Invoice Header and Footer: What to Put in Each (Examples)

Quick answer: An invoice header identifies the document and the parties: your logo and business name, contact details, the word "Invoice", invoice number, invoice date, due date and the client's billing details. The invoice footer closes it: payment instructions, short terms, late fee note, legal or tax registration details, a thank-you line and page numbers.

The header and footer are the first and last things a client reads. Getting them right makes invoices look professional, helps accounts payable process them quickly and keeps you compliant where specific details are required. This guide explains what to put in an invoice header and footer, with examples you can copy.

What Is an Invoice Header?

The invoice header is the top section of the invoice, above the line items. Its job is to answer three questions immediately: who sent this, who is it for, and what is it (which invoice, when, and when payment is due). A typical layout puts your branding on the left and the invoice details on the right, with the client's "Bill To" block underneath.

What to Put in an Invoice Header

Element	Required?	Notes
Logo	Optional	Top left or center; see how to add a logo to an invoice
Business name (legal or trading name)	Yes	Match the name on your bank account to avoid payment confusion
Business address, email, phone	Yes in most places	Some countries require a full address
The word "Invoice" (or "Tax Invoice")	Yes	Some VAT and GST systems require "Tax Invoice" wording
Invoice number	Yes	Unique and sequential; see invoice numbering systems
Invoice date and due date	Yes	Due date makes payment terms concrete
Tax registration number	If registered for VAT/GST	See tax ID on an invoice
Client name and billing address	Yes	Add the client's PO number and contact person if they use them
Amount due	Recommended	A highlighted total near the top speeds approval

Invoice header example

Left side	Right side
Brightline Studio LLC 214 Elm Street, Suite 3 Denver, CO 80203 hello@brightlinestudio.com | (303) 555-0147	INVOICE Invoice #: BLS-2026-0087 Date: Oct 29, 2026 Due: Nov 28, 2026 (Net 30) PO #: 55-1093
Bill To: Harbor Dental Group Attn: Accounts Payable 890 Lake Ave, Boulder, CO 80302	Amount due: $3,240.00

What Is an Invoice Footer?

The invoice footer is the bottom section, below the totals. It tells the client how to pay and on what terms, and it holds the small-print details that do not belong in the main body. On a one-page invoice, the payment section often sits right below the totals and the footer proper is a thin band at the very bottom of the page.

What to Put in an Invoice Footer

• Payment instructions: bank name, account name, routing and account number or IBAN and SWIFT/BIC, or a payment link. Only share bank details through a channel you trust.
• Payment terms: "Payment due within 30 days of invoice date". See invoice payment terms.
• Late fee policy: for example "1.5% per month on overdue balances", where allowed by law and agreed with the client.
• Short terms and conditions or a link to the full version; see invoice terms and conditions.
• Legal details: registered company name and number, registered office, VAT number, where your country requires them.
• Thank-you note: a short line such as "Thank you for your business". Our invoice notes examples have more options.
• Page numbers on multi-page invoices.

Invoice footer example

Payment: ACH or wire to Brightline Studio LLC, First Front Range Bank, Routing 000000000, Account 000000000 (example numbers). Please include invoice BLS-2026-0087 in the payment reference. Terms: Net 30. Balances unpaid after the due date incur a late fee of 1.5% per month as agreed in our services contract. Questions? billing@brightlinestudio.com. Thank you for your business. Page 1 of 1.

Are Some Header and Footer Details Legally Required?

Yes, in many countries. Required invoice contents are set by tax and company law, and several of them naturally live in the header or footer.

Country or region	Common requirements affecting header/footer
United Kingdom	Unique invoice number, business name and address, client name and address, and for limited companies the full registered company name; VAT number if VAT registered. See GOV.UK: what an invoice must include.
European Union	Sequential number, supplier and customer details, VAT numbers where required, issue date
Australia	Tax invoices need the supplier's ABN and other details; see how to get an ABN
United States	No single federal format; follow state sales tax rules and client requirements

Requirements change and differ by situation, so check the official tax authority guidance for your country. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.

Invoice Header and Footer Design Tips

1. Keep the header compact. The line items should start in the top third of the page.
2. Make three things easy to find: invoice number, due date and amount due.
3. Use one or two fonts. See best fonts for invoices.
4. Use brand color sparingly, for example in a header band or the total line, and keep text dark on light backgrounds for printing.
5. Align to a grid so the header, line items and footer columns line up.
6. Test print on both A4 and Letter if you have international clients; footers often get cut off. See invoice paper sizes.

Our professional invoice design tips cover layout in more detail, and the invoice templates page has ready-made layouts.

Worked Example: Full Invoice With Header and Footer

Using the header above, the body and totals look like this:

Description	Qty	Rate	Amount
Website redesign, phase 2 (5 page templates)	1	$2,400.00	$2,400.00
Copy edits and content upload	8 hrs	$85.00	$680.00
Stock photo licenses	4	$40.00	$160.00
Total due			$3,240.00

The header gives the client everything they need to log and approve it (number, PO, due date, amount), and the footer gives them everything they need to pay it.

Header and Footer Examples by Business Type

Business	Header extras	Footer extras
Freelancer	Your name and trading name, project name	Bank or payment link, "Net 14", thank-you line
Contractor	License number, job site address, PO	Lien or retainage notes where required, warranty summary
UK limited company	Company name, VAT number	Registered office, company number, late payment interest note
Ecommerce seller	Order number, ship-to address	Returns policy summary, customer service email
Agency on retainer	Billing period (for example "November 2026")	Auto-pay note, notice period summary

Copy-ready footer lines

• "Please include the invoice number with your payment."
• "Payment is due within 14 days. Thank you for working with us."
• "Overdue balances are subject to a late fee of 1.5% per month as agreed."
• "Questions about this invoice? Contact billing@yourbusiness.com within 7 days."
• "Registered in England and Wales, company no. 00000000. VAT no. GB000000000." (example format)

Pick two or three lines, not all of them. A short footer is more likely to be read than a dense block of small print.

How to Add a Header and Footer to Your Invoice

1. In an invoice generator: upload your logo, fill in business and client details, and add terms and payment instructions in the notes or terms field. Our free invoice generator places these in the header and footer areas automatically.
2. In Word or Google Docs: use the built-in header and footer areas for the logo, business name and page numbers, and keep invoice-specific details (number, dates, client) in the body so they are easy to edit.
3. In Excel or Google Sheets: build the header in the first rows of the sheet and set a print area; use the print header and footer settings for page numbers.

Whichever tool you use, save the header and footer as a template once, so every invoice is consistent and you only change the invoice details and line items.

Common Invoice Header and Footer Mistakes

• Missing or duplicate invoice numbers.
• No due date, only "Net 30", which forces the client to calculate it.
• Oversized logos that push line items to a second page.
• Payment details buried in long terms text.
• Trading name only when your bank account or registration uses the legal name.
• Tiny footer text that cannot be read once printed.
• Personal SSN printed instead of an EIN.

A clear invoice header and footer turn a list of charges into a document that gets approved and paid quickly. The free invoice generator on this site has fields for your logo, invoice details, notes and payment terms in the right places. It is free, needs no sign-up, and creates the PDF right in your browser for you to download.