A catering invoice has to make a large number feel fair. Breaking it into food, staff, rentals and service, instead of one big total, is what gets it approved without a phone call.
Make a catering invoice free →
| Section | What to put |
|---|---|
| Event details | Date, venue, event type and final guest count |
| Menu | Price per guest × guest count, or each dish as a line |
| Drinks | Per guest package, or charged by what was used |
| Staff | Servers, chefs, bartenders: staff-hours × rate |
| Rentals | Tables, linens, chafing dishes, glassware |
| Delivery and setup | Delivery, setup and cleanup, as one line or separately |
| Service charge or gratuity | Label it correctly (see below) |
| Deposit | Deposit already paid, deducted from the total |
These are not the same thing, and clients notice. A service charge is a fee you set, and it belongs to the business. A gratuity is a tip for the staff, and is usually optional unless your contract says otherwise. Use the right word on the invoice, and if a service charge is not passed to staff, do not call it a tip.
A deposit of 25–50% to hold the date is common. Write your cancellation terms on the invoice too, for example "Deposit is non-refundable within 30 days of the event."
Wedding reception, 14 February 2027 — 120 guests
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffet menu B, per guest | 120 | 28.00 | 3,360.00 |
| Soft drinks package, per guest | 120 | 4.50 | 540.00 |
| Service staff, 6 servers × 6 hours (staff-hours) | 36 | 22.00 | 792.00 |
| Linen and chafing dish rental | 1 | 310.00 | 310.00 |
| Delivery, setup and cleanup | 1 | 250.00 | 250.00 |
| Deposit received | 1 | −1,500.00 | −1,500.00 |
| Balance due | 3,752.00 | ||
To take off a deposit that was already paid, add it as its own line with a minus rate, for example Deposit received — Qty 1, Rate −1,500. The total updates straight away.
Most quote a price per guest for the food, then add staff, rentals, delivery and any service charge as separate lines. Per-guest pricing makes it easy for the client to see how numbers affect the total.
Right after the final guest count is confirmed, with the balance due before the event. Collecting after the event is much harder.
A service charge is a fee set by the business and kept by the business. A gratuity is a tip for the staff. Label each one correctly on the invoice.
It is clearer to show prices before tax and add tax as its own line at the end, so the client can see the food price and the tax separately.