A catering invoice is a document sent to your customer after a catering event to request payment for the services, food, and other items provided during the event. The invoice gives the customer a breakdown of the costs and provides a total cost for the event.
What To Include in a Catering Invoice
Your catering invoice should cover everything your business provided at the event, as outlined in the catering contract. You should have all the contact information for your company and the customer, all the services and products provided, and a payment request:
- Caterer – Your company name and information
- Buyer – The customer’s name and information
- Services – The nature of the event and services provided. You should have separate line items for staff, food, and non-consumable items such as plates and flatware.
- Due date – Date payment is requested, or payment plan if that has been approved
- Payment type – Check, debit or credit card, cash. If you have a payment link, you should include it.
- Order number – Each invoice should have a unique order number.
How To Write a Catering Invoice
Using a catering invoice template or an online invoice builder can save you time and ensure you don’t miss any steps. All you need to do is fill in the blanks:
Step 1 – Company Name and Contact Details
The company name or your name, business address, phone number, and email come first on the invoice. Your client should be able to contact you with any questions about the invoice. It also presents a professional appearance.
Step 2 – Client Information
Client contact information should include their name, business address, phone number, and email. You should also have the event’s location below the client’s information since it may differ from the client’s business address. This ensures you are billing for the correct event.
Step 3 – Invoice Number
Individually number each invoice. If you have many events with the same client, you may consider having identifiers for each client and numbering their invoices sequentially.
Step 4 – Itemize the Services and Products
In a catering invoice, you should separate all your services into line items.
- If you provide catering staff, such as cooks or servers, the labor hours and hourly rates should be one separate line, with a subtotal.
- Food items, including prep time, should be itemized and subtotaled.
- Non-food items, such as dishware and serving equipment, should be itemized and subtotaled.
- Provide a complete total at the bottom.
By breaking out the event in this way, your client will know exactly what they are paying for in case of any questions or disputes.
Step 5 – Billing Information
The last item on your invoice should be your payment options. You can indicate if you prefer credit or debit cards, online payment such as PayPal, or other payment methods. If you and the client agreed to a payment plan, indicate it on the invoice.
Include any due dates or penalties for late payment on the invoice.
Catering Invoice Sample
Below you can download a free catering invoice template in Excel or Word format:
