How to Invoice as a Personal Chef
How to bill weekly meal prep and one-off dinners: your service fee on one line, the groceries you bought on another, a deposit for events, and a clear due date.
A personal chef's invoice has two parts: your fee for planning, cooking and cleanup, and the cost of the groceries you bought for the client. Keeping them on separate lines shows the client what they paid you and what went to the store.
In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook (page last modified August 27, 2026) says "Chefs and head cooks oversee the daily food preparation at restaurants and other places where food is served." On licensing, it says "Some states and localities require chefs and head cooks to have a food handler’s certification." and "For more information, contact your state or local licensing board."
A sample week, with figures made up for illustration: a family books weekly meal prep at a $250.00 fee, and the chef spends $135.60 on groceries, logged in Billed as an expense. Billed's help center says "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice." That week's invoice comes to $250.00 + $135.60 = $385.60.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Set your fee and your grocery terms
Decide whether groceries are passed on at cost or built into your price, and put that in writing before the first booking.
- 2
Save your regular services
Weekly meal prep, a dinner party, a cooking lesson: Billed's invoice software page says you can "save the products and services you sell so you can pull them into an invoice instead of retyping them." Billed's help center says you can "fill this section to charge against new items and services".
- 3
Log grocery spending as you shop
Billed's expenses page says "An expense in Billed records who you paid, when, how much and which category it belongs to, with the receipt attached to the same entry."
- 4
Add the groceries to the client's invoice
Billed's help center says "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice." and "The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
- 5
Take a deposit for events
For a dinner party or a holiday booking, Billed's help center says "Add a percentage or flat amount and the due date for each installment."
- 6
Send it and collect
Billed's invoice software page says "Set a due date on each invoice so your client knows when to pay." Billed's mobile app page says "Invoices carry a pay button when Stripe or PayPal is connected, so clients can pay by card the minute they receive it."
Tips for personal chef invoicing
- Keep grocery receipts with each shop, so you can answer any question about the food line.
- Name the meals or the event on the invoice, for example five dinners for the week of March 3.
- Put any travel or equipment charge on a separate line, not in your fee.
- For regular weekly clients, send the invoice on the same weekday each time.
- Confirm each payment: Billed's invoice software page says "After a client pays, you can send them a payment receipt."
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Mixing groceries in with your fee, which hides what the food cost.
- Shopping for a client and forgetting to put the receipt total on their invoice.
- Cooking for a large event without a deposit in writing.
- Leaving the meal dates off a weekly invoice.
How this works in Billed
Grocery costs on the next invoice
Billed's help center says "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice."
Receipts kept with each expense
Billed's expenses page says "An expense in Billed records who you paid, when, how much and which category it belongs to, with the receipt attached to the same entry."
Saved services
Billed's invoice software page says you can "save the products and services you sell so you can pull them into an invoice instead of retyping them."
Event deposits
Billed's help center says "Clients can pay several installments against a single invoice."
Pay by card or PayPal
Billed's mobile app page says "Invoices carry a pay button when Stripe or PayPal is connected, so clients can pay by card the minute they receive it."
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Charge | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Planning, cooking and cleanup | Your service fee line |
| Groceries | A line from the logged expense |
| A dinner party | A deposit, then the balance |
| Travel or equipment | Its own line |
When this isn't for you
If the way you invoice clients today already works for you, there's no need to switch.