adobe sign small business plans and pricing helpx

Adobe Sign for Small Business Helps Small Companies Digitize

For small businesses across the globe, paperwork still grinds productivity to a halt! It’s time to solve this perpetual paper problem, no matter how big or small your company may be. Today, we announced Adobe Sign for small business , and the ability to send documents for e-signature directly from Acrobat Reader desktop. Millions of small businesses now have access to e-signature capabilities that are powerful enough for the enterprise, and hundreds of millions of Acrobat Reader users have a new set of winning solutions.

Small business employees are drowning in paperwork

According to new research from Adobe, small business employees rank paper-based processes as a top impediment to running their business more efficiently, with 75 percent reporting that they still sign documents with pen and paper. Of the 500 U.S. small business employees surveyed, the majority (84%) report that it’s important for them to move from paper to digital processes, yet only a small fraction (3%) have begun to do so. Nearly half (42%) of respondents report that paper-based processes slow their productivity. Forrester research suggests that each document signed manually costs 1.3 hours and $11 in time spent. Small businesses can save significant time and money by using electronic signatures . See the full research results here:

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See the Small Business Infographic and Slideshare

Millions of small businesses already rely on Adobe to simplify document work – converting paper to digital with Adobe Scan; creating, reviewing and editing PDFs with Adobe Acrobat and accessing the most powerful PDF services right from Microsoft Office 365. Now, Adobe Sign for small business now completes the toolbox for small companies to fully digitize their business.

Introducing Adobe Sign for small business

The majority of Fortune 100 companies rely on Adobe Sign for fast, secure e-signatures that increase business efficiency while ensuring the best experiences for employees and customers. But why should enterprises be the only ones benefitting from this digital transformation ? Adobe Sign for small business will help millions of smaller companies attract new customers, win their loyalty, and hire and onboard talent with ease, all at an affordable subscription price. And, for a limited time, get Adobe Sign for small business at the low introductory price of $29.99 per month. With Sign for small business, you can:

• Sign up customers directly from your site : PDF forms are used for everything from gathering your customer’s contact information to collecting their signature on a service agreement. But providing a PDF that your customer then needs to download, print, physically sign and email back is far from a good experience. With Adobe Sign, you can automatically convert any existing PDF form into an online web form, giving your customers a modern, completely digital interaction with your brand.
• Let customers sign and pay for services in a single step : One sure way to lose new customers is to put them through too many steps to complete a purchase. When customers first sign a contract online, like when joining a sports club, redirecting them to yet another form for payment risks losing them as customers. Thanks to Adobe Sign integration with Braintree, a PayPal service, it’s now easy for small businesses to collect payments from customers right as they fill out and sign a form.
• Bulk send a single form to hundreds at once : Small companies often need to send a standard agreement to multiple recipients for signature, such as an outdoor adventure club that needs one hundred-plus people to sign a release of liability for a group outing. Sending the form to each recipient one-by-one wastes time and makes it difficult to track responses. Now small businesses can automate the process of collecting hundreds of signatures at once with the click of a button, and easily track which signatures are outstanding.

Start gathering e-signatures for free with Acrobat Reader

Adobe is integrating the most trusted e-signature solution , Adobe Sign, into the Acrobat Reader desktop app. Individuals will soon be able to send up to two documents for e-signature each month, free of charge, for the times when they need someone else to sign a document. The functionality will be rolled out over the coming months to the hundreds of millions of users who have upgraded to the latest version of Acrobat Reader. Download the Adobe Acrobat Reader desktop app today .

Ever wonder how a small business owner uses Adobe Document Cloud tools and services to help run their business? Learn how Bobby Berk, small business owner and Queer Eye star, uses Adobe Scan, Acrobat Reader and Adobe Sign to run his small business with style.

“For years, Adobe has helped me run my business in a more efficient way. I work on-the-go and communicate with my team a lot, and I wouldn’t be able to do that nearly as much without Adobe Scan or Acrobat,” said Bobby Berk, interior designer, founder of Bobby Berk and member of the fab 5 of Queer Eye. “Now Adobe Sign allows me to sign off on contracts and presentations in seconds. I can focus on the creative process, not the paperwork.”

Availability

New Adobe Document Cloud tools and services in Acrobat Reader, Adobe Sign and Adobe Sign for Small Business, are available now. Visit acrobat.adobe.com to update or download.

