What does invoice mean?
An invoice is a formal request for payment. It usually lists the goods or services provided, their prices, any taxes or discounts, the total amount due, and information about when and how payment should be made. In business communication, the word is more specific than a general “bill”: an invoice is typically a detailed document issued by a seller to a customer. The related verb, “to invoice,” means to bill someone or to send them an invoice. Invoices are associated with accounting, trade, and formal commercial procedures, and the familiar phrase “invoice someone” can be used conversationally to mean “charge them.” The term is also used more broadly for the amount billed, as in a large software company will invoice a small business for a support subscription. It should not be confused with a receipt, which confirms payment after it has been made.
A detailed statement sent to a customer listing goods or services provided, the amount due, and payment terms.
"We received the invoice and forwarded it to our accounts payable department."
Usually a formal business document; the amount charged and the payment terms are commonly included.
To send an invoice to someone or to bill them for goods or services.
"The contractor invoiced the client for the materials and labor."
Used primarily in business and commercial contexts.
The plural is used for individual billing statements or amounts billed.
"The finance team reviewed several invoices before approving payment."
The word invoice originally meant “to send” before it became the name of the document that asks you to pay.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does invoice come from?
The word comes through French from Medieval Latin inviare, “to send,” with the sense of sending a document or dispatching goods for payment. Its ultimate roots are Latin in-, meaning “into” or “on,” and via, meaning “way,” the same root found in words such as convey and convoy. In English, the noun developed to mean a formal bill or statement sent to a customer, and the verb came to mean to send an invoice or charge a customer.
Related word forms
How invoice is actually used
In business and legal contexts, “invoice” is formal and specifically refers to a request for payment, often with itemized charges. As a verb, it is used when a seller bills a customer.
Easily confused with invoice
A bill is a general request for payment, while an invoice is usually a more detailed statement itemizing products or services and the amount due.
An invoice requests payment before it is received, whereas a receipt confirms that payment has already been made.