Document type · Invoices
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Invoices: What They Are, What's On Them, and How to Process Them
An invoice is a document a seller issues to a buyer to request payment for goods or services already delivered. This page covers what's on an invoice, the main invoice types, how invoices differ from purchase orders and receipts, and how DocuClipper turns invoice PDFs into accounting-ready data with 99% accuracy.
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What is an invoice?
An invoice is a commercial document a seller sends to a buyer to request payment for goods or services that have been delivered. It is dated, numbered uniquely, and records the parties, the items or services, the amount owed, applicable taxes, and the payment terms. Invoices anchor accounts receivable on the seller's side and accounts payable on the buyer's side.
Invoices are not the same as purchase orders or receipts. A purchase order is sent by the buyer before the work is done; an invoice is sent by the seller after the work is done; and a receipt is proof of payment given to the buyer after they have paid.
What's on an invoice
The standard fields a buyer's accounts payable team will look for when processing an invoice.
Vendor / Seller
Name, address, contact
Buyer / Bill-to
Name, billing address
Invoice number
Unique identifier
Invoice date
When issued
Due date
Payment deadline
PO number
Reference to purchase order
Line items
Description, quantity, unit price, line total
Subtotal
Before tax
Tax / VAT / GST
Per line or total
Discounts
If any
Total amount due
Final payable
Payment terms
Net 30, due on receipt, etc.
Types of invoices
Standard, pro-forma, recurring, credit memo, debit memo, commercial, timesheet, and past-due. Each has a distinct purpose: a pro-forma is a preliminary quote sent before delivery, a credit memo reduces a previously-issued invoice, and a commercial invoice is used in international trade for customs declarations.
See our full guide on 15 types of invoices businesses use for definitions, when to use each, and what to include on them.
How DocuClipper processes invoices
Three steps from invoice PDF to accounting-ready data.
1. Ingest
Upload PDFs, photos, or forward invoices to a DocuClipper inbox. Bulk upload, email forwarding, Google Drive watch folders, and API ingestion all supported.
2. Extract
AI reads vendor, invoice number, dates, totals, taxes, and full line items in seconds. 99% field-level accuracy. No per-vendor templates required.
3. Sync
Push the extracted invoice into QuickBooks Online or Desktop, Xero, NetSuite, SAP, Excel, CSV, or your custom system via API.
Invoice solutions in DocuClipper
Pick the page that matches your workflow.
Invoice OCR Software
Buyer page: scan invoices to QuickBooks, Xero, Excel
Invoice Processing Software
End-to-end AP workflow with approvals and matching
Invoice Automation Software
Automate invoice capture, approval, and sync
Accounts Payable Automation
Full AP workflow: extract, match, approve, sync
Invoice Approval Software
Approval routing for AP teams
Invoice to QuickBooks
Push invoices straight into QuickBooks Online
Invoice to Xero
Sync invoices to Xero with line items
Invoice to Excel
Convert PDF invoices to Excel or CSV
Used by 10,000+ accounting and finance teams
Real reviews from accountants, bookkeepers, and AP teams who automate invoice processing with DocuClipper.
“DocuClipper has helped us eliminate several manual data entry processes, saving us a lot of time.”
KR
Kristin Mitchell
Accounting, United States
“It's a complete game-changer. Instead of spending hours combing through statements, we get the data we need almost instantly.”
MA
Matt
Lending, United Kingdom
“DocuClipper allowed us to enhance our advisory services, directly impacting our bottom line.”
SA
Sarah Winship
Accounting, United Kingdom
Frequently asked questions about invoices
Definitions and process answers for accounting, AP, and AR teams.
An invoice is a commercial document a seller issues to a buyer to request payment for goods or services that have already been delivered. It records the parties involved, the items or services provided, the amount owed, applicable taxes, the payment terms, and a unique invoice number. Invoices are used for both accounting and legal record-keeping and form the basis of accounts receivable for the seller and accounts payable for the buyer.
A standard invoice includes the seller's business name and contact details, the buyer's name and billing address, a unique invoice number, the invoice date and due date, an itemized list of goods or services with quantities and unit prices, the subtotal, applicable taxes (VAT, GST, sales tax), any discounts, the total amount due, accepted payment methods, and the payment terms (for example, Net 30). Many invoices also reference a purchase order (PO) number to tie the invoice back to the original buyer request.
A PO (purchase order) number on an invoice is a reference back to the buyer's original purchase order. The buyer creates the PO before the goods or services are delivered, and the seller includes that same PO number on the invoice so the buyer's accounts payable team can match the invoice to the original commitment. PO numbers are central to 3-way matching, which compares the PO, the goods receipt, and the invoice before approving payment.
Common invoice types include the standard invoice (the default request for payment), the pro-forma invoice (a preliminary quote sent before delivery), the recurring invoice (charged at fixed intervals for subscriptions or retainers), the credit memo (issued to reduce a previous invoice), the debit memo (issued to increase a previous invoice), the commercial invoice (used in international trade for customs), the timesheet invoice (used by service providers billing hours), and the past-due invoice (a follow-up on an unpaid invoice). See our full guide on the 15 types of invoices.
A purchase order is sent by the buyer to request goods or services at an agreed price, before the work is done. An invoice is sent by the seller after the work is done, to request payment. POs commit to a purchase; invoices document what is owed. Many companies match invoices to POs before paying, to confirm the goods were ordered and delivered as agreed.
An invoice is a request for payment, sent by the seller before the buyer has paid. A receipt is proof of payment, given to the buyer after the buyer has paid. The same transaction often produces both: an invoice when the seller bills the buyer, and a receipt when the buyer settles the invoice.
Invoice OCR software uses optical character recognition (OCR) plus AI to read invoice PDFs, scans, and photos and convert them into structured data, vendor name, invoice number, dates, totals, taxes, and line items, that flows directly into QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, SAP, or Excel. DocuClipper is invoice OCR software with 99% field-level accuracy and no per-vendor templates. Try it free for 14 days.
Modern invoice processing is automated with three layers: (1) ingestion, where invoices arrive via email, scan, upload, or API; (2) extraction, where OCR and AI capture vendor, dates, totals, taxes, and line items; (3) routing, where the extracted invoice is matched to a PO, sent for approval, and posted into the accounting system as a bill. DocuClipper handles ingestion and extraction; integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and SAP cover the routing step.