How to Create an Invoice in Wave: Steps + Fees (2026)

Quick answer: To create an invoice in Wave, go to Sales & Payments, open Invoices and click Create an invoice. Choose or add a customer, add items with quantities, prices and taxes, set the due date, then save and send it by email or share a link. Invoicing is free on Wave's Starter plan; online payments carry per-transaction fees.

Wave is popular with freelancers and very small businesses in the US and Canada because its Starter plan includes unlimited invoices at no monthly cost. Wave makes money mainly when your customers pay through Wave Payments, from its paid Pro plan and from add-ons such as payroll. This guide covers how to create a Wave invoice step by step, the payment fees as of October 2026, recurring invoices, reminders and common mistakes. Wave updates its interface periodically, so if a label differs slightly on your screen, look for the nearest match or check the Wave help center.

How much does Wave cost for invoicing?

As of October 2026, based on Wave's published pricing and payments pages:

Item	Starter (free)	Pro (paid)
Monthly subscription	$0	US$19/month billed monthly (or US$190/year), per Wave's help center
Invoices and estimates	Unlimited	Unlimited
Card payments: Visa, Mastercard, Discover	2.9% + $0.60	2.9%, with the $0.60 waived on a limited number of transactions per month, then Starter rates
Card payments: American Express	3.4% + $0.60	3.4%, same fixed-fee waiver limit
Bank payments (ACH)	1% (minimum $1)	1% (minimum $1)

Wave occasionally runs promotions on processing fees, and prices and limits change. Confirm current figures on Wave's pricing page before you rely on them.

What to set up in Wave before your first invoice

• Business profile: business name, address, phone and currency.
• Invoice customization: logo, accent color, template style, default payment terms and footer.
• Sales taxes: add each tax you charge (name, rate and, if registered, the tax number to show on invoices).
• Products and services: saved items with descriptions, prices, income accounts and default taxes.
• Customers: names, emails and billing addresses, or add them as you go.
• Payments: set up Wave Payments (US or Canada) if you want customers to pay online by card or bank.

How to create an invoice in Wave: step by step

1. Open Invoices. In the left menu, choose Sales & Payments, then Invoices, and click Create an invoice.
2. Add the customer. Select an existing customer or add a new one with an email address so you can send the invoice.
3. Check the invoice header. Confirm the invoice number (Wave increments it automatically), the invoice date, the payment due date and an optional P.O./S.O. number.
4. Add items. Pick saved products or services, or type a new item. Enter quantity and price; Wave totals each line.
5. Apply taxes to each taxable line. Wave calculates tax per line and shows the tax total.
6. Add notes and terms, such as late payment terms, bank details or a thank-you message.
7. Turn on online payments for the invoice if Wave Payments is set up, choosing which methods (card, bank) to accept.
8. Preview and save. Review how the invoice looks, then save it. A saved invoice can stay as a draft until you approve it.
9. Send it. Email it from Wave, copy a shareable link, or download a PDF to send yourself.

Wave shows whether the customer has viewed the invoice, which helps when you follow up.

Worked example: what Wave fees cost on real invoices

A freelance web developer sends three invoices in a month and wants to know what payment method costs her, using the Starter rates above.

Invoice	Amount	Paid by card (2.9% + $0.60)	Paid by bank (1%, $1 min)
#201 Website maintenance	$150.00	$4.95	$1.50
#202 Landing page build	$1,200.00	$35.40	$12.00
#203 E-commerce site, milestone 2	$4,500.00	$131.10	$45.00
Total	$5,850.00	$171.45	$58.50

Steering the large milestone invoice toward bank payment saves her $86.10 on that invoice alone. Many freelancers enable both methods but note on large invoices that bank payment is preferred. For broader context, compare credit card processing fees across providers and see our guide on accepting ACH payments.

How to set up recurring invoices in Wave

Wave supports recurring invoices for retainers and subscriptions. The general process:

1. Open the recurring invoices section under Sales & Payments and create a new recurring invoice.
2. Add the customer and line items.
3. Set the schedule: how often, the start date and the end date or number of invoices.
4. Choose whether Wave emails each invoice automatically, and whether to charge a saved card or bank account automatically if the customer has authorized it.
5. Save and check the first invoice it generates.

Automatic charging is handy for fixed monthly fees, but get the customer's written authorization. See our recurring invoices guide for wording and best practices.

Recording payments and following up

• Online payments through Wave are matched to the invoice automatically.
• Offline payments (check, cash, bank transfer to your own account) must be recorded on the invoice manually, or the invoice will keep showing as overdue and reminders may keep going out.
• Reminders: turn on automatic reminders before and after the due date. Pair them with clear payment reminder emails for long-overdue accounts.
• Partial payments: record each payment; Wave shows the remaining balance. See partial payment invoices.

How to create an estimate in Wave and turn it into an invoice

Many service businesses quote before they bill. Wave includes free estimates:

1. Under Sales & Payments, open Estimates and create a new estimate.
2. Add the customer, items, taxes, an expiry date and any notes about what is included.
3. Send the estimate by email or link so the customer can review and accept it.
4. Once accepted, convert the estimate to an invoice. The details carry over, so you only adjust lines that changed.

Converting rather than retyping keeps your quoted and invoiced prices consistent. Our guide on invoices vs estimates explains when each document is used.

Can you pass Wave's fees on to customers?

Some businesses add a surcharge for card payments. Before you do, check the card network rules and your state's laws, because surcharging is restricted or regulated in some places and requires clear disclosure. Our guide to credit card surcharge rules covers the basics. Simpler alternatives:

• Build an average payment cost into your rates.
• Offer a small discount for bank payment on large invoices.
• Set a minimum invoice amount for card payments, where rules allow.

When a free invoice generator is enough

Wave is a good fit when you want invoices, payments and bookkeeping in one place. But if you send only a few invoices a month, are outside the US and Canada, or just need a one-off invoice without creating an account and linking a bank, a simple generator may be faster. Our free invoice generator creates a PDF invoice in your browser that you can email and track in a spreadsheet.

Common mistakes when invoicing in Wave

• Ignoring payment fees in pricing, especially the fixed fee on small invoices, which takes a larger percentage of a $50 invoice than a $5,000 one.
• Not recording offline payments, which leaves reminders running and makes reports wrong.
• Missing sales tax setup, so taxable items go out without tax. Check rates with the sales tax calculator and your state's rules.
• Duplicate customers created from the invoice screen with slightly different names.
• Deleting sent invoices instead of adjusting them, which breaks your numbering record.
• Expecting Wave Payments outside the US and Canada; elsewhere, accept bank transfers or another processor and record payments manually.

Is Wave the right invoicing tool for you?

Wave fits freelancers and small service businesses in the US and Canada who want free invoicing and simple bookkeeping. It is less suited to businesses that need inventory, multi-currency depth, project accounting or advanced approvals. If you are weighing options, read FreshBooks vs Wave and Wave vs QuickBooks, or our list of the best free invoicing software.

Learning how to create an invoice in Wave takes a few minutes, and the free Starter plan covers unlimited invoices. Just factor Wave's payment fees into your pricing and record offline payments promptly. If you need a quick invoice without creating any account, use the free invoice generator: it needs no sign-up, builds your invoice as a PDF in your browser and lets you download it immediately.