Revising or voiding an invoice

Wrong rate, wrong client name, work cancelled, or a duplicate sent by mistake. Fixing an invoice is mostly about not breaking the paper trail. Reusing the same number for a different total is how both sides lose the plot. Pick one path: replace an unpaid invoice, void a cancelled one, or credit money that already moved.

First: was it unpaid?

If the client has not paid and has not booked the invoice into their system yet, the cleanest fix is often a replacement PDF with a new invoice number, plus a short note that invoice 1042 replaces 1041 and 1041 should be ignored. Ask them to confirm they will discard the old file.

If they already entered the old number in their accounts tool, do not pretend it never existed. Issue a credit or a void notice that references the original number, then send a new invoice for the correct amount.

Never recycle the number

Invoice numbers should stay unique. When you correct a document, keep the old number in your records as voided or superseded, and move forward with the next number in your sequence. Details on schemes are in invoice numbering systems.

Small edit vs full replacement

• Typo in an address or note, amount unchanged. Many freelancers send a revised PDF with the same number and “Revised - address only” in the notes, after checking the client has not paid yet. Some accountants hate that. When in doubt, new number.
• Amount, tax, or line items changed. New invoice number. State what changed in the notes or in the email.
• Wrong client entity. New invoice. The old one should be marked void so it cannot be paid by accident.
• Duplicate sent by mistake. Void the duplicate in writing. Keep the intended invoice live. Do not ask the client to “ignore one of them” without naming the numbers.

How to void an invoice

Voiding means the invoice is cancelled and should not be paid. You still keep a record of it.

1. Mark it void in your own spreadsheet or folder name.
2. Email the client: invoice number, issue date, and a clear line that it is void and should not be paid.
3. If a replacement is coming, say so and include the new number when you have it.
4. Do not delete every copy unless your accountant told you that is fine where you file. Keeping the voided PDF is usually safer.

Credits when something was already paid

If money already moved and you owe some of it back, or you need to reduce a later bill, you typically issue a credit note (sometimes called a credit memo). That document references the original invoice, shows the amount credited, and gets its own number.

• Full refund. Credit the paid amount, then refund by the same method when you can, or apply the credit to a future invoice only if the client agrees in writing.
• Partial credit. Credit the overbilled slice. Leave the rest of the original invoice as paid for the correct portion, or issue a clean replacement and credit the whole original if their AP system needs it that way.
• Wrong invoice paid. Credit or void the wrong number, confirm the payment against the correct invoice, and send a one-line reconciliation email so both ledgers match.

Rules for credit notes vary by country, especially when tax was charged. Treat this as process guidance, not tax advice. Ask your accountant how credits must look where you work.

Worked example

You sent invoice 1041 for $2,800. The client has not paid. The optional illustration round is cancelled, so the correct total is $2,400.

1. Mark 1041 as superseded in your records.
2. Create invoice 1042 for $2,400 with a notes line: “Replaces invoice 1041; illustration round removed.”
3. Email both the void instruction and the new PDF in one message.
4. If they had already entered 1041, add that 1041 is void and must not be paid.

If 1041 was already paid in full, do not invent a $400 “balance due” the other way. Issue a $400 credit that references 1041, then refund or apply it as agreed.

Email wording that stays clear

Something short like:

Please void invoice 1041 dated 3 September (project homepage redesign). A corrected invoice 1042 is attached. The total is $2,400 instead of $2,800 because the optional illustration round was removed. Sorry for the extra file.

Attach only the current PDF. If you must resend the voided one for their records, label the filename clearly (for example INV-1041-VOID.pdf).

Keep your own records readable

• Folder or filename tags such as VOID, SUPERSEDED, or CREDIT.
• A one-line log: old number, new number, date, and why it changed.
• The email you sent the client, saved with the PDFs.

Six months later you will not remember which PDF was live. The log will. Self-employed filing habits are covered in self-employed invoicing basics.

What not to do

• Edit the old PDF in silence and hope nobody notices the total.
• Send five versions with the same number.
• Ask the client to “just pay the difference” with no document for the difference.
• Leave a voided invoice sitting in their payables queue with no message.
• Chase an overdue balance on an invoice you already told them to ignore. Fix the document first, then follow up on the live one.

For follow-ups on money that is simply late rather than wrong, use overdue invoice email wording. If the client is disputing scope or quality, pause collection and use disputed invoices. To rebuild a clean PDF after a mess, open the invoice generator and start from the correct figures. Duplicate as new copies the invoice you have open into a new draft with the next number and fresh dates. This site stays free and ad-supported; there is no paywall on the download.