What goes on a client invoice?
The exact rules vary by country, but a clear, professional invoice almost always carries the same core fields. This list works as a quick check for any invoice you send:
- Your practice name and address — plus any tax or registration number that applies to you.
- The client’s name (and address, for larger invoices).
- The issue date and the date of service (for therapy, the session date).
- A unique, sequential invoice number — no gaps.
- A short description of the service (e.g. “Therapy session, 60 min”).
- The amount and currency — and any applicable tax, or a note that none applies.
This is orientation, not tax advice — your local rules and your accountant have the final word for your situation.
Numbering, records, and receipts
Give every invoice a unique number in sequence, with no gaps — it’s what keeps your books auditable. Don’t edit an invoice after you’ve issued it; if something is wrong, cancel it and issue a corrected one, and keep a copy of both. When an invoice is paid, mark it paid: the same document then serves as your client’s receipt, so you don’t have to produce a second one.
Getting paid (without chasing)
Decide how clients pay — cash, bank transfer, or card — and put it on the invoice. A card pay-link gets you paid faster and can mark the invoice paid automatically. For anything still open, a gentle reminder a week or two later usually does the job; the goal is to get paid without the relationship feeling transactional.
Invoices vs. insurance claims
This trips people up, so it’s worth being clear: a plain invoice or receipt records what your client pays you directly. It is not a superbill or an insurance claim form — it doesn’t carry diagnostic or procedure codes, provider identifiers, or plan details. If a client wants to seek reimbursement from out-of-network insurance, they typically need a superbill with that specific coding. Check what their insurer requires before you assume a standard invoice will be accepted.
Ways to invoice your clients
There’s more than one way to do this — the difference is how much you maintain by hand and how close it sits to the rest of your practice.
| Way | Sequential numbering | Tax note | Prefilled from sessions | Doubles as a receipt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet / Word template | track it yourself | type it in | no | make a separate one |
| Accounting software (e.g. QuickBooks, Wave) | automatic | generic | no | yes |
| Built into your practice software (e.g. Kaufmann Health) | automatic & locked | follows your status | from the session | paid stamp |
Snapshot, June 2026. Features and plans change — check a provider’s current documentation before you rely on it.
Common mistakes — and how to avoid them
- Gaps or duplicates in your invoice numbers.
- Missing the date of service (the session date belongs on the invoice).
- Editing an invoice after it’s been issued, instead of cancelling and reissuing.
- Forgetting how to pay — payment details or a pay link.
- Treating an invoice as an insurance claim — it isn’t one (see below).
How Kaufmann Health does it
Kaufmann Health is one option among several. Invoicing is built into the practice software: you pick a session and the invoice prefills in your name — your details, the client, the fee, a sequential locked number. You issue it, send it as a branded email, and clients can pay by card; once paid, it carries a paid stamp and becomes the receipt. Unpaid invoices get a couple of gentle reminders, then come back to you.
If your current setup works, there’s nothing to change. And if you’d like invoicing to live in the same place as your bookings and clients, you can see how invoicing works in Kaufmann Health.