Online invoicing for entrepreneurs

Online invoicing is the process where companies create, send, and track invoices to their customers. It forms the backbone of healthy cash management and plays a crucial role in your financial administration. With a well-organized invoicing program, you can not only manage your sales invoices but also track and pay supplier invoices.

Some solutions even allow you to create an invoice for free, including a payment link and customized layout.

The goal of smooth invoicing is:

• Getting paid faster by customers thanks to timely and clear invoices;
• Complying with legal requirements, including mandatory mentions on each invoice;
• Simplifying your accounting, especially when linked to an accounting program for freelancers;
• Avoiding errors and duplicate entries by creating and sending digital invoices;
• Preventing late payment penalties on supplier invoices;
• Strengthening your business relationships through professional and timely communication.

In short, good invoicing provides peace of mind and order in your numbers. With Qonto’s integrated invoicing program, you automate the entire process and keep everything organized, without the hassle of spreadsheets or separate tools.

Invoicing is a crucial and complex task for every company. Therefore, it's important to set up a clear and efficient process. Below are our practical tips to elevate your invoice management and general invoicing.

Set up efficient invoicing

A good invoicing workflow usually follows this scheme:

• Issuance and approval of a quote;
  
• Delivery of a product or service;
  
• Creating an invoice and sending it to the customer;
  
• Receiving payment, preferably as soon as possible.
  

With a clear process, you won't waste time and increase the chance of getting paid faster. Do you still have an unpaid invoice?

Thanks to Qonto, you can see at a glance which invoices are overdue and send your customer a reminder directly – all without leaving your Qonto interface.

Choose a smart invoicing program

It's essential to use an invoicing program that grows with your business.

Qonto offers an all-in-one solution that allows you to easily create, send, and track invoices – without having to switch between multiple tools. You can even create an invoice for free via our tool, including a professional layout and payment links.

Moreover, Qonto integrates seamlessly with your accounting program for freelancers, ensuring your invoicing is automatically synchronized with your accounting.

With real-time insight into your income and expenses, you make smarter decisions, faster. Your cash management is in good hands!

Delegate your invoicing without losing control

As an entrepreneur, you want to focus on growth, not on manually managing invoices. That's why Qonto lets you assign roles to your team members and better manage your team expenses.

This way, they can:

• Create and send invoices themselves;
  
• Prepare supplier payments;
  
• Send reminders for outstanding invoices.
  

You always retain oversight and control, while your team works more efficiently within a clear structure.

Why choosing online invoicing is better than working with Excel

Opting for a professional invoicing program instead of a simple Excel file is essential to improve your online invoicing and save time. Where spreadsheets quickly become messy and error-prone, modern invoicing software like Qonto's offers a smart, secure, and time-saving solution.

Working with Excel often means:

• Manually creating your invoice using templates that you must maintain;
• Risking forgetting mandatory mentions on your invoices;
• Losing time converting quotes into a final invoice;
• Manually checking date and invoice numbering;
• Exporting each invoice separately to your accounting program for freelancers;
• Manually tracking payments by comparing bank movements with your invoices.

With Qonto's integrated invoicing program, you solve all this at once.

All-in-one invoicing software, directly linked to your business account

With Qonto’s user-friendly solution, you can:

• Convert quotes into an invoice with one click;
• Create invoices super fast and add a payment link to get paid faster;
• Automatically remind clients of an unpaid invoice;
• Send your invoices and automatically link them to your accounting software;
• Create an invoice for free, ideal for freelancers or starters.

Additionally, Qonto makes managing supplier invoices a breeze. Thanks to OCR technology, you can scan your incoming invoices, automatically fill in payment details, and prepare your payment with one click. Everything is clearly displayed in an intuitive dashboard, so you always have visibility on your financial deadlines.

Ready to simplify your invoicing?

With Qonto, manage your entire invoicing, from creating an invoice to tracking, without hassle. Professional, organized, and fast – exactly what you need as a freelancer or entrepreneur.

Creating an invoice is essential for every entrepreneur in the Netherlands. Not only to get paid by sending invoices to your customers but also to meet the requirements of the Tax Authorities. A correct and clear invoice creation prevents errors, speeds up payments, and builds trust with your customers.

What must be included on an invoice?

Dutch law sets certain requirements for the content of an invoice. Each invoice must at least contain the following information:

• The full name and address of your company and your customer
• Your VAT number and Chamber of Commerce number
• A unique, sequential invoice number
• The invoice date
• The date of delivery or service
• A clear description of the goods or services provided
• The amount excluding VAT, the applied VAT rate, and the VAT amount
• The total amount including VAT

For deliveries abroad or within the EU, additional rules apply.

