The Catering Invoice Template

By Rob Bruni, founder of OpsEdge Hospitality, twenty years running restaurants, bars, clubs and resorts. Updated November 2026.

A catering invoice is the last document in an event and the one that decides whether you get paid in full and on time. A good one matches the contract and the banquet event order line for line, shows the deposit already paid, and leaves the client nothing to argue about. This guide gives you a catering invoice template you can copy or print, a filled in example with the math, and the payment terms that keep cash coming in before the event instead of weeks after it.

What a catering invoice has to do

• Match what was agreed. Same menu, same counts and same prices as the contract and the final BEO.
• Show the math. Quantity, unit price and line total for every charge.
• Separate food, beverage, labor, rentals and fees. Clients question a single lump sum.
• Credit what has been paid and state exactly what is due and when.
• Make paying easy. Say how to pay and who to call.

What goes on a catering invoice

A filled in catering invoice

A buffet dinner for 80 guests with a bar package, staff and rentals. The client paid a $3,000 deposit when they signed.

In this example the service charge is applied to food and beverage only, and tax is applied to everything including the service charge. That is one common setup, not a rule. What is taxable depends on your state, which is covered below.

A catering invoice template you can copy

Copy it into Word, Google Docs or a spreadsheet, or print it blank. Add your logo and keep the invoice numbers in sequence.

Copy the invoice Print a blank invoice

Service charge, gratuity and tax

These three lines cause more client disputes and more trouble with tax agencies than everything else on the invoice.

• A service charge is not a tip. Under federal rules, a mandatory charge added by the business is revenue of the business, not a gratuity. If you pay any of it to staff, it is treated as wages. Say on the invoice and in the contract what the charge is and whether any of it goes to the team. Some states require this disclosure.
• A gratuity is voluntary. If the client chooses to add one, it belongs to the staff. Show it on its own line, after the total.
• Sales tax rules differ by state. Many states tax mandatory service charges, and states differ on whether staffing, rentals and delivery are taxable when billed with food. Do not copy another caterer's invoice. Ask your accountant or your state revenue department and set the invoice up once, correctly.
• Tax exempt clients such as some nonprofits, schools and government bodies must give you their exemption certificate. Keep a copy with the invoice.

The tip pooling and labor law guide explains the service charge rules in more detail.

Deposits and payment terms

Caterers buy the food and schedule the staff before the event. Your terms should mean the client has paid for both before you do.

For how to set the prices that go on the invoice, use the catering pricing calculator and the private events and catering pricing guide.

When to send what

1. Proposal or estimate when the client asks for a price.
2. Contract and deposit invoice when they say yes. The date is not held until both come back.
3. BEO for the client to approve two to three weeks out.
4. Final invoice when the guest count is guaranteed, showing the deposit and the balance due before the event.
5. Adjustment invoice within two business days after the event, only if there were approved additions.
6. Receipt and thank you when the balance clears, with a request for a review or a referral.

Five invoicing mistakes

1. Billing after the event. Once the party is over, your invoice is the client's lowest priority.
2. An invoice that does not match the contract. Any difference needs a signed change, or it becomes a dispute.
3. One lump sum. Itemize, so questions are about one line and not the whole bill.
4. Calling a service charge a gratuity. The words have different legal and tax meanings.
5. No follow up. Send a reminder three days before the due date and call on the day after it.

This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Sales tax and service charge rules vary by state.

FAQ

What should a catering invoice include?

Your business details, an invoice number and dates, the client and event details, itemized food, beverage, staffing, rentals and fees with quantity and rate, the service charge, sales tax, deposits already paid, the balance due, the due date and how to pay.

When should a caterer send the invoice?

Send a deposit invoice with the contract, then the final invoice when the guest count is guaranteed, usually 7 to 10 days before the event, with the balance due before the event. Send an adjustment invoice within two business days only if there were approved additions.

How much deposit should a caterer ask for?

Commonly 25 to 50 percent of the estimate, due with the signed contract to hold the date, with the balance due before the event.

Is a catering service charge the same as a tip?

No. A mandatory service charge is revenue of the business under federal rules, and any part paid to staff is wages. A gratuity is a voluntary payment by the client that belongs to the staff. State what your service charge is on the invoice.

Do caterers charge sales tax on service charges and labor?

It depends on the state. Many states tax mandatory service charges, and states differ on staffing, rentals and delivery. Check with your accountant or your state revenue department.

How do you number catering invoices?

Use one unbroken sequence, such as the year followed by a running number (2026-0142). Never reuse or skip a number, and reference the contract or BEO number on each invoice.