Business moves faster with e-signatures from Adobe. Try it for free.

Trusted by more than 500,000 brands around the world, Adobe helps companies drive business productivity and increase efficiency every day. Find an e-signature plan that’s right for you.

8 billion e‑signatures strong, Acrobat Sign named a winner in e‑signatures by G2 Reviews

Acrobat Pro

Individual free trial

7 days free trial, then 

Requires annual commitment.

Popular features:

• Sign and collect signatures
• Track and send reminders for agreements
• Desktop and mobile e‑signing
• Microsoft 365 integration
• Add customized branding
• Collect e‑signatures from websites
• Send in bulk
• Collect payments with Braintree, where available
• Advanced PDF tools to quickly compare documents, redact information, create searchable & editable PDFs, and more
• Track and send reminders for agreements

Acrobat Sign Solutions

Business free trial

30 days free.

• Collect e‑signatures from websites
• Send in bulk
• Admin Console access
• Built-in integrations with Salesforce, Workday, ServiceNow, and more
• SSO and KBA/phone authentications
• Industry‑specific compliance requirements (e.g., HIPAA, FERPA, GLBA, and FDA 21 CFR part 11)

Acrobat Pro e-signature capabilities do not offer the same level of compliance as Acrobat Sign Solutions.

See all plans and pricing

See how much more you can do with e-signatures.

Collect e-signatures faster than ever.

It’s never been easier to send documents for signature, track status, and collect them. No downloads or sign-ups required.

Maximize efficiency with intuitive Adobe and Microsoft integrations.

With tools to create, edit, and share PDFs within Microsoft 365, Teams, Dynamics, and more, Acrobat Sign integrates seamlessly with Microsoft applications.

Security you can trust.

Our e-signatures are trusted by small businesses and global brands. Having processed over 8 billion e-signatures, Adobe gives you confidence that every transaction is secure and legally binding.

Edit and modify inside your PDF.

Edit text and images, add new paragraphs, and easily modify formatting in your PDF using Acrobat Pro.

Create PDFs from any file.

Convert scans, images, web pages, and Microsoft files to PDFs you can access, share, and work on from anywhere.

All your PDFs, on all your devices.

Stay connected to your PDF tasks wherever you go. Pick up right where you left off across your laptop, phone, and tablet.

More than 300,000 brands worldwide have success with Adobe. Here are a few.

Frequently asked questions.

Acrobat Pro is the all-in-one solution to electronically sign documents, convert, and edit PDFs. This free trial includes full access to Acrobat Pro software, Acrobat Reader and Acrobat online services to work seamlessly across desktop and mobile devices.

After clicking “Get started” from this web page, you will be asked to provide your email address. If you already have an Adobe ID you’ll be asked to sign in. Otherwise follow steps to start your free trial.

The free trial period begins on the day you sign up. At the end of the free trial period, your payment method will be charged unless you cancel. Cancel before your free trial ends and you won't be charged. On the 8th day, payment will be collected unless you cancel prior. When the free trial expires, you can still use Acrobat to view PDFs, comment and fill forms. To access all the features again, you will need to purchase Acrobat.

Installation of Adobe Acrobat Pro free trial by default uninstalls any earlier version of Adobe Acrobat on Windows devices. If you choose to retain the existing Acrobat software on your machine, change the default by unchecking the “Remove earlier version” option in Acrobat downloader UI. If you have uninstalled the previous version, then you can reinstall it when you are finished with the free trial. Make sure you have your original serial number and installation files.

Yes, this free trial is available for both Windows and Mac

• 1.5 GHz or faster processor
• Microsoft Windows Server 2016 (64 bit), 2008 R2 (64 bit), 2012 (64 bit), or 2012 R2 (64 bit); Windows 7 (32 bit and 64 bit), Windows 8 (32 bit and 64 bit), or Windows 10
• 1.5 GB of RAM
• 2.5 GB of available hard-disk space
• 1024x768 screen resolution
• Internet Explorer 11; Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR); or Chrome
• Video hardware acceleration (optional)

System requirements for Mac:

