Is an invoice a contractual document?

No, an invoice is not a contract. An invoice is a request for payment. It is a one-sided document that itemizes and records a transaction between a buyer and a seller. As opposed to a contract, which is a legally binding agreement between parties where one fulfils an obligation to the other in return for consideration.

Is an invoice the same as a contract?

A contract is a legally binding agreement established prior to a transaction, outlining the terms and obligations of all parties involved. An invoice is a post-transaction document requesting payment for already delivered goods or services. Mutuality. Contracts require mutual agreement and negotiation between parties.

Is an invoice a legally binding contract?

An invoice is not a legally binding agreement—but it does serve as a record of a transaction. It's evidence a product was delivered or a service was rendered and an amount is due in return.

Can you invoice without a contract?

Can you send an invoice without a contract? You can send an invoice without a contract, but you will not be protected if the customer chooses not to pay. Invoices alone are not legally binding documents—to be legally binding, the customer must sign the invoice or you must have a contract.

Is an invoice part of a contract?

An invoice is not a contract or a legally binding document. An invoice is a request for payment for goods or services rendered. A contract is a legal document that must be signed and agreed upon by all parties. For an invoice to be binding, it must be signed by the customer.

Is an invoice considered a legal document?

Total due amount An invoice is not a legal document, but it is a valuable record of the transaction. It can be used to track expenses, prove ownership of goods or services, and resolve disputes. A receipt is a document provided to the buyer by the seller after payment has been made.

Electronic Signature
Features
Invoice templates
Invoice Vs Contract: Understand the Differences

Understanding Invoice Vs Contract for Your Business Needs

airSlate SignNow simplifies document management with seamless eSigning and cost-effective solutions, empowering you to streamline your invoicing and contracting processes.

Sign documents online

Learn more

Collect payments & signatures

Learn more

Add wet ink signature online

Learn more

Sign documents on iPhone or iPad

Learn more

Award-winning eSignature solution

Move your business forward with the airSlate SignNow eSignature solution

Create your signature in seconds on any desktop computer or mobile device, even while offline. Type, draw, or upload an image of your signature.

Deliver a seamless eSignature experience from any website, CRM, or custom app — anywhere and anytime.

Organize multiple documents in groups and automatically route them for recipients in a role-based order.

Collect signatures faster by sharing your documents with multiple recipients via a link — no need to add recipient email addresses.

Create unlimited templates of your most-used documents. Make your templates easy to complete by adding customizable fillable fields.

Create teams within airSlate SignNow to securely collaborate on documents and templates. Send the approved version to every signer.

See airSlate SignNow eSignatures in action

Create secure and intuitive eSignature workflows on any device, track the status of documents right in your account, build online fillable forms – all within a single solution.

Try airSlate SignNow with a sample document

Complete a sample document online. Experience airSlate SignNow's intuitive interface and easy-to-use tools
in action. Open a sample document to add a signature, date, text, upload attachments, and test other useful functionality.

sample

Checkboxes and radio buttons

Try a sample document

sample

Request an attachment

Try a sample document

sample

Set up data validation

Try a sample document

Understanding the Differences Between Invoices and Contracts

Invoices and contracts serve distinct purposes in business transactions. An invoice is a document issued by a seller to request payment for goods or services provided. It typically includes details such as the items sold, their prices, and payment terms. In contrast, a contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties that outlines the terms and conditions of a business relationship. Contracts can cover a wide range of agreements, including employment, services, and sales, and they often require signatures to be enforceable.

Key Features of Invoices

Invoices are essential for tracking sales and ensuring timely payments. They generally contain:

Invoice number: A unique identifier for each invoice.
Date of issue: The date when the invoice is created.
Payment terms: Details on when payment is due and accepted payment methods.
Itemized list: A breakdown of products or services provided, including quantities and prices.

Using digital tools like airSlate SignNow, businesses can quickly prepare and send invoices for eSigning, ensuring a smooth payment process.

