Choosing payment methods to list on invoices
Which payment options to put on the PDF, how many is enough, and how to write bank, card, and wallet details so clients can pay without a follow-up email.
By Tiny Utility Lab, the team behind FreeInvoicePDF. Updated .
Payment terms say when the money is due. Payment methods say how the client can send it. Mixing those up, or listing six options with half the details missing, creates the follow-up email you were trying to avoid. Put a short, accurate list on every invoice, and keep the same details in your notes template so you are not retyping account numbers each time.
Terms vs methods
- Terms are Net 15, Net 30, due on receipt, deposits, and late fee language. Covered in payment terms explained.
- Methods are bank transfer, card link, cheque, wallet, or whatever you actually accept. They belong in the payment details or notes area, not buried inside a line item description.
How many methods to list
Two is usually enough. One primary method you prefer, plus one backup the client’s finance team is likely to use. More than three rarely helps. A long menu looks flexible and still produces “which account do we use?” replies when the details are incomplete.
- B2B clients: bank transfer first. Many companies will not pay a personal card link from a shared AP queue.
- Smaller clients or consumers: a card or wallet link can speed things up, if fees are acceptable to you.
- International work: say the currency you want, and whether the client covers transfer fees. Guessing here causes short payments.
What to write for each method
| Method | Include |
|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Account name, bank name, account number or IBAN, routing or sort code, SWIFT/BIC if cross-border, currency |
| Card or hosted invoice link | Full URL, who the payee name will show as, any fee note |
| Cheque | Payee name exactly as it must be written, mailing address |
| Wallet or app | Handle or phone, and that it must match the invoice total |
Put the invoice number in the transfer reference when your bank shows it. Ask the client to do the same. Matching payments is much easier when both sides use INV-2204 instead of “website”.
Domestic bank vs international wire
Domestic transfers and cross-border wires are not the same instruction block. If you only paste a local account number, an overseas client may send a wire that bounces or arrives short after intermediary fees.
- Same country. Account name, bank, local routing, and account number are usually enough. Say the currency.
- Cross-border. Add IBAN and SWIFT/BIC (or your country’s equivalents), the beneficiary address if your bank requires it, and whether the client should choose OUR, SHA, or BEN for fee sharing if that choice exists in their bank UI.
- Short payments. If intermediary banks take a cut, say “please send the full invoice total; sender covers transfer fees” in the notes. Otherwise you will chase $27 forever.
Example notes block
Something like this is enough for most PDFs:
“Payment due by 13 October 2026 (Net 30). Preferred: bank transfer to Your Name / Your Bank, IBAN GB00 XXXX ..., BIC XXXXGB2L, reference INV-2204. Alternative: pay by card at https://example.com/pay/inv-2204 (card fee included in total).”
Swap in real details. Do not leave placeholder text on a live invoice. If a link expires, you will chase a payment that cannot complete.
Fees, deposits, and partials
- If card fees come out of your pocket, decide whether the invoice total already covers them or whether bank transfer is cheaper for both of you. Say it once in the notes.
- Deposit invoices should list the same methods you will accept for the balance later. How to invoice a deposit covers the two-document pattern.
- When a client pays part by one method and the rest by another, record both references. Partial payments and balances shows how to present the open amount.
When the client wants a different method
Large companies often insist on their portal, their ACH pull, or a PO match before any transfer. That is fine if you still control the destination account and you get a remittance advice you can match.
- If they must pay through a portal, put “also uploaded to your portal” in your send email and still attach the PDF.
- If they want to pull funds (ACH debit), confirm the exact amount and date in writing before you share account details for a pull.
- If their method would force you onto a personal wallet you do not monitor, offer bank transfer as the professional default instead.
What not to list
- Methods you do not actually check (a dormant PayPal you ignore).
- Personal cash drop-offs for remote B2B work.
- Cryptocurrency unless both sides already agreed in the contract, with a fixed conversion rule.
- Login passwords or full card-capture forms inside the PDF. Links to a proper payment page are safer than collecting card numbers by email.
Keep methods stable
Changing bank details mid-relationship is a fraud risk signal for many clients. If you must change them, send a separate notice from a known address, put the new details on the next invoice, and expect a phone confirm from careful finance teams. That friction is healthy.
Never announce a brand-new account only inside a PDF attached to a surprise email. Attackers do that. Legitimate changes get a heads-up, a known reply-to address, and often a call.
Checklist
- Preferred method is complete enough to pay without asking you.
- Backup method is real and monitored.
- Currency and due date sit near the payment notes.
- Invoice number is the suggested payment reference.
- Cross-border details include whatever your bank needs for a wire to land in full.
Add the notes when you build the PDF in the invoice generator, or begin from the small business template. Tiny Utility Lab keeps FreeInvoicePDF free and ad-supported; downloads stay free of payments and watermarks. For when the date fields need to match the term you just wrote, see invoice date vs due date.