• Intel® processor
• Mac OS X v10.11, 10.12 or 10.13
• 1.0 GB of RAM
• 2.75 GB of available hard-disk space
• Safari 9.0 for OS X 10.11, Safari 10.0 for OS X 10.12, Safari 11.0 for OS X 10.13 (browser plug-in for Safari is supported on 64-bit Intel processor only)
• Microsoft Windows 10 using Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer 11, Firefox, or Chrome

- Microsoft Windows 7 using Internet Explorer 11 or later, Firefox, or Chrome

- Mac OS X v10.12 (Sierra) or later using Safari 11 or later, Firefox, or Chrome

- iOS: Native browser based on the iOS release and Chrome

- Android: Native browser that ships with the OS and Chrome

To get support during your free trial, click here  where you can access a range of free information, including tutorials, forums, and expert advice.

Acrobat Pro will be set as your default PDF viewer, but you can reset Reader as the default by opening Reader DC application and going to Edit > Preferences > General. Click on the Select As Default PDF Handler button and follow the on-screen instructions.

Windows: To uninstall your free trial version on a Windows device, close any open Adobe software on your computer, open the Windows Control Panel and double-click Programs and Features. Click on Acrobat Pro and select “Uninstall” from the menu.

Mac OS: To remove the trial on a Mac, use the Acrobat Uninstaller in the /Applications/Adobe Acrobat Pro folder.

Language versions

Português (Brasil)

*Available on Windows only.

Note: For Arabic and Hebrew, the application user interface is in English and Arabic/Hebrew right-to-left language support is enabled by default. A North African French (Français) version is also available with a French application user interface and Arabic/Hebrew right-to-left language support enabled by default.

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Table of Contents

• RevPilots Editorial Team
• April 16, 2023

Are you in the market for an eSignature tool and need to see Adobe Sign pricing to help you evaluate the large category? We’ve got you covered so you know how much Adobe Sign will cost, as well as alternatives and other comparisons.

Adobe Sign pricing comes with different subscription plans. The cost of each plan differs, and subscribers have access to different features. When looking for Adobe Sign pricing plans, you need to know which one is the best for your needs.

What is Adobe Sign?

Adobe Acrobat Sign is a cloud-based digital signature tool that lets users send, sign, monitor, and manage signatures. It is part of the Adobe Document Cloud suite of services and can be accessed through a web or mobile browser. It combines simple, secure electronic signatures with the power of Adobe Acrobat to create digital document journeys that are seamless and secure. Keeping signed documents and audit trails is possible with Adobe Sign. Businesses can also comply with global laws and regulations with Adobe Sign.

What Is A Digital Signature? | Adobe Sign

Adobe Sign Pricing

Adobe Sign pricing comes with a free trial and multi-tier subscription models. Users can try out the tool before opting for paid plans.

You can go with either standard or pro plans.

Standard plans for individuals start at $12.99/mo and

Pro plans for US$19.99/mo.

In the case of teams, the Standard plans start at US$14.99/mo/license Acrobat Pro at US$23.99/mo/license.

Customized solutions are also available based on your requirement with a call to sales or you can contact us .

Adobe Sign Pricing Plans

The Adobe Sign pricing subscription includes two plans, one for single users and one for multiple users.

There are three main plan structures. Depending on the features, each plan is priced differently.

The price of the plan drops substantially if paid annually. Some plans, however, require an annual commitment.

The choice of plans allows you to select a plan that suits your needs best.

There is no free plan offered by Adobe Sign. The free trial is only good for 7 days, however, you can try out Adobe Sign’s enterprise version for up to 14 days for free.

Adobe Sign Product Comparison

DocuSign is the main competitor and category leader. Adobe Sign is all about streamlining workflows, whether it’s for individuals, small businesses, or large corporations. This is an e-signature tool that’s suitable for those who don’t want a complex integration or analytics. On the other hand, DocuSign is most suitable for businesses that frequently sign multiple documents. Moreover, it is ideal for people looking for more sophisticated analytics and integrations. DocuSign pricing is a bit different, as they use “envelopes” as part of their pricing mechanism.

For a deep dive of product comparisons

• DocuSign vs Adobe Sign
• DocuSign vs PandaDoc
• HelloSign vs DocuSign
• DocuSign vs DotLoop

How Much Does Adobe Sign Cost?

A variety of subscription models are available for Adobe Sign but it starts at $12.99 a month and increases to $23.99 per month+.

