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Catering Invoice Templates (Word, Excel, PDF)

Specially Designed Invoice Template for Catering.

Fully customized and automated invoice in one go.

Catering Invoice Template

Catering Invoice Templates in Excel

(Select and download the catering invoice templates for free)
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template Excel
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template

Catering Invoice Template in PDF (Add invoice details and download it in PDF format.)

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Catering Invoice Templates in Word

(Select and download the catering invoice templates for free)
Create Free Invoice Online
Create Free Invoice Online on Refrens
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template Word
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template Word
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template
Catering Invoice Template

Catering Business Invoice Templates

A caterer feeds 60 guests. The client expected 55. The service staff stayed an hour longer. The invoice says "Catering, 1,171.00," and the client asks which of those 60 meals they are paying for.

This page gives you a free catering invoice template in Word and Excel, with an online form for a PDF. You also get the catering invoice format, a sample with a per-head buffet, service staff, delivery and equipment rental, and how to handle deposits and final guest counts.

What is a catering invoice template?

A catering invoice template is a ready layout for charging a client for food and service at an event. It lists the menu, the guest count, staff, delivery, rentals and any deposit. You fill in the event, check the total and send it.

People search for it as a catering invoice, catering invoice templates, catering invoice example or food invoice template. A caterer invoice template and an event food invoice hold the same fields. Menu lines change with the event.

Free catering invoice template: Word, Excel and PDF

Refrens gives you three routes. Pick by how you work.

  • Catering invoice template Word. What you get: An editable Word file. Account: None. Limit: Unlimited downloads.
  • Catering invoice template Excel. What you get: An editable Excel file. Account: None. Limit: Unlimited downloads.
  • Online invoice generator. What you get: A PDF invoice. Account: Free account. Limit: 15 documents a year across all document types.

The Word and Excel files download at once, with no signup and no email. They carry a small Refrens branding at the bottom of the page, and you can remove it. The PDF comes from the online form on this page, which needs a free account. If 15 documents are not enough to judge the product, a Refrens sales person or account manager can extend your trial.

Use a free catering invoice template in three steps:

  1. Pick a template. Choose a Word or Excel layout in the gallery above. Excel suits events with many menu lines.
  2. Fill in the event. Add your business, the client, the event date and venue. List each menu line with the guest count, then staff, delivery, rentals and the deposit.
  3. Check and send. Recalculate every line yourself. Save the file as a PDF, such as a catering invoice template PDF, so the client cannot edit it.

Catering invoice format: the fields that matter

A catering invoice rests on one number: the final guest count. The format must show it.

  • Event, date and venue. What it settles: What you served and where. What to enter: "Corporate lunch, Jun 14, Hall B".
  • Final guest count. What it settles: The base for per-head prices. What to enter: The agreed number at cutoff.
  • Menu lines. What it settles: What you served. What to enter: One line per menu, with a price per head or per tray.
  • Service staff. What it settles: Waiters and chefs. What to enter: Hours at a rate, per person.
  • Delivery and setup. What it settles: Getting food on site. What to enter: A flat fee or a line per service.
  • Equipment rental. What it settles: Tables, linens, warmers. What to enter: One line each.
  • Service charge or gratuity. What it settles: Charges added to food. What to enter: A labeled line, tied to the agreement.
  • Deposit. What it settles: Money held for the date. What to enter: A deduction line with its date.
  • Tax. What it settles: Whether tax applies. What to enter: A labeled rate or amount, where local rules require it.
  • Due date and payment method. What it settles: When and how to pay. What to enter: An exact date and your details.

Food tax and service charge rules differ by place. This page gives general guidance. It is not legal or tax advice.

A catering invoice shows the final guest count, the price per head and each extra on separate lines, so the client can verify the bill against the headcount they confirmed.

Catering invoice example: a 60-guest lunch

This sample catering invoice bills one company for a lunch event. The deposit comes off the total. Copy it as a catering invoice example and swap in your rates. The caterer and every number are illustrative.

