How to use Float’s invoice maker
Float’s invoice maker means only three easy steps separate you from professional-looking invoices for your business.
Enter your business and client details
Fill in your company name, contact information, and your client’s details to personalize the invoice.
Add items or services
List the products or services provided, including descriptions, quantities, and prices. The tool will automatically calculate totals for you.
Download and send
Once complete, download your professional invoice as a PDF and send it to your client via email or preferred method.
How to create an invoice
Have other needs that go beyond the Float invoice generator? Creating an invoice doesn't have to be complicated. Follow these steps to prepare a professional invoice that clearly outlines what you’re charging for and when payment is due.
Choose an invoice template or generator
Start with an invoice template or an online invoice generator. A generator makes it easier to organize your information, calculate totals, and create a consistent format for every client. You can also make your own with great options, like Canva.
Add your business and client details
Enter your business name and contact information, along with your client's name and relevant details. Assign a unique invoice number and include the invoice date and payment due date.
List your products or services
Describe the product or service you provided, including the quantity, unit price, and line total. Include any applicable discounts and add the relevant sales taxes.
Review the total and payment terms
Check your calculations and confirm that the subtotal, taxes, and total amount due are correct. Specify your accepted payment methods, payment deadline, and any applicable late-payment terms.
Download and send your invoice
Review the finished invoice for accuracy, then download it as a PDF. Send it to your client by email or your preferred method, and keep a copy for your business records.
Canadian invoice requirements
A well-prepared invoice documents a transaction, communicates payment expectations, and supports accurate bookkeeping. The information you need depends on your business, the transaction, and whether you charge GST/HST.
What information is legally required on a Canadian invoice?
No single invoice format applies to every Canadian business. However, businesses registered for GST/HST must follow the Canada Revenue Agency's rules for disclosing tax and providing the information customers need to support eligible input tax credit (ITC) claims.
As a starting point, your invoice needs to include:
- Your business name: The name under which you operate or the applicable legal business name.
- Invoice date: The date the invoice was issued.
- Description of goods or services: A clear description of what you supplied.
- Amount charged: The total amount payable for the transaction.
- Applicable sales tax: Clearly indicate the GST/HST you are charging, if you charge. The CRA dictates the rules for this.
For GST/HST invoices, documentation requirements vary by transaction amount. For example, larger purchases require additional details to support ITC claims. Check the CRA's invoice and receipt requirements to confirm which rules apply to your transaction.
Provincial sales taxes, including PST in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, have their own rules. Requirements can also vary by industry and transaction type.
What other details make an invoice easier to process?
Even when certain information isn't legally required for every transaction, adding it can help clients approve invoices, process payments, and keep their accounting records organized.
Consider including:
- A unique invoice number: Use a consistent numbering system to track invoices and identify outstanding payments.
- Client billing details: Include the client's business name and billing address, plus a purchase order number if required.
- Itemized charges: Break down products or services, quantities, rates, and line totals so clients can verify the charges.
- Payment terms: State when payment is due, such as on receipt or within 30 days.
- Payment instructions: Explain how clients can pay, including any relevant bank transfer details or other accepted methods.
- Your contact information: Give clients a way to reach you with questions about the invoice.
These details reduce back-and-forth with clients, make invoices easier to match to purchase orders and contracts, and help your business track what’s been paid versus what remains outstanding.
Canadian tax support for GST, HST and PST
Canadian businesses may need to account for GST, HST, and provincial sales taxes depending on where they operate, what they sell, and their registration obligations.
Float's free invoice generator lets you enter applicable tax information when preparing an invoice. Add your line items, enter the relevant tax rates, and review the resulting totals before downloading your invoice.
When preparing a tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive invoice, make sure the amounts clearly reflect how you're charging tax. If you collect GST/HST, make sure that your invoice includes the information required for your transaction and your customers' records.
Keep in mind: The generator helps you prepare an invoice, but it doesn't determine which taxes you collect, confirm your business can charge them or confirms any other details you need to be including in your invoices. Check the relevant CRA and provincial tax guidance if you're unsure which rates or rules apply.
How to automate business invoicing
Creating an invoice is only one part of the invoicing process. Businesses also need to track incoming invoices, approve expenses, pay suppliers, reconcile transactions, and keep accounting records up to date.
As transaction volumes grow, handling these tasks manually can create duplicate data entry, missed payment deadlines, and unnecessary administrative work. Automating your finance workflows can help reduce that workload.
Automate invoice processing with Float
Float helps Canadian businesses automate accounts payable, the process of receiving, reviewing, and paying supplier invoices. Instead of manually entering every invoice into your accounting workflow, your team can use Float to centralize invoice processing and payments.