Individuals, small businesses, businesses, and enterprises can use the e-signature tool as a standalone application. The price of these plans varies depending on the number of licenses required and can be paid monthly or annually. In addition, Adobe Sign is included with every business or enterprise plan for Adobe Document Cloud. The Adobe Document Cloud bundles Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with Adobe Admin Console and Adobe Sign.

If Adobe Sign Pricing is Too High, Check Out These Adobe Sign Alternatives?

PandaDoc is the good tool if you are looking for a sales-focused signature tool. With this platform, you can streamline your sales cycle throughout the sales process. Additionally, it has a library of templates you can use to create documents, unlike AdobeSign. You can gain insights with advanced analytics. You can also get unlimited electronic signatures with PandaDoc’s free plan. However, you will have to pay more than you would with Adobe Sign. Moreover, the tool offers a monthly Essentials Plan for $19 per user, a monthly Business Plan for $49 per user, and an enterprise plan that can be customizable.

AdobeSign and DocuSign are almost equal in quality and capacity. DocuSign, however, offers numerous integrations at a relatively low price. There is a 30-day free trial available. There are four main plans available, including $10 for Personal, $25 for Standard, $40 for Business Pro, and a customizable Advanced Solutions plan.

With its free plan, HelloSign provides customers with basic features for an indefinite period of time. Its pricing plan is also much more affordable than that of AdobeSign. It costs $15 per month for the HelloSign Essential Plan, and $25 for the Standard Plan. Customizable premium plans are available based on your needs.

Other Options

• DocuSign Competitors
• PandaDoc Competitors

Get in touch to discuss your sales challenges!

• Adobe Experience Cloud Product Pricing

Explore pricing and packages for Adobe Experience Cloud products.

We have packages for businesses of all sizes. Find the one that’s right for you and start reaching more customers with better experiences.

Real-Time CDP

Deliver consistent personalization across channels — both online and offline — with real-time profiles ready for activation.

View packages

Journey Optimizer

Manage one-to-one moments and schedule campaigns for millions of customers from a single application.

Customer Journey Analytics

Connect every customer touchpoint — from both online and offline channels — to visually explore journeys in real time.

Mix, match, and analyze data from any digital point in the customer journey to discover deeper insights

Marketo Engage

Use our marketing automation solution to combine automation, content, lead development, and account-based marketing.

Connect, collaborate, and simplify workflows with our work and project management product.

Create personalized shopping experiences for B2B and B2C customers from one intuitive product.

Experience Manager Sites

Create personalized, immersive experience for any audience on any channel with the Adobe CMS.

Experience Manager Assets

Manage hundreds of thousands of assets easily to create, deliver, and optimize personalized experiences.

Manage email marketing and cross-channel campaigns to engage with customers at scale.

Use AI-powered testing, personalization, and automation to understand what customers want.

Learning Manager

Create digital learning that engages customers, drives sales, and develops employee skills.

Experience Manager Forms

Build complete digital enrollment and onboarding journeys.

Download Adobe Sign: Get a free trial, or buy a subscription

Make document signing fast and easy: discover how to download Adobe Sign here.

There are now more reasons than ever to download Adobe Sign. When you’re working from home, printing out documents and signing them physically can be a pain, especially if you’re paying for the printer ink.

Adobe Sign offers a quick and easy alternative. This world-class e-signature service lets you send, sign, track, and manage signatures digitally, with no tree-felling required. You can download Adobe Sign from Adobe today with a free seven-day trial or as part of an Acrobat Pro DC subscription.

As well as enabling you to sign documents via a mobile app or web browser, you can also request e-signatures from clients, create branded forms, track responses, get email notifications, send reminders for e-signatures and more. 

Previously known as 'Adobe Document Cloud eSign services' or 'Adobe EchoSign', Adobe Sign meets or exceeds stringent security and legal compliance standards across the world, and its e-signatures are legally binding in nearly every industrialised nation, as well as many less-developed countries. And if you’re signing a lot of documents, getting others to sign them, or a mixture of both, the smart features and automation offered by Adobe Sign will save you a lot of effort and expense over time.

But how do you download Adobe Sign, and what's all this about a free trial? Read on and we’ll explain everything you need to know. Want more useful tools? See our guide to the best PDF editors and the best e-signature software . And for more PDF fun from Adