How to Invoice as a Tutor
Tutoring billing, step by step: settle your rate and cancellation terms first, set up whoever pays as the client, list each session by date, add materials you bought, and chase anything still unpaid.
A tutoring invoice goes to whoever pays, which isn't always the student: it can be a parent, a school or an employer. This guide walks through billing them in order, from the terms you set before the first session to the follow-up after the invoice goes out.
Billed's tutoring industry page goes further, for example two children on one invoice; the teaching invoice template and the tutor invoice generator give you a layout.
Worked example, with sample figures: an adult student preparing for an exam has 6 sessions of 1.5 hours at 70.00 an hour in March, listed as six dated lines from a saved service, 630.00, on one end-of-month invoice. You also bought a practice book for 24.00 and recorded it as the student's expense, so it's added to that invoice: 654.00 in all.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Send your rate and terms first
Put your rate, billing cycle and cancellation notice in a quote before the first session. Billed's estimating page says: "Add comments and important notes in your estimates for your client."
- 2
Set up whoever pays as the client
Add the parent, school or employer as the client, and name the student on each line. Billed's client management page says: "Each client profile in Billed includes a complete history of invoices, estimates, and payments."
- 3
Save each kind of session
Billed's features page says you can "Save products and services in Billed App and pull these products quickly in your invoices."
- 4
List every session by date
Billed's help center says: "Click 'Add a Line Item' and fill this section to charge against new items and services." Each line should show when the session was, who it was for and what was covered.
- 5
Pick a billing rhythm
Bill after each session, or once a month for all of them. For a fixed weekly slot at the same monthly price, 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."
- 6
Add materials you bought
Record books or test fees as the student's expenses. 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."
- 7
Follow up on unpaid invoices
Billed's help center says: "Turn on the 'Payment Reminders' option while creating or editing an invoice." It also says "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date."
Tips for tutor invoicing
- Name the student on each line when one parent pays for more than one child.
- If you give a returning family a lower price, Billed's invoice software page says: "Give a client a discount on an invoice, or create coupons."
- After a parent pays, Billed's invoice software page says "After a client pays, you can send them a payment receipt."
- Check the rules where you work on tutoring licenses or background checks, and talk to an accountant about how your tutoring income is taxed.
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Sessions billed with no dates, so the parent can't check them
- A cancellation fee charged without written terms
- Invoices addressed to the student instead of whoever pays
- Several months of sessions billed all at once
How this works in Billed
Saved session types
Save the session types you teach, priced once, and reuse them on every invoice.
One line per session
List each session on a line of its own, with the date and subject.
Client history
See a family's invoices, estimates and payments on its client profile.
Recurring invoices
A family with the same monthly fee gets a recurring profile that keeps sending until you stop.
Card, PayPal, cash and checks
Parents pay by card or PayPal from a button on the invoice, and cash or checks are logged as offline payments.
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
| Situation | How to bill it |
|---|---|
| Sessions that vary each month | One dated line per session, invoiced monthly |
| Same weekly slot, same price | Recurring invoice |
| Books you bought | Expense added to the next invoice |
| Late cancellation | Only if your terms say so |
When this isn't for you
If the way you bill tutoring families today already works for you, there's no need to switch.