Recipe
Send an invoice to a client — without a separate invoicing app
Turn any bill into a branded PDF invoice, save the client once to your address book, pick which sender profile to bill from, and share a public link that shows a Download PDF button.
Last reviewed: January 2026
You already track the work as a bill — the last thing you want is to re-key every line into a separate invoicing tool. Split The Bill's invoices feature turns a bill into a proper PDF invoice: it carries your line items, tax, issue and due dates, invoice number, a "Bill to" block pulled from a reusable client address book, and a "From" block chosen from your saved sender profiles (handy if you invoice as both a sole trader and a registered company). This guide walks through creating your first invoice, from setting up a sender profile to sharing the public link. The free plan includes 10 invoices every 30 days; Pro makes them unlimited.
Step-by-step
- 1
Create a sender profile (the "From" on the invoice)
Go to `/invoices/profile` and tap New sender profile. Fill in the details that should appear at the top of every invoice: your business or personal name, address, email, phone, and tax / VAT number if you have one.
You can save more than one profile. If you invoice as a sole trader for some clients and through a registered company for others, add both — you pick which one to bill *from* on each invoice. Set the one you use most as your default so new invoices start pre-filled.
- 2
Add the client to your address book (the "Bill to")
When you create an invoice you fill in the Bill to block. You can type it manually the first time, but choose New client… so it's saved — client name / company, email, phone, full address, and tax / VAT number.
Every client you save becomes a Saved client you can pick from a dropdown next time. No more copy-pasting the same billing address into every invoice. The address book is per-account, so all your invoices draw from the same list.
- 3
Turn a bill into an invoice
The fastest path: open the relevant bill in `/bills` and tap Create invoice from this bill. Every line item, the tax, and the total carry straight over — no re-typing.
Prefer to start clean? Go to `/invoices/new` and Create invoice from scratch: add line items, set the tax, and enter the amounts. Either way the math runs through verified code, so the invoice total always matches the bill total to the cent.
- 4
Set the invoice number, dates, and notes
On the invoice, set the Invoice number (the app suggests the next sequential one, but you can override it to match your own numbering scheme), the Issue date, and the due date.
Pick the Sender profile to bill from and confirm the Bill to client. Add any notes a client expects — payment terms, a PO reference, a "thank you" line. What you see on screen is exactly what renders in the PDF.
- 5
Download the PDF and share the public link
Tap Download PDF to get a clean, print-ready invoice you can email as an attachment. Or tap Copy link to share the public invoice page at `/invoice/<token>` — the client opens it in any browser, no account needed, and sees the same Download PDF button plus a tidy "Invoice from {your name}" / "Bill to" / "Total" layout.
The public link is the friction-free option: paste it into an email or a chat and the client can view and download without installing anything.
- 6
Track status: Draft → Sent → Paid
Each invoice carries a status. It starts as Draft while you're editing. When you send it, tap Mark sent — now it reads Sent (and counts as Outstanding until settled). When the money lands, tap Mark paid.
Invoices past their due date show as Overdue so you can see at a glance which clients to chase. Marked something paid by mistake? Mark unpaid puts it back. The status is yours to set — nothing is auto-charged.
- 7
Reuse everything for the next client
The second invoice is where the setup pays off. Your sender profile is already saved, the client is one pick from the Saved client dropdown, and turning a bill into an invoice is a single button.
Invoicing a batch? Use CSV import at `/invoices/import` to bring line items in from a spreadsheet and map the columns (including the invoice number) — useful when you already track billable work in Sheets or Excel.
Why invoice from the same app you split bills in
Most freelancers and small operators keep two tools: one to track shared or billable expenses, another to invoice. That split causes real friction.
Double entry. Every billable line you already logged as a bill has to be re-keyed into the invoicing app. Split The Bill's Create invoice from this bill copies the line items, tax, and total across in one tap — the numbers can't drift because they come from the same source.
One address book. Client details live in one place. Save a client once as a Bill to, and every future invoice picks them from a dropdown. No stale addresses copied between tools.
Multiple identities, one account. If you bill as both an individual and a company, sender profiles let you keep both "From" blocks ready and choose per invoice — without maintaining two separate accounts.
A public link, not just an attachment. Emailing a PDF is fine, but the public `/invoice/<token>` page means a client can always pull the latest copy themselves, from any device, with a Download PDF button right there.
Getting professional-looking invoices right
Fill in your tax / VAT number where it applies. Many clients (and their accountants) require the supplier's tax number on the invoice to reclaim VAT. Add it to your sender profile once and it appears on every invoice from that profile.
Keep invoice numbers sequential. The app suggests the next number, but if you're migrating from another system, override the first one to continue your existing sequence — accountants prefer an unbroken run.
Set a real due date. "Due on receipt" is fine, but a dated due date is what makes the Overdue status meaningful. It turns your invoice list into a simple accounts-receivable view.
Use notes for payment terms. Rather than assume the client knows how to pay you, put your bank details or payment terms in the notes so they render on the PDF and the public page.
When a plain settle-up link is enough instead
An invoice is the right tool when you need a formal document — for a client, an accountant, or your own records. It carries a number, dates, a Bill-to block, and a PDF.
For splitting a shared expense with friends, you usually don't need any of that. A bill with a Pay button that opens Venmo / PayPal / Revolut / a SEPA QR is faster and less formal — no invoice number, no PDF. Reach for an invoice when the other side is a *client* who expects paperwork; reach for a settle-up link when it's a *friend* who just needs to pay you back.
And if you're a landlord: the properties feature already posts rent to a ledger, but you can still issue a PDF invoice to a tenant from the same bill when they ask for one for their records.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate invoicing tool?▾
No — that's the point. You already track the work as a bill; Create invoice from this bill turns it into a PDF invoice with the line items, tax, and total carried over. One tool for splitting and invoicing.
Can I save clients so I don't re-type their address?▾
Yes. The Bill to block is backed by a reusable client address book. Save a client once (name, company, email, phone, address, tax number) and every future invoice picks them from the Saved client dropdown.
Can I invoice as more than one business?▾
Yes — that's what sender profiles are for. Add one profile for your sole-trader name and another for your registered company, then pick which one to bill From on each invoice. Set your most-used one as default.
How does the client receive the invoice?▾
Two ways: Download PDF to email as an attachment, or Copy link to share the public invoice page. The public page opens in any browser with no account needed and shows its own Download PDF button.
Can I track whether an invoice is paid?▾
Yes. Each invoice moves through Draft → Sent → Paid, with Outstanding and Overdue states so you can see which clients to follow up with. You set the status manually — nothing is auto-charged. Mark unpaid reverses a mistake.
Can I set my own invoice numbers?▾
The app suggests the next sequential number, but you can override it — useful when you're continuing a numbering scheme from another system so your sequence stays unbroken.
Does the tax on the bill carry into the invoice?▾
Yes. When you create an invoice from a bill, the line items and tax carry over, and the invoice total is computed by verified code — it always matches the bill total to the cent.
Is invoicing available on the free plan?▾
Yes — the free plan includes 10 invoices every 30 days, with the PDF, the client address book, and sender profiles. Bill splitting, recurring bills, multi-currency, and settle-up links are on the free plan too. Pro ($7/month or $70/year) makes invoices unlimited.
Free tier covers most recipes. Pro is 100 receipts every 30 days + private invite links.