With Float, businesses can:
- Capture invoice details: Upload or forward supplier invoices so Float can extract key information without manual entry.
- Organize and approve bills: Keep bills in one place and route them through approval workflows before payment.
- Schedule and send payments: Manage supplier payments through Float, including supported CAD and USD payment methods.
- Sync with accounting software: Connect supported accounting systems, including QuickBooks Online, Xero, and NetSuite, to help keep bill and payment records aligned.
Reduce manual reconciliation
Matching invoices, payments, and accounting records can take time when information is spread across multiple systems. Float's accounting integrations streamline the flow of bill and payment information, reduce repetitive work and make it easier to keep financial records organized.
Bring more of your finance workflow into one platform
Float combines business spending tools with accounts payable workflows, helping teams manage supplier bills alongside corporate cards, employee expenses, and reimbursements.
For growing businesses, bringing these processes together reduces tool-switching, giving teams back more time, and creates a clearer view of spending.
Ready to spend less time on manual finance work? Explore Float's accounts payable automation to see how your business can simplify invoice processing and payments.
Note: Float's accounts payable automation focuses on supplier invoices and outgoing payments. The free invoice generator above is for creating invoices to bill your own customers.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Once you've completed your invoice using Float's free invoice generator, you can download it as a PDF. A PDF preserves the invoice's layout, making it easy to email to clients, print, and save for your records.
Yes. Download your completed invoice as a PDF and print it using your computer's or device's print settings. Before printing, review the invoice to make sure all business details, line items, tax amounts, and payment instructions are correct.
Yes. Float's online invoice generator is free to use, with no fees to create and download an invoice. You can customize your invoice with your business and client details, enter your charges and applicable taxes, and download the finished document without paying for an invoicing subscription.
An invoice records a sale of goods or services and tells a customer how much they owe. It typically includes the seller's details, an itemized description of the work or products provided, the total amount due, and payment terms. Invoices also help businesses track revenue, monitor outstanding payments, and maintain accounting records.
Use a unique, consistent numbering system for each invoice. You might use sequential numbers, such as 001, 002, and 003, or include the year or a client identifier, such as 2026-001. The important thing is to make invoices easy to identify and track. A clear numbering system helps you spot missing invoices and match payments to the correct transactions.
Common payment terms include "Due on receipt," "Net 15," and "Net 30," which specify when payment is expected. You can also include a specific due date, accepted payment methods, and any applicable late-payment fees or early-payment discounts. Clear terms set expectations and reduce confusion about when clients need to pay.
Yes. You can send invoices electronically by email or through an invoicing platform. PDF invoices are a common way to send invoices because they're easy to share and set a standard format. Keep a copy of each invoice and record its payment status so you can follow up on outstanding balances.
Start by sending a polite reminder that references the invoice number, original due date, and outstanding balance. Check whether the client needs additional documentation or has questions about the charges. If they still don’t pay, follow up directly and refer to your agreed payment terms when deciding on next steps.
Not necessarily. Registering and collecting GST/HST depends on your business: the nature of your services and how much you are maing annually. The general rule is that you should be charging GST/HST once you cross a certain threshold. For Canadian businesses, this is typically $30,000. If you're registered and making over this amount, you should be registering your business with the CRA and charging GST/HST on invoices. Visit the CRA's GST/HST website for more information.
The Float invoice generator is an easy-to use tool that will give you professional looking invoices. If you want to make them yourself, use a clean, consistent layout with your business name, contact information, and logo (if you have one). Organize line items so clients can easily understand what they're paying for, separate applicable taxes from the subtotal, and make the total amount due and payment deadline easy to find. Before sending, double-check the client's details and calculations.
The CRA generally requires businesses to keep relevant records for six years from the end of the last tax year to which they relate, although exceptions may apply. Keep your invoices organized so you can retrieve them when preparing tax returns, reviewing transactions, or responding to an audit. See the CRA's record-keeping guidance for details.
Make expense management easier with Float
Creating customer invoices helps you get paid. Managing the other side of your finances, from supplier bills to employee expenses, is just as important.
Float helps Canadian businesses streamline accounts payable, manage corporate card spending, and automate expense workflows in one platform. Spend less time on manual administration and more time running your business.
Explore Float to see how automated finance workflows can support your growing business.
- Skip the personal guarantee: Several business cards in Canada offer ways to separate business debt from your personal assets, though eligibility and terms vary.
- Choose between prepaid and unsecured credit: Pre-funded cards let you spend your own cash, while options like Float Charge provide unsecured credit without a personal guarantee.
- Compare coverage, limits, and fees: Check personal credit requirements, provincial availability, multi-currency support, and repayment terms to find the right fit for your business.
Make expense management even easier
Streamline your business spending with automation tools built right into Float.