Key Features of Contracts

Contracts establish the framework for business relationships and typically include:

Parties involved: Names and details of all parties entering the agreement.
Terms and conditions: Specific obligations, rights, and responsibilities of each party.
Duration: The length of time the contract is valid.
Signatures: Required signatures from all parties to validate the agreement.

With airSlate SignNow, users can create, edit, and eSign contracts efficiently, ensuring all parties are aligned and legally protected.

When to Use an Invoice

Invoices are appropriate when a business has completed a transaction and is seeking payment. Common scenarios include:

After delivering goods to a customer.
Upon completion of a service, such as consulting or repairs.
For recurring payments, such as monthly subscriptions.

Utilizing airSlate SignNow allows users to prepare and send invoices quickly, enhancing cash flow management.

When to Use a Contract

Contracts are essential when establishing formal agreements that require mutual consent. Situations that typically necessitate a contract include:

Hiring employees or freelancers.
Entering into partnerships or joint ventures.
Agreeing on terms for large purchases or long-term projects.

Using airSlate SignNow, businesses can create and manage contracts seamlessly, ensuring all legal requirements are met.

Combining Invoices and Contracts in Business Transactions

In many cases, businesses may need both invoices and contracts for a single transaction. For example, a contract may outline the terms of a service agreement, while an invoice is issued after the service is completed. This combination helps ensure clarity and accountability in business dealings.

With airSlate SignNow, users can efficiently manage both documents, ensuring that contracts are signed before invoicing, thus streamlining the entire process.

airSlate SignNow solutions for better efficiency

Keep contracts protected

Enhance your document security and keep contracts safe from unauthorized access with dual-factor authentication options. Ask your recipients to prove their identity before opening a contract to invoice vs contract.

Stay mobile while eSigning

Install the airSlate SignNow app on your iOS or Android device and close deals from anywhere, 24/7. Work with forms and contracts even offline and invoice vs contract later when your internet connection is restored.

Integrate eSignatures into your business apps

Incorporate airSlate SignNow into your business applications to quickly invoice vs contract without switching between windows and tabs. Benefit from airSlate SignNow integrations to save time and effort while eSigning forms in just a few clicks.

Generate fillable forms with smart fields

Update any document with fillable fields, make them required or optional, or add conditions for them to appear. Make sure signers complete your form correctly by assigning roles to fields.

Close deals and get paid promptly

Collect documents from clients and partners in minutes instead of weeks. Ask your signers to invoice vs contract and include a charge request field to your sample to automatically collect payments during the contract signing.

Collect signatures

24x

faster

Reduce costs by

$30

per document

Save up to

40h

per employee / month

Our user reviews speak for themselves

Kodi-Marie Evans

Director of NetSuite Operations at Xerox

airSlate SignNow provides us with the flexibility needed to get the right signatures on the right documents, in the right formats, based on our integration with NetSuite.

Check 5000+ reviews

Samantha Jo

Enterprise Client Partner at Yelp

airSlate SignNow has made life easier for me. It has been huge to have the ability to sign contracts on-the-go! It is now less stressful to get things done efficiently and promptly.

Check 5000+ reviews

Megan Bond

Digital marketing management at Electrolux

This software has added to our business value. I have got rid of the repetitive tasks. I am capable of creating the mobile native web forms. Now I can easily make payment contracts through a fair channel and their management is very easy.

Check 5000+ reviews

be ready to get more

Why choose airSlate SignNow

Free 7-day trial. Choose the plan you need and try it risk-free.
Honest pricing for full-featured plans. airSlate SignNow offers subscription plans with no overages or hidden fees at renewal.
Enterprise-grade security. airSlate SignNow helps you comply with global security standards.

Start free trial

Grasping the distinction between invoice and contract

In the realm of handling business documents, recognizing the variance between an invoice and a contract is essential. Each serves unique functions in transactions, but understanding how to effectively manage them can enhance your operations. airSlate SignNow presents a robust solution for enterprises aiming to streamline their document signing workflows.

