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Deposit and balance invoices for party and event hire
Reserve the gear with a deposit invoice, then invoice the balance before delivery, with the deposit taken off. Free PDFs, no sign-up.
For party hire and equipment hire businesses, from marquees, tables and chairs to lighting and sound, that take a deposit to reserve the gear and invoice the balance before delivery.
A worked example
A client hires a marquee, 10 tables and 80 chairs for a Saturday party: A$2,400 with delivery and pick-up. They pay a 25% booking deposit of A$600 to reserve the date, and the A$1,800 balance before you deliver.
1. Deposit invoice, to reserve the gear
- Booking deposit, marquee and furniture hire for Saturday1 × 600.00
- Subtotal
- AUD 600.00
- Total due
- AUD 600.00
2. Balance invoice, before delivery
- Marquee 6 x 12 m, set up and taken down1 × 1,400.00
- Trestle table10 × 18.00
- White folding chair80 × 6.50
- Delivery and pick-up1 × 300.00
- Subtotal
- AUD 2,400.00
- Total
- AUD 2,400.00
- Amount paid
- AUD 600.00
- Balance due
- AUD 1,800.00
Delivery, pick-up and the bond
Hire is usually paid in full before the gear goes out: the booking deposit when the client books, the balance before you deliver. Put delivery and pick-up on the balance invoice as their own lines.
A damage bond is not a deposit on the hire. It is money you hold against breakage and give back after the event, less anything your hire terms let you take for damage, so it doesn’t go in “Amount already paid”. If your client pays the bond and the booking deposit together, only the booking deposit goes there. This example is the booking deposit only.
Tell your client when the bond comes back, such as within a week of pick-up, so they know what to expect.
In “Payment terms”, put the balance before the truck leaves, such as “Balance due 3 days before delivery”. That way you aren’t sending gear out unpaid.
What if the gear comes back damaged?
Keep it separate from the hire. If your hire terms allow it, take the repair cost out of the bond. If it costs more than the bond, make a new invoice for the difference.
Can the client add items after booking?
Yes. List everything on the balance invoice, including what was added; the booking deposit still comes off in full under “Amount already paid”.
How to do it
- Fill in your details. Open the free invoice page and press “Clear sample text”, so the example details don’t print. Then fill in “Your business name” and “Client name”. Type AUD in “Currency”: the form starts with USD. “How to pay” is optional: add your bank details there. Tick “Remember my details on this device” and press “Save this client”, so both are ready next time on this device.
- Invoice the deposit to reserve the gear. Under “Line items”, add one row for the deposit: Description “Booking deposit, marquee and furniture hire for Saturday”, Qty 1, Unit price 600.00. Open “Saved on this device” below the form and tick “Keep a list of the invoices I make here”. Then download the PDF.
- Invoice the rest before delivery. Once the deposit is paid, press “Mark paid” on it in “Saved on this device”, then “Invoice the balance”: it fills in the client’s name, the amount already paid and the reference. Add the whole job’s lines and download.
Good to know
- List each item with its Qty, so your client can check the order before delivery.
- Registered for GST? Business clients who claim GST credits may need a tax invoice that shows your ABN and the GST. This page makes a simple invoice, not a tax invoice.
- You send the PDF to your client yourself: by email, text, WhatsApp or printed.
- Nothing you type is stored on our servers. Details you choose to remember stay in this browser only.
- Free: up to 5 invoices an hour and 20 a day, per network.