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How do I invoice half of a project upfront before I start?

Issue a separate invoice with a single line that says what it is, such as 'Advance payment, 50% of website project per quote Q-2026-021', at half the agreed net price, and add tax if you charge it. The second half follows later on its own invoice with a new number.

Published · 2 min read

Why one invoice per payment

Each invoice asks for a specific amount by a specific date. If you issue the whole project now and write 'please pay half' in the notes, the client's accounts team sees a 13,800 invoice that is due in full, which throws off their payment run. Two clean invoices are easier for everyone: the first is paid before work begins, the second on delivery.

Example: a 12,000 SAR website

A freelance developer agreed a website with a perfume store at 12,000 SAR before tax, half upfront and half at launch, and typed 15 in the rate field for his own situation.

  1. In the Basic invoice generator type a new invoice number, such as INV-2026-0031, and today's date.
  2. Add one line: 'Advance payment, 50% of website design and build, per quote Q-2026-021', quantity 1, price 6000.
  3. Type 15 as the tax rate if it applies to you.
  4. Set a near due date, and write in the payment details that work starts once the payment arrives.
Worked example

Subtotal: 6,000.00 SAR

Tax (15%): 900.00 SAR

Total: 6,900.00 SAR

At launch you issue a second invoice with a different number, a line reading 'Final payment, 50% of the same project' and the same 6000 price, which again totals 6,900.00. Together the two invoices add up to the full project value with its tax.

Tie both invoices to the quote

Quoting the quote number in the line description is what keeps both invoices understandable months later. If there is no written quote yet, create one with the Quotation generator and get the client to approve it, then raise the advance invoice with reference to it.

Projects do not always split in half. It might be 30%, then 40%, then 30%, and the method is the same: one invoice per stage, with a line naming the percentage, the stage and the quote number.

What the tool does not do here

  • It does not link the two invoices or remember the first, so keep a copy of each PDF.
  • It does not generate numbers, so choose the next one yourself and log it.
  • It cannot tell you when tax falls due on advance payments; that is for your accountant or the tax authority.