How to Invoice as a Caterer
A guide for catering business owners: set up your menu and fees once, take a deposit on every booking, bill regular corporate clients on a routine, and keep each client's invoices and payments together.
In its US profile of chefs and head cooks (page last modified August 27, 2026), the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes: "Chefs who run their own restaurant or catering business are often busy with kitchen and office work." This guide is about the office side: how a catering business sets up and runs its invoicing week to week. To bill one event from quote to final bill, see the guide to invoicing a catering order.
Billed's catering industry page and the catering invoice template are linked at the end.
A worked example with sample numbers: a caterer has a regular office client with a weekly lunch for 20 people at 18.50 a person. Four lunches in a month come to 4 × 20 × 18.50 = 1,480.00, billed on one invoice at the end of the month. A wedding booked for June at 7,800.00 goes on one invoice with a payment schedule: 30%, or 2,340.00, due at booking and 5,460.00 due a week before the date.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Save your menu and fees once
Billed's features page says you can "Save products and services in Billed App and pull these products quickly in your invoices." Save each menu item, package and fee, such as delivery or setup, with its price.
- 2
Set up your tax settings
Billed's invoice software page says: "Save your tax rates and settings once, and Billed calculates taxes automatically when you create invoices and estimates." Your state decides which food and service charges are taxed, so look up its rules first.
- 3
Take a deposit on every booking
Billed's help center says "A payment schedule lets you add a payment plan to the invoices." You "Choose a suitable option among percentage or flat amount" and "Fill out the payment amount and due date of each payment."
- 4
Put regular fixed fees on a schedule
For a client who pays the same amount every period, Billed's invoice software page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once. Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop." Its FAQ adds: "You can choose to send them automatically or save them as drafts to check first."
- 5
Keep each client's history together
Billed's client management page says: "Each client profile in Billed includes a complete history of invoices, estimates, and payments."
- 6
Follow up on what's due
Billed's help center says: "Turn on the 'Payment Reminders' option while creating or editing an invoice." Billed's invoice software page says "Invoice reports show which invoices are paid, partially paid or past due."
Tips for caterer invoicing
- Put your deposit and cancellation terms on every invoice. Of the notes section, the help center says: "You can also add any terms and conditions in this section."
- Reward repeat clients the same way each time; Billed's invoice software page says you can "Give a client a discount on an invoice, or create coupons."
- Use the same menu names in your quotes and on your invoices, so a client can match one to the other.
- Ask an accountant how to record deposits you take before an event.
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Holding a date with no deposit invoice behind it
- Retyping menu prices on every invoice
- Billing a regular office client job by job with no monthly routine
- Leaving balances open after events because no reminder is set
How this works in Billed
Saved menu items
Save menu items, packages and fees with their prices, and pull them into invoices.
Booking deposits
With a payment schedule, one booking invoice carries the deposit now and the balance due later.
Fixed fees on a schedule
A client who pays the same amount every period gets a recurring profile, which can send each invoice itself or hold it for you.
Client history
See each client's invoices, estimates and payments on their client profile.
Reminders and reports
Turn on payment reminders, and check invoice reports for what's still unpaid.
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Business task | In Billed |
|---|---|
| Menu prices | Saved products and services |
| Booking deposits | Payment schedule |
| Same fee every month | Recurring profile |
| Unpaid balances | Invoice reports and reminders |
When this isn't for you
If the way your catering business invoices today already works for you, there's no need to switch.