You finished the job three weeks ago and you still haven't been paid because you forgot to send the invoice. Again. Here's how to set up automatic invoicing so bills go out the moment work is done, and payment reminders chase the money for you.
| Tool | What It Does | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wave | Free invoicing and accounting platform | Free (invoicing) / 2.9% per card payment | Sign up → |
| Zapier | Connects Wave to your calendar or project tool to auto-trigger invoices | Free (100 tasks/mo) or $19.99/mo | Sign up → |
What to do: Go to Wave and create a free account. Add your business info, logo, and payment details. Set up your bank connection if you want to accept online payments.
Why you’re doing it: Wave handles invoicing, payment processing, and basic accounting for free. It’s purpose-built for freelancers and small service businesses.
What to expect: Setup takes about 20 minutes. You’ll enter your business details, customize your invoice template, and optionally connect a bank account for online payments.
Common mistakes: Skipping the payment setup. If you only send invoices without an online payment option, you’re making it harder for people to pay you. Enable credit card and bank payments — the processing fee (2.9%) is worth getting paid faster.
What to do: In Wave, go to Sales → Invoices → Customize. Add your logo, set your payment terms (Net 15 or Net 30), and write a default thank-you note. Set your default tax rate if applicable.
Why you’re doing it: Professional-looking invoices get paid faster. Consistent branding builds trust. Default payment terms mean you don’t have to set them every time.
What to expect: 10 minutes of customization. Once it’s set, every invoice you send uses these defaults.
Common mistakes: Setting payment terms to Net 30 when you want to be paid sooner. Net 15 is standard for most service businesses. You can also offer a small discount for early payment (e.g., 2% off if paid within 7 days).
What to do: Go to Sales → Invoices → Create Invoice. Add your customer’s info, line items (what you did and how much it costs), and review. Click Send.
Why you’re doing it: This is your baseline — making sure the manual process works before you automate it.
What to expect: Your customer gets a professional email with a PDF invoice and a button to pay online. You can track whether they’ve viewed it.
Common mistakes: Vague line items. “Services rendered: $500” is bad. “Kitchen faucet replacement — parts and labor, 2 hours: $500” is good. Specificity reduces payment disputes.
What to do: In Wave, go to Settings → Invoice Reminders. Enable automatic reminders and set your schedule. Typical setup: reminder 3 days before due, on the due date, and 7 days after.
Why you’re doing it: This is the money step. Most late payments aren’t intentional — people just forget. Automatic reminders mean you never have to send an awkward “hey, you owe me” email again. Wave does it for you.
What to expect: Set it once and forget it. Every unpaid invoice gets polite, professional reminders on your schedule. No more chasing payments manually.
Common mistakes: Setting reminders too aggressive (daily) or too soft (one reminder 30 days late). Three reminders — before, on, and after the due date — is the sweet spot.
What to do: For clients you bill regularly (monthly retainers, recurring services), set up recurring invoices in Wave. Go to Sales → Recurring Invoices → Create. Set the frequency, start date, and amount.
Why you’re doing it: If you bill the same client the same amount every month, there’s zero reason to create that invoice manually each time.
What to expect: The invoice goes out automatically on your set date. The client gets billed without you lifting a finger.
What to do: If you want invoices to send automatically when a job is completed, go to Zapier and create a “Zap.” Example: “When a Google Calendar event ends → Create and send a Wave invoice.” Or: “When a Trello card moves to Done → Create a Wave invoice.”
Why you’re doing it: This is full automation. You finish a job, the invoice sends itself. No manual step at all.
What to expect: Zapier’s free tier handles 100 tasks per month, which covers most small businesses. Setup takes about 30 minutes if you haven’t used Zapier before.
Common mistakes: Not testing the Zap with a fake invoice first. Always run a test to make sure the amount, customer info, and line items come through correctly.
This workflow is Beta — Based on Best Available Knowledge. We’ve researched Wave’s current free features and Zapier’s integration options. Wave’s free invoicing tier is well-documented and widely used. Alternatives include Square Invoices (great if you already use Square), FreshBooks (more features, paid), and Zoho Invoice (generous free tier).