Put the payment instructions in a boxed block directly under the total on the first page of the invoice, and give the customer one clear way to pay for each method you accept: a link for card, bank details for a transfer, a payee name for a check. Use the exact wording below. Checks are made "payable to" a name, while payments are made "to" an account, and mixing the two is a common source of confusion. This page has six blocks you can copy, a line that protects your customers from fake bank-detail emails, and a short list of what to leave off.

Where the block goes

The top of the invoice shows the amount due and the due date. The block with the how-to-pay details goes right under the total, not in the footer, because that is where the customer's eyes are when they decide to pay. Keep the block short: a heading ("How to pay"), one line per method, and an invoice number to use as the payment reference. The name on every method should match the name on your business bank account exactly. A customer checking that the payment goes to you will look for that name, and a check made out to a different name can be hard to deposit.

If you are also deciding how to send the invoice and when it falls due, how to send an invoice covers the steps and payment terms: net 30 covers the due date wording. This page is only the block that tells the customer how to pay.

Block 1: bank transfer inside the US (ACH)

How to pay by bank transfer (ACH)
Account name: Lakeview Design Studio LLC
Bank: [bank name]
Routing number: [9 digits]
Account number: [account number]
Account type: Checking
Reference: Invoice 1042

Please send the full amount of $1,850.00 by November 30. Email the confirmation to billing@lakeviewdesign.example.

Lakeview Design Studio is a made-up business. The reference line matters: it lets you match an incoming deposit to the right invoice without guessing. The last sentence gives the customer a place to send proof of payment, which saves you a "did you get it?" email. For how ACH works, fees and timing, see ACH payments for small business.

Block 2: wire transfer

How to pay by wire
Account name: Lakeview Design Studio LLC
Bank: [bank name and address]
Wire routing number: [9 digits]
Account number: [account number]
Reference: Invoice 1042

Many banks use a different routing number for incoming wires than for ACH, so ask your bank for the wire number and do not reuse the one from your checks. Wires usually cost the sender a fee, so offer the wire only to customers who prefer it.

Block 3: international transfer

How to pay from outside the US
Account name: Lakeview Design Studio LLC
Bank: [bank name and address]
SWIFT/BIC: [code]
Account number: [account number]
Currency: USD
Reference: Invoice 1042

Bank fees on your side are your responsibility, so the full invoice amount of $1,850.00 arrives. US accounts do not have an IBAN, so if a form asks for one, use the account number above.

Check that line about fees with your bank. The point is to say, in writing, who pays the cost of the transfer, because otherwise a customer pays $1,850, your bank receives $1,822 after a deduction, and you have to ask for the difference. If you bill in a foreign currency, state the currency on the invoice next to the amount.

Block 4: check

How to pay by check
Make checks payable to: Lakeview Design Studio LLC
Mail to: [your mailing address]
Please write "Invoice 1042" in the memo line.

This is where "payable to" belongs. A check is made payable to a person or a company, so "Please make checks payable to" is the correct phrase. For every other method, write "Please make payment to" or "Send payment to," followed by the account name. Say it once, and use the same name everywhere.

Block 5: card or payment link

How to pay online by card
Pay securely here: [your payment link]. It takes about a minute, and you will get a receipt by email.

If you add a fee for paying by card, say so on the invoice, not after the customer clicks. Card networks and some states restrict surcharges, so check the rules before adding one. The real costs of taking cards are in accepting credit cards as a small business. A link is quicker for the customer than a block of numbers, because there is nothing to copy.

Block 6: the line that protects your customers

We will never change our bank details by email. If you get a message saying our details have changed, call us at 555-0134 before sending any payment.

Criminals impersonate vendors, send customers a "new account number," and collect the payment. The FBI calls this business email compromise. Putting a line like this on the invoice does two things: it warns the customer, and it gives you a reply if your own domain is ever spoofed. Ask your customers to verify any change by phone, using a number from your invoice or your contract and not one in the suspicious email.

What not to print or send

  • Full account numbers typed into the body of an email. Emails get forwarded, quoted and edited, and a fraudster's version looks just like yours. Keep the bank details on the invoice PDF or behind a payment link, so there is one document the customer can check against, and never send "updated" details by email alone.
  • Personal accounts for business income. The account name should be your business, which also keeps your books clean.
  • Five payment methods when you only want two. Each extra method is more to reconcile. Offer the ones you actually want to be paid by.
  • Vague due dates. "Due on receipt" or "Due November 30" is clearer than "net 30" alone, because it states the calendar date.

Test the block before you send

Ask a friend or a trusted customer to follow the instructions without your help, and see where they stop. Or send yourself a $1 payment from a different account using only what is on the page. If a step is unclear, fix it. If a payment still goes missing, the follow-up steps are in how to ask for payment politely, and the reminder sequence for an overdue invoice is in how to follow up on an unpaid invoice.

Payment details only matter once a customer has said yes, and Rocketship handles that step too: a quote goes out as a link, the customer signs it and pays by card through Stripe into your own account, and the status sits on their record so you are not matching an email thread to a deposit by hand. You can try it with a 7-day free trial; a card is required to start.