How do you design and test your invoices for usability and accessibility?

Invoicing is a crucial part of your business, as it affects your cash flow, your reputation, and your customer satisfaction. But how do you make sure that your invoices are clear, accurate, and easy for your clients to understand? This article shares some tips on how to design and test your invoices for usability and accessibility, so you can avoid common pitfalls and improve your invoicing process.

1 Choose a suitable format

The first step in designing your invoices is to choose a format that suits your business and your clients' needs. You can use a template from an online invoicing software, create your own custom invoice in a document or a spreadsheet, or use a code-based invoice generator. Whatever format you choose, make sure that it includes the essential information, such as your business name and contact details, your client's name and address, the invoice number and date, the description and price of the services or products you provided. Also provide the payment terms and methods, and any taxes or discounts. You may also want to add your logo, branding, and a thank you note to personalize your invoice and make it more professional.

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Farangis Pourkiani

Accounts payable specialist
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The Remittance address if it is different from the Business address. The Client or customer Account number. Purchase Order number

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Jenny Cadwaladr

Finance Assistant at ANG Artelia Group - specialised in the conservation, repair and restoration of historic and listed buildings
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All invoices/remittances you send out should all follow the same format. Keep consistency with your process. Obviously updates and changes are going to happen and you can adapt to these as and when they occur. But if you keep things as clear as possible it avoids any confusion and ensures all payments are made on time.

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2 Use clear and consistent language

The language you use in your invoices should be clear, concise, and consistent. Avoid jargon, abbreviations, or technical terms that your clients may not understand, and explain any terms that may cause confusion, such as net, gross, due, or overdue. Use the same language throughout your invoice, and make sure that it matches the language of your contract or agreement with your client. For example, if you agreed to charge by the hour, use the word "hour" instead of "time" or "duration" in your invoice. If you work with clients from different countries or regions, you may also want to use a language that they are familiar with, or provide a translation of your invoice in their preferred language.

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Jenny Cadwaladr

Finance Assistant at ANG Artelia Group - specialised in the conservation, repair and restoration of historic and listed buildings
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If you have an order for which an invoice is being raised against it is helpful to align the contents of the invoice with the order. This helps with internal allocations and any audits that may take place as you can easily keep track of what is what.

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3 Apply design principles

The design of your invoice should be simple, clean, and easy to read. Use a legible font, a reasonable font size, and a contrast between the text and the background. Avoid using too many colors, images, or graphics that may distract from the main information or make your invoice look cluttered. Align your text and numbers properly, and use white space, headings, and borders to separate different sections of your invoice. You can also use icons, symbols, or colors to highlight important information, such as the due date, the total amount, or the payment method.

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Jenny Cadwaladr

Finance Assistant at ANG Artelia Group - specialised in the conservation, repair and restoration of historic and listed buildings
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Invoices should clearly show; - who it is from - who it is for - what the charges are for - a breakdown of the charges (Net, VAT, Gross) - how payment is to be made - payment terms

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4 Test your invoices for usability and accessibility

Before you send your invoices to your clients, you should test them for usability and accessibility. You can do this by asking for feedback from a colleague or a friend who can review your invoice and tell you if they find it easy to understand. You can also use online tools, such as readability checkers, accessibility checkers, or invoice validators, to check if your invoice meets the standards and best practices for readability, accessibility, and compliance. Also, test how your invoice looks on different devices, browsers, and screen sizes, and how it prints out on paper. If you find any errors, inconsistencies, or problems with your invoice, you should fix them before you send your invoice to your clients.

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Martin L. Waring II

MBA | Senior Level Accountant | Consultant | Empowering Businesses with Financial Insights | Process Improvement Specialist | Lifelong Learner
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Prior to sending an invoice, it is best practice to ensure everything is accurate on the invoice. The remit-to address and billing contact for the customer must be accurate to ensure the invoice is routed to the correct cost center and/or department. Also, if the customer requires a purchase order or requisition number should be accurate and placed on the invoice so it can be displayed accurately so the customer can see it. Your payment terms and all line items must be accurate to ensure your invoice is paid in a timely manner.

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5 Monitor and improve your invoicing process

The final step in designing and testing your invoices is to monitor and improve your invoicing process. You can do this by tracking the performance of your invoices, such as how long it takes for your clients to pay them, how many reminders you need to send them, or how many disputes or questions you receive. You can also ask clients if they're satisfied with your invoicing process, or what suggestions they have to improve it. By monitoring and improving your invoicing process, you can identify and address any issues or opportunities that may affect your cash flow, your reputation, and your customer satisfaction.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Munmun Habib

Accounting and Finance Professional
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Maintaining consistency in design and language are mandatory key factors in an Invoicing process. For Example: If an invoice is more than one page, and the due or overdue amount, or any changes in terms, are always explained in a separate section on the upper right corner of the first page, changing that design format or placing that note in between other informations on the second or third page in the Invoice would create confusion for clients. In result, it will require more time for an AP processor to understand the Invoice before processing. Therefore, by maintaining a consistent design and language, it improves the payment process of a client, minimizes how many disputes or questions you receive, and earns you customer satisfaction.

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Ana Mishra

PayorCRM | Netsuite/QuickBooks | AR | Payments
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When you send out invoice emails, Use the extra space in the bottom to include your marketing banners. Invoice emails could be a great way to up-sell your products/services to existing customers

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How do you design and test your invoices for usability and accessibility?

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1 Choose a suitable format

2 Use clear and consistent language

3 Apply design principles

4 Test your invoices for usability and accessibility

5 Monitor and improve your invoicing process

6 Here’s what else to consider

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