How to send one
How to invoice a client by SMS
An SMS is short. Put the total and the link in the first 160 characters and leave the line items on the invoice page.
Fit the invoice into one SMS
SMS still cuts a message around 160 characters, and a long invoice pasted into that box becomes three bubbles that arrive out of order. Write the SMS as a headline. The invoice page holds the rows. If you need a signature or a PDF, both live on that page, so the text does not have to carry them.
Invoice for the rewire visit: $425, due in 7 days. Labour, materials and call-out are listed here: https://invoicetxt.com/i/your-link
Count the first bubble
Lead with the amount and the due date. A customer who only reads the lock-screen preview should still know what you are asking.
One link, not three
Do not text a photo, a PDF and a link. One link is enough. The PDF downloads from the page.
Use the number they gave you
Texting a new number looks like spam. Reply in the thread that booked the job.
Save the wording
The next SMS changes the street and the total. The shape of the message stays.
What to put on this invoice
- Total in the first line of the SMS
- Due date in the same bubble
- One https link
- Your name, so the short code or handset is recognisable
Questions about this job
Will a link in an SMS get blocked?
Some phones warn on unknown links. Sending from the number the customer already has, and stating the amount in words, is what gets the tap.
Should I include the full address?
The street is useful if you did more than one job for them. It does not need to be the whole postal address in the SMS.
Can I send the same SMS to a group?
No. An invoice is for one customer. A group text shares their total with everyone else.
If the first SMS is clear, you will not need a second one to explain the first.
Related guides
How to send a payment link by text
The link in the text opens the invoice: who you billed, the lines and the total. That is the payment link. Do not text a card number.
Open guide →How to create an invoice without an app
You and your customer can do this in the browser. There is no store download, no tablet app and no login for the person paying.
Open guide →How to invoice from your phone in under 60 seconds
Sixty seconds is enough when the line is ready in your head: client, tasks, prices, due date. The preview does the adding.
Open guide →