whatever their AP prefers — most favor consolidation: one monthly invoice with clear line sets per project, location, or PO, rather than many small invoices. Consolidated billing cuts their processing cost and your error surface; just keep each line set's references distinct so matching still works.
Need sending, reminders, and payments too?
Turn this template into a full invoicing workflow with Agiled.