  • Buffet lunch, 60 guests: Qty 60, Rate 18.50, Amount 1,110.00
  • Service staff, 12 hours total: Qty 12, Rate 28.00, Amount 336.00
  • Delivery and setup: Qty 1, Rate 85.00, Amount 85.00
  • Equipment rental: Qty 1, Rate 140.00, Amount 140.00
  • Subtotal: Amount 1,671.00
  • Less deposit paid May 2: Amount -500.00
  • Balance due: Amount 1,171.00

The sum: 60 × 18.50 = 1,110.00; 12 × 28.00 = 336.00; 1 × 85.00 = 85.00; 1 × 140.00 = 140.00. Subtotal 1,671.00. Subtract 500.00. Total 1,171.00.

Sixty guests at 18.50 make the main line easy to check against the confirmed headcount. Staff hours and rentals sit apart, so a change in one does not blur the others.

Per head, per tray or package

  • Per head. Price times the final guest count. Best for plated or buffet events.
  • Per tray or platter. Count times price. Best for drop-off catering.
  • Package. One price that lists what it includes. Name the inclusions.

Say which applies. Clients compare per-head prices across caterers.

Final count, changes and deposits

Set a cutoff date for the final guest count and write it in the agreement. Bill the final count, not the first estimate. A late increase gets its own line. Show the deposit as a deduction with its date, so the balance matches what the client expects.

Catering invoice template in Word, Excel or PDF?

  • Word. Best for a single event. Fill the menu lines and save a PDF.
  • Excel. Best for a caterer with many events. Keep guest count, price and amount in columns.
  • PDF from the online form. Best when you email the invoice with the event summary.

Send the invoice within a day of the event. Clients remember the service best then.

Mistakes that get a catering invoice questioned

  • Guest count missing. The per-head line is hard to check. Show the final count.
  • Staff and food in one number. Show them apart.
  • Rentals hidden. List each rental line.
  • Service charge unlabeled. Say what it is and what the agreement sets.
  • No deposit shown. Deduct it by date.

From a catering invoice template to Refrens

A template handles one invoice. A caterer with a full calendar repeats the work: quotes, deposits, final counts, balances.

Refrens online invoicing software takes that work over:

  • Split an event into a deposit and a balance schedule on one invoice.
  • Show the deposit as a deduction line.
  • Send reminders by WhatsApp and email.
  • Share an invoice by link and see when the client opens it.
  • Let the client accept or reject a quote, then turn it into an invoice in one click.

Send a free quotation first, then turn it into an invoice in one click. The free plan covers 15 documents a year, and Refrens branding appears on free documents. A caterer with a few events a month can stay on templates. If you run many events and chase balances, use the software.

Related layouts: a service invoice template for other services, an invoice format for photographers for event photography, and tax invoice templates where tax details matter.

Ready to send? Download the free catering invoice template and put the final guest count on the first line.

Frequently asked questions

What should a catering invoice include?

It should include the event date and venue, the final guest count, menu lines with price per head or tray, service staff, delivery, rentals, any service charge, the deposit, tax where required and payment details.

Is there a free catering invoice template?

Yes. Refrens offers a free catering invoice template in Word and Excel with no signup. The PDF comes from the online form with a free account, and the free plan covers 15 documents a year across all document types.

How do I bill per head?

Multiply the final guest count by the price per head. Show the count and the price on the line.

Where does the deposit go on a catering invoice?

Add a deduction line below the subtotal with the amount and date. The balance due shows what remains.

Can I use this as a food invoice template?

Yes. Rename the menu lines to match your food service.

What if the guest count changes?

Bill the final count agreed at the cutoff. Add a separate line for any late increase.

About Refrens - Refrens is invoicing and quotation software for small businesses, freelancers and service businesses. Create invoices, send quotations and collect payments in one place.

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