Free Catering Invoice Template (Copy-Paste) + How to Use It

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The template (copy this)

Paste into Google Docs, Word, or PDF. Replace the bracketed parts.

INVOICE

[Your Catering Company Name] [Your Address] · [City, State ZIP] [Your Phone] · [your-email@domain.com]

Bill To: [Client Name / Company] · [Client Address] · [Client Email]

Invoice #: INV-2026-0001 Issue Date: [Date] Due Date: [Due Date — typically Net 15 or Net 30] Event Date: [Event Date]

Event Details

• Event Name: [e.g. Chen 40th Birthday]
• Venue: [Venue + Address]
• Service Time: [5:00 PM – 9:00 PM]
• Guest Count: [40]
• Service Type: [Plated / Buffet / Drop-off / Cocktail]

Itemized Charges

Summary

• Subtotal: $6,225.00
• Service Charge (18%): $1,120.50
• Sales Tax ([Your Rate]%): $[Amount]
• TOTAL DUE: $[Grand Total]
• Deposit Paid ([Date]): –$[Amount]
• BALANCE DUE: $[Balance]

Payment Terms

• Due by [Date]. Methods: Check, ACH, Credit Card (3% fee), Zelle
• Late payments: 1.5% monthly interest (18% APR)
• Checks payable to: [Your Legal Company Name]

What goes where, and why

Invoice number

Sequential, not random. Matters for accounting and sales tax audits. Gaps in numbering are red flags.

Due date vs event date

Different fields. "Net 15 from event date" and "due on event date" are both legitimate — pick one, be consistent.

Itemization depth

Break out food, beverage, labor, rentals, delivery separately. Sales tax rules differ by line item in most states. A single "catering: $6,225" line likely over- or under-charges tax.

Service charge vs gratuity

NOT the same thing legally.

• Service charge = revenue to company. Taxable. You can keep or distribute.
• Gratuity = for staff. Usually non-taxable to company. Must pass through to staff or it's wage theft.

Don't conflate them.

Sales tax

Catering taxable in most US states. Rates vary by city. Some states (NY, IL) have special "prepared food" rules. Look up your rate at state DOR.

Deposit line

Always show as negative line. Clients get confused if you only show balance.

Six mistakes I see on catering invoices

From reviewing ~200 invoices across CK AI customers' old tools:

1. No invoice number
2. No due date
3. Service charge labeled "gratuity" (legal risk)
4. No sales tax line (under-collecting 6-10%)
5. No payment methods listed (clients default to slowest)
6. No late-fee terms (no legal basis for interest without stating it)

When to send it

Model A — Deposit + Final

• 50% deposit on contract signing
• Final on event day, Net 15
• Use for events over $2,000

Model B — Single Invoice

• One invoice on event completion, Net 15 or Net 30
• Use for events under $2,000, repeat corporate with Net 30

Model C — Paid Up-Front

• 100% paid 7 days before event
• Use for weddings, first-time clients, events over $10K

Default to A for new clients, B for repeat corporate.

Payment processing

Square and Stripe run 2.9% + $0.30 for cards. ACH via Stripe is 0.8% capped at $5. Push clients to ACH — on a $6,000 invoice, difference is $174.

Tracking what's paid

Minimum viable:

| Invoice # | Client | Amount | Due | Sent | Paid | Days to pay |

Sort by Paid blank, nudge anything >7 days past due. Works to ~15 open invoices. Past that, real software (QuickBooks, Xero, or CK AI).

How the AI version works

Pitch incoming.

In CK AI:

1. Event finishes Saturday
2. Sunday AI drafts invoice from event + menu + staff + rentals
3. Owner reviews 2 min, clicks send
4. Branded email + pay-link (card/ACH/Apple Pay)
5. Auto-reminders at Day 7, 14, 21
6. Payment hits Stripe, reconciles automatically

Time per invoice: 18 min manual → 2 min. At 20 invoices/month, 5 hrs back. See full time study.

The template as a reusable file

Copy the markdown above into Google Doc. Save as template. Duplicate per event. You now have a working invoice system for free.

When it stops scaling — usually invoice #30-50 or first client dispute — that's the upgrade signal.