Invoice template
Consulting invoice template
For consultants and advisers: a monthly retainer, time beyond it, a fixed-fee workshop and expenses at cost, with the client's PO number so accounts payable can match it.
Open this consulting invoice in the generator
Sample consulting invoice
An advisory firm’s monthly invoice to a corporate client: a retainer that includes 10 hours, three and a half hours beyond it, a half-day workshop at a fixed fee and travel expenses passed through at cost, all against the client’s purchase order.
| Line | Qty | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advisory retainer, October 2026 (includes 10 hours) | 1 | $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 |
| Additional hours beyond the retainer | 3.5 | $220.00 | $770.00 |
| Pricing strategy workshop, half day, 16 October | 1 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Travel expenses at cost: rail and one hotel night | 1 | $486.20 | $486.20 |
| Amount due | $4,956.20 | ||
Notes on the invoice: Statement of work SOW-3, October 2026. The retainer includes 10 hours; time above that is billed at the agreed hourly rate (time log attached). Expenses are billed at cost with receipts.
What goes on a consulting invoice
- The retainer for the period, with what it includes (“includes 10 hours”).
- Time beyond the retainer, or all time if you bill hourly, as hours × rate, with a time log attached.
- Fixed-fee deliverables: workshops, reports, audits, each named and dated.
- Milestones on project work: “Phase 2 of 3: market analysis delivered 14 October”.
- Expenses passed through at cost (travel, hotels, research data), with receipts. If you mark them up, your contract should say so.
Payment terms consultants use
Net 30 is the norm with companies, and larger clients may insist on Net 45 or Net 60. Retainers are often billed at the start of the month they cover. Ask the client for its purchase order number before you invoice, put it in the PO number field and address the invoice to accounts payable; invoices without a PO are a common reason for payment delays. The payment terms guide explains each term.
Things to get right
- Match the statement of work. Use the same names for deliverables and phases as the SOW, and reference it in the notes.
- Cross-border clients: VAT and GST rules on services to businesses in another country differ, and some need the customer’s tax number or a reverse-charge note. See invoice requirements by country.
- Late payment: if your contract includes interest on overdue amounts, repeat it on the invoice. The late payment guide has wording.
- Different currency? Billpad supports more than 40 currencies with the right decimals and number format.
Updated 28 October 2026. All names, addresses and amounts in the sample are examples. Spotted an error or an outdated rule? Contact us. About Billpad.