Catering invoices price per person ($25–$45 casual buffet, $60–$150+ plated/wedding) against a guaranteed guest count locked 5–10 days before the event, plus separate lines for staffing ($35–$75/hour per server, captain rates higher), rentals, bar packages, and delivery. A service charge of 18–25% is standard and must be labeled honestly — in several states, calling it a gratuity has legal consequences. Deposits run 25–50% at booking with the balance due before or on the event date; sales tax applies to catering in most states.
Catering Invoice Template
Reviewed by the Agiled editorial teamUpdated June 2026
Catering bills on a number the client controls and the kitchen has to trust: the guaranteed guest count. Everything flows from it — food per person, staffing ratios, rentals — which is why the invoice's most important line isn't a price but a date: when the guarantee locked, and what it was. Add the service-charge-versus-gratuity distinction (a legal one in several states), staffing billed by the hour, and deposit math, and catering invoices carry more structure than almost any food business. This template carries all of it. Download it in PDF, Word, Excel, Google Docs, or Google Sheets, or generate a pre-filled version below.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catering service (50 guests) | 1 | $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 |
| Bar service | 1 | $800.00 | $800.00 |
| Setup and cleanup | 1 | $350.00 | $350.00 |
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Create online- Buffet / casual
- $25 – $45 per person
- Plated / wedding
- $60 – $150+ per person
- Service charge
- 18 – 25%, labeled honestly
- Guarantee locks
- 5 – 10 days before the event
What to include on a catering invoice
Per-person lines against the guaranteed count
"Plated dinner — chicken/vegetarian split — 142 guests @ $78 (guarantee locked 6/2)." The count, the rate, and the lock date on one line.
Staffing billed by role and hour
"Servers — 6 × 7 hrs @ $42. Event captain — 1 × 8 hrs @ $65. Bartenders — 2 × 6 hrs @ $48." Staff is a cost center clients understand when they can see the math.
Service charge, honestly labeled
"Service charge (22%) — this is not a gratuity" where that's true. Several states require the disclosure; everywhere, ambiguity creates staff disputes and client surprise.
Rentals and equipment as pass-throughs
China, linens, tables, tenting — at quoted prices, with the rental source noted if subcontracted. Damaged/missing item terms referenced.
Bar package or consumption billing
"Open bar package — 142 guests × 4 hrs @ $28/person" or consumption billing reconciled post-event with the count sheet referenced.
Deposit and payment schedule
Booking deposit (25–50%) credited by date, with the balance due date stated — before or on the event date, not after.
Tax handled correctly
Catering is taxable in most states — often including the service charge. The invoice separates taxable and non-taxable lines per your state's rules.
Typical catering pricing (U.S., 2026)
| Item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate drop-off lunch | $12 – $25 / person | Delivery fee separate |
| Buffet (staffed) | $25 – $45 / person | |
| Plated dinner | $60 – $150+ / person | Weddings at the top of range |
| Stations / heavy appetizers | $35 – $75 / person | |
| Server labor | $35 – $75 / hour | Captains $50 – $90 |
| Open bar package | $20 – $45 / person | Per 4-hour event |
| Service charge | 18 – 25% | On food & beverage, often taxable |
| Cake cutting / corkage | $1 – $5 / person | Where charged |
Per-person ranges vary with menu, market, and season. Service-charge labeling and taxability rules are state-specific — verify yours before printing the invoice.
How catering billing actually works
Weddings and large events: the guarantee timeline
The billing arc: booking deposit (25–50%) on the signed contract, an optional planning payment at the menu tasting, the guaranteed count locked 5–10 days out, and the final invoice — built on the guarantee — due before the event. Counts can usually rise after the lock (billed as added guests) but not fall; the invoice says so. Day-of additions (extended bar hour, late-night snack) bill as post-event lines at contracted rates, which is the only billing that should ever follow the event.
