Catering Invoice: What to Include, a Sample Breakdown and Templates
A catering invoice is the bill a caterer sends for food and service at an event. It breaks the total into food, often priced per guest, plus beverages, staff, rentals and delivery, then adds service charges and taxes, subtracts the deposit, and shows the balance due and the payment deadline. A clear breakdown lets the client check every line against your quote.
What a catering invoice should include
- Your business details: name, address, phone, email, logo, and your tax or permit number where required.
- Client details: name, company and billing address, plus a purchase order number for corporate clients.
- Invoice number, issue date and due date.
- Event details: event name, date and time, venue, and the final guest count.
- Food: menu items priced per guest, per tray or per dozen, with quantities.
- Beverages: per guest, per bottle, or as a bar package.
- Staff: servers, bartenders, chefs, with hours and rates.
- Rentals and equipment: chafing dishes, linens, tableware, tents.
- Delivery, setup and cleanup.
- Service charge and taxes, each on its own line.
- Deposit received and balance due.
- Terms: due date, payment methods, late fees and your cancellation policy.
Sample catering invoice with a full breakdown
Here is an invoice for a corporate lunch for 60 guests, with an 18% service charge and a deposit:
Saffron & Sage Catering
48 Market Lane, Brookfield
hello@saffronsage.example
INVOICE
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Food and beverages | |
| Mediterranean buffet lunch60 guests × $28.00 | $1,680.00 |
| Dessert platter2 × $85.00 | $170.00 |
| Coffee and tea service60 guests × $3.50 | $210.00 |
| Service and extras | |
| Service charge, 18% of food and beverages | $370.80 |
| Servers, 2 staff × 5 h10 h × $35.00 | $350.00 |
| Chafing dishes and linens1 × $120.00 | $120.00 |
| Delivery and setup1 × $75.00 | $75.00 |
- Subtotal
- $2,975.80
- Sales tax 8%
- $238.06
- Total
- $3,213.86
- Deposit received Sep 2
- -$1,000.00
- Balance due
- $2,213.86
Service charge is not a gratuity and is not paid to staff as tips. Net 14.
The catering invoice breakdown, line by line
- Per-guest pricing. Bill on the final guest count confirmed by the deadline in your contract. If more guests attend, add them as a separate line.
- Service charge vs. gratuity. A service charge is a mandatory fee; a gratuity is optional and belongs to the staff. Say on the invoice which one you are charging and what it covers. Tax can differ: in California, for example, Regulation 1603 says an optional tip is not taxable, while a mandatory payment called a tip, gratuity or service charge is part of taxable gross receipts. The same regulation says tax applies to caterers’ entire charge, including the labor of serving the meals.
- Staff and rentals go on separate lines so the client sees what the food itself costs.
- Taxes go on their own line with the rate. If some items are taxed differently, split them.
- Deposit appears as a payment, so the client sees the balance due at a glance.
Pricing models and how to show them
Your invoice should mirror the way you priced the job in the quote:
| Pricing model | How it looks on the invoice | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Per guest | “Buffet lunch, 60 guests × $28” | Weddings, corporate lunches, set menus |
| Per tray or per dozen | “Sandwich platter, 4 trays × $65” | Drop-off catering and office orders |
| Package | “Silver package: 3 courses, 4 h staff, linens” with the included items listed below | Events sold as bundles |
| Time and materials | Food at cost plus a markup, and staff hours | Custom or very large events |
If you have a minimum order, a travel fee outside your area or overtime rates for staff, write them into the quote first, then show them as separate lines on the invoice when they apply.
Common catering invoice mistakes
- Billing the estimated guest count instead of the final one, or the other way round without saying so.
- One lump sum for “catering”. Corporate finance teams often send it back and ask for a breakdown.
- Calling a service charge a gratuity. Clients may think it goes to the staff; tax rules may also treat it differently.
- Forgetting the deposit, so the client pays too much and you issue a refund.
- Missing purchase order numbers for corporate clients, which can hold up payment.
- Vague cancellation terms. State what the deposit covers and what is refundable before the event.
How to write a catering invoice
- Start from the signed quote or contract so the menu, prices and terms match.
- Update the guest count to the final number and adjust per-guest lines.
- Add extras agreed after the quote, such as an extra hour of staff or more desserts, as separate lines.
- Add the service charge and taxes as your contract and local rules require.
- Subtract the deposit and any other payments.
- Set the due date. You can ask private clients to pay the balance before the event and offer corporate clients net terms, such as net 14 or net 30.
- Send it promptly, ideally the day after the event, with a payment link.
Invoice types caterers use
- Deposit invoice: sent when the client books, to secure the date.
- Final invoice: the full breakdown after the event, minus the deposit, like the sample above.
- Consolidated invoice: one invoice per week or month for corporate clients with regular orders, listing each delivery with its date and order number.
- Credit note: to refund a cancelled order or correct an invoice without deleting it.
Clear payment terms in your contract, such as the deposit, final count deadline and cancellation rules, prevent most disputes before they start.
Getting paid on time
- Send a deposit invoice when the client books and do not order food until it is paid.
- Put the balance due date on the final invoice, and agree before the event whether the balance is due before the event or after it.
- Offer card payment and bank transfer, and put a payment link on the invoice.
- For corporate clients, ask for the accounts payable email and purchase order number at booking, not after the event.
- Send a friendly reminder a few days before the due date and again the day after.
Create your catering invoice
With Invoxa’s online invoice generator you can save your menu items and prices, group lines into sections such as Food and Service, apply taxes and discounts, request a deposit and let clients pay by card from the invoice link. If you prefer spreadsheets, download free Excel and Word files from our food and hospitality invoice templates. Hosting guests overnight as well? See our hotel invoice guide.
Frequently asked questions
What should a catering invoice include?
Your business details, the client's details, an invoice number and dates, the event date, venue and final guest count, the menu with per-guest or per-item prices, beverages, staff, rentals and delivery, service charges and taxes, the deposit already paid, the balance due and your payment terms.
What is a catering invoice breakdown?
It is the itemized part of the invoice that shows how the total was built: food priced per guest or per tray, beverages, staff hours, equipment rentals, delivery and setup, then service charges, taxes and the deposit. A clear breakdown lets the client check each line against the quote.
Is a catering service charge the same as a tip?
No. A service charge is a fee on your invoice that the client must pay. A tip or gratuity is optional. Tax rules can treat them differently; in California, for example, mandatory service charges are taxable and optional tips are not.
Can caterers send consolidated invoices to corporate clients?
Yes. For clients who order regularly, you can send one invoice per week or month that lists each event with its date, order number and amount. Agree on this in advance, because some companies need one invoice per purchase order.
How much deposit should a caterer ask for?
There is no standard amount. Set it in your contract so it at least covers food and rentals you must order in advance, and say whether it is refundable if the client cancels.
Who provides an itemized catering receipt?
The caterer does. Once the balance is paid, send the invoice marked as paid, or a receipt that lists the items, the amounts and the payment date. Corporate clients usually need it for expense reports.