Guidelines for employing airSlate SignNow for invoice and contract oversight

Launch your web browser and proceed to the airSlate SignNow site.
Establish a free trial account or sign into your existing account.
Choose the document you want to sign or send for signatures and upload it.
If you intend to utilize this document again, save it as a template for upcoming use.
Access your uploaded document and make required modifications, such as adding fillable fields or inputting specific data.
Affix your signature to the document and assign signature fields for the recipients.
Press 'Continue' to set up and dispatch an eSignature request to the relevant parties.

airSlate SignNow differentiates itself as a budget-friendly solution that enables businesses to handle their document signing requirements effectively. With its extensive feature set, it offers excellent return on investment, making it suitable for small to medium-sized enterprises. The platform is intuitive and adaptable, ensuring that you can customize it to fit your expanding needs.

Moreover, airSlate SignNow features clear pricing with no concealed charges, and all paid plans provide exceptional 24/7 assistance. Begin optimizing your document management process today!

How it works

Upload a document

Edit & sign it from anywhere

Save your changes and share

airSlate SignNow features that users love

Speed up your paper-based processes with an easy-to-use eSignature solution.

Edit PDFs
online

Generate templates of your most used documents for signing and completion.

Learn more

Create a signing link

Share a document via a link without the need to add recipient emails.

Learn more

Assign roles to signers

Organize complex signing workflows by adding multiple signers and assigning roles.

Learn more

Create a document template

Create teams to collaborate on documents and templates in real time.

Learn more

Add Signature fields

Get accurate signatures exactly where you need them using signature fields.

Learn more

Archive documents in bulk

Save time by archiving multiple documents at once.

Learn more

Connect airSlate SignNow to your apps

Check out airSlate SignNow integrations

Data accuracy, security, and compliance

airSlate SignNow is committed to protecting your sensitive information by complying with global industry-specific

Learn more about security

be ready to get more

Get legally-binding signatures now!

Start your free trial

FAQs

Here is a list of the most common customer questions. If you can’t find an answer to your question, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Need help? Contact support

Is an invoice a contractual document?

No, an invoice is not a contract. An invoice is a request for payment. It is a one-sided document that itemizes and records a transaction between a buyer and a seller. As opposed to a contract, which is a legally binding agreement between parties where one fulfils an obligation to the other in return for consideration.
Is an invoice the same as a contract?

A contract is a legally binding agreement established prior to a transaction, outlining the terms and obligations of all parties involved. An invoice is a post-transaction document requesting payment for already delivered goods or services. Mutuality. Contracts require mutual agreement and negotiation between parties.
Is an invoice a legally binding contract?

An invoice is not a legally binding agreement—but it does serve as a record of a transaction. It's evidence a product was delivered or a service was rendered and an amount is due in return.
Can you invoice without a contract?

Can you send an invoice without a contract? You can send an invoice without a contract, but you will not be protected if the customer chooses not to pay. Invoices alone are not legally binding documents—to be legally binding, the customer must sign the invoice or you must have a contract.
Is an invoice part of a contract?

An invoice is not a contract or a legally binding document. An invoice is a request for payment for goods or services rendered. A contract is a legal document that must be signed and agreed upon by all parties. For an invoice to be binding, it must be signed by the customer.
Is an invoice considered a legal document?

Total due amount An invoice is not a legal document, but it is a valuable record of the transaction. It can be used to track expenses, prove ownership of goods or services, and resolve disputes. A receipt is a document provided to the buyer by the seller after payment has been made.

What active users are saying — invoice vs contract

Get access to airSlate SignNow’s reviews, our customers’ advice, and their stories. Hear from real users and what they say about features for generating and signing docs.

Easy to Use eSignature Tool

5

User in Media Production

What do you like best?

I like how intuitive the set up is. The ability to create templates that can also be used and sent by those without accounts is very helpful.

Read full review

using it for a year and works very good for our startup

5

Administrator in Computer Hardware

What do you like best?

We are a paperless startup company with 12 employees, we manage everything from employement agreements to tax reporting using airSlate SignNow. Works great for us, specially the template function.

Read full review

Great product. Great price!

5

Administrator in Entertainment

What do you like best?

I like the price best -- it makes a great product affordable for me as a freelancer.

Read full review