Marketing consultant invoice
A marketing consultant invoice for strategy, advisory and workshops
Consulting invoices are approved by someone who was not in the room. The engineering-style detail does not help; what helps is naming the engagement the way the contract names it, stating the period, and making the deliverable obvious.
This page covers fixed-fee strategy work, monthly advisory, workshop days and the pass-through costs that come with them.
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What to put on it
- The engagement name exactly as the statement of work names it.
- The period covered, or the phase and its completion date.
- Fixed fees as single lines; advisory as a monthly line; workshops as days.
- The purchase-order or contract reference, if their finance team issued one.
- Travel and venue costs as separate pass-through lines, at cost.
- Payment terms — Net 30 is common for corporate clients — and your bank details.
Phases beat hours for strategy work
If you sold an outcome, invoice the outcome. “Phase 2: positioning and messaging framework, delivered 12 Sep” reads as completed work. “62 hours of marketing consultancy” invites someone to ask what the hours were for, and that question costs you two weeks.
Keep hourly billing for genuinely open-ended advisory, and even then group it: “Advisory calls and review, September, 8 h”.
Workshops and travel
A workshop day is usually priced as a day, with preparation either included or listed separately — say which. Travel, accommodation and venue costs go on their own lines at cost, with dates. If your contract caps expenses, invoice within the cap and note it; if it does not, get the spend approved by email before the invoice, not after.
Getting paid on time by a large client
Big organisations pay on a cycle, not on a date. Ask which day of the month their payment run is and invoice at least a week before it. Put the PO on the invoice; without it, accounts payable will hold the document no matter how good your work was. Our payment-terms guide sets out what Net 30 actually means in dates.
A worked example
- From
- Elena Vasquez, marketing strategy
- To
- Brightline Group
- Number
- INV-0034
- Engagement
- Positioning review, Phase 2
- PO reference
- BG-MKT-2211
- Issued
- 18 Sep 2026
- Due
- 18 Oct 2026 (Net 30)
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 2: positioning and messaging framework (delivered 12 Sep) | 1 | €6,500.00 | €6,500.00 |
| Leadership workshop, on site, 1 day | 1 | €1,800.00 | €1,800.00 |
| Rail travel and accommodation (at cost) | 1 | €312.00 | €312.00 |
- Subtotal
- €8,612.00
- VAT (21%)
- €1,743.00
- Total
- €10,355.00
Payment instructions
- Bank
- ING
- IBAN
- NL00 INGB 0000 0000 00
- Reference
- INV-0034
The expense line is set to 0% here; whether you charge tax on recharged expenses is a question for your accountant.
Questions
Fixed fee or hourly?
Fixed fee for defined phases, hourly for open advisory. Mixing both on one invoice is fine as long as each is its own line with its own basis stated.
Do I need a purchase-order number?
For most corporate clients, yes — without it the invoice sits unapproved. Ask for it before you start, and put it in the PO field so it prints near the top.
How should I invoice a retainer that rolls over?
One monthly line at the retainer price, with the month named, plus a note stating whether unused time carries forward. Do not discount the retainer for a quiet month unless the contract says so.
Can Invoira chase the payment for me?
With a free account you can record what has been paid and see what is outstanding, and send an overdue reminder by email. Nothing is sent without you turning it on.
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Your turn
Turn this example into your invoice.
The line items are already there. Change the client, work, rates and dates, then download the PDF.
Updated 2026-09-20. Invoira formats what you enter; it does not give tax or legal advice.