Corporate catering: accounts and consolidation
Recurring corporate clients run on house accounts: per-event invoices referencing the PO and event date, or a consolidated monthly invoice with one line set per event, on Net 15–30. Drop-off business stays simple — headcount, per-person price, delivery fee, due on delivery or account terms. The caterer whose invoices match the client's event calendar and PO system becomes the default vendor; reconciliation friction is how incumbents lose accounts.
Staffed events: labor, overtime, and the walk-through
Staffing lines bill role × headcount × scheduled hours, with overtime beyond the scheduled window at stated rates — and the invoice notes when the event ran long and who approved it. Rentals, vendor meals, and venue-required fees (kitchen fees, COI riders) appear as their own lines. The post-event invoice reconciles consumption bars, breakage per the rental terms, and any guarantee overage, referencing counts from the captain's event sheet.
Invoicing mistakes that cost catering professionals money
Billing on the hoped-for count
Invoicing 120 when the guarantee was 142 — or vice versa — turns the final bill into an argument. One number governs: the locked guarantee, with its date printed on the invoice.
Calling the service charge a gratuity
If the house keeps any of it, it's not a tip — and several states make mislabeling it a wage violation with real penalties. Label it 'service charge,' add the not-a-gratuity disclosure, and decide tip handling separately.
Balance due after the event
Post-event collection on a five-figure wedding invoice is a leverage-free negotiation with people whose event is over. Balance before or on the date; only true reconciliation items (consumption bar, overage) bill after.
Burying staffing in per-person prices
Hiding six servers inside the food price makes your per-person number uncompetitive against quotes that itemize. Separate staffing lines make comparisons fair and your pricing legible.
Mishandling sales tax
Catering is taxable in most states, frequently including service charges and sometimes labor. Getting it wrong compounds across every event of the year — confirm your state's rules once and template them.
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
Add your business details, the event date, venue, and client references.
- 03
Bill food per person against the locked guaranteed count, with the lock date stated.
- 04
List staffing by role, headcount, and hours; rentals and bar packages as their own lines.
- 05
Apply the service charge with honest labeling, and tax per your state's catering rules.
- 06
Credit the deposit, set the balance due before the event, and bill only reconciliation items afterward.
Skip this template if…
- Bakeries selling custom cakes — per-order deposit-and-pickup billing fits the bakery template.
- Restaurants doing occasional large-party checks — POS gratuity handling differs from event catering paper.
FAQs
How much does catering cost per person?
Corporate drop-off runs $12–$25 per person, staffed buffets $25–$45, stations $35–$75, and plated dinners $60–$150+ — weddings occupy the top of each range. Staffing, rentals, bar service, and the 18–25% service charge bill on top of the food price.
What is a guaranteed guest count?
The final headcount the client commits to 5–10 days before the event — the number the kitchen buys, preps, and staffs against, and the number the invoice bills. Counts can typically increase after the lock (billed as additions) but not decrease. The guarantee and its lock date belong on the final invoice.
What's the difference between a service charge and a gratuity?
A gratuity belongs to service staff; a service charge is the caterer's fee for service infrastructure and may be kept by the house. Several states legally require disclosure when a service charge isn't a tip, and mislabeling can create wage claims. Label it accurately on every invoice.
How do catering deposits and payment schedules work?
25–50% at booking secures the date, an optional interim payment lands at menu finalization, and the balance — calculated on the guaranteed count — is due before or on the event date. Only reconciliation items (consumption bar, count overages, approved overtime) should ever bill after the event.
Is catering subject to sales tax?
In most states, yes — prepared food and catering services are taxable, and many states also tax the service charge and sometimes staffing. Rules vary enough that caterers should confirm their state's treatment and structure invoice lines so taxable and non-taxable items separate cleanly.
How should caterers bill corporate clients?
On house accounts with Net 15–30 terms: per-event invoices referencing the PO and event date, or a monthly consolidated invoice with one line set per event. Matching the client's PO and event-calendar references is what keeps a corporate account renewing — their AP team remembers vendors who reconcile cleanly.
Pair it with the catering contract template
Invoices collect; contracts protect. Get the matching agreement in Word or PDF — free, like this template.
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