How to easily and quickly create an invoice?

With a good invoicing program like Qonto's, you can easily and professionally create invoices without hassle. In a few clicks:

• Create an invoice for free
• Send the invoice directly to your customer with an attached payment link
• Track the status of your invoices in real time
• Automatically link to your accounting program for freelancers
• Set reminders for overdue payments
• Convert quotes into an invoice with one click

This way, you save time and reduce errors in your administration.

As an entrepreneur, you encounter both quotes and invoices in your daily administration. They may seem similar, but each serves a very different purpose in your online invoicing.

What is a quote?

A quote is a non-binding proposal you create for your customer. It specifies the services or products you offer, at what price, and under what conditions. Only after approval by the customer does the quote become binding.

Key features of a quote:

• Not mandatory unless explicitly accepted
• Contains a description of the products/services and the associated price
• Usually sent before a project starts
• Forms the basis for the final invoice

With Qonto, you can easily create a quote that you can later convert into an online invoice with one click, without duplicate entries or errors.

What is an invoice?

An invoice is an official document requesting payment from your customer for delivered services or products. Unlike a quote, an invoice is legally and fiscally required.

Creating a correct invoice means complying with the legal requirements of the Tax Authorities. Think of a unique invoice number, VAT mention, and customer details. Every entrepreneur, including freelancers, must create correct invoices and keep them well for accounting purposes.

The main differences between a quote and an invoice:

A quote:

• The purpose of a quote is to get an agreement
  
• Proposal, not yet binding
  
• Created before delivery
  
• No fixed legal requirements
  

An invoice:

• The purpose of an invoice is to receive payment
  
• Legal payment request
  
• Sent after delivery
  
• Must comply with tax rules
  

How to efficiently manage quotes and invoices?

With Qonto’s all-in-one invoicing program, you manage both quotes and invoices from one clear dashboard. You can:

• Convert quotes into invoices with one click
  
• Create an invoice for free if you are a starter or freelancer
  
• Send an invoice with a payment link to get paid faster
  
• Automatically link your invoices to your accounting program for freelancers

This way, you save time, prevent errors, and maintain control over your entire invoicing process.

There is no fixed legal term within which you must send an invoice, but in practice, online invoicing is done as soon as possible after delivering a product or service. For the VAT administration, it is usually required to invoice by the 15th day of the month following the service. Quick invoicing also helps to keep your cash flow healthy and receive payments faster.

In the Netherlands, there are different VAT rates important for correct invoicing:

1. 9% VAT: includes food, books, medicines, hairdressing services, and certain cultural activities.
2. 21% VAT: the standard rate for most products and services, such as consultancy, marketing, or software.

A clear VAT mention on your invoice is mandatory within online invoicing and prevents errors.

Yes, in most B2B situations, an entrepreneur is required to issue an invoice. Invoices are essential for the VAT administration and serve as legal proof of the transaction. When selling to individuals, an invoice is not always mandatory, but it is recommended for transparent online invoicing and good administration.

In principle, no. Invoicing is linked to entrepreneurship and VAT rules. As a private individual, you can create a payment receipt or receipt, but not an official VAT invoice without business status. Once you regularly sell services or products, it may be interesting to start a business and use professional online invoicing software.

Peppol invoicing is a standardized way to securely and automatically exchange electronic invoices between businesses and governments via the Peppol network. It ensures faster processing, fewer errors, and more efficient digital invoicing. More and more organizations are switching to this system to automate their online invoicing processes.

No, digital invoicing is not generally mandatory for all entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. You can still send paper invoices as long as they meet the legal invoice requirements (such as invoice number, VAT number, invoice date, and VAT amount).

In some situations, digital invoicing is mandatory, for example, when invoicing government agencies via e-procurement. For most freelancers and SMEs, however, it is a choice. More and more entrepreneurs are opting for digital invoices because they are processed faster, easier to store, and better suited to administration.

There is no single program that is best for everyone — it depends on your company size, needs, and budget.

In the Netherlands, Moneybird and e-Boekhouden.nl are often chosen by freelancers and SMEs. Moneybird is known for its user-friendly interface and clear invoicing. e-Boekhouden.nl offers extensive accounting functions in addition to invoicing and is popular among starters.

The best program is ultimately the package that fits your administration, desired automations, and integrations and way of working. Many providers offer a trial period, so you can test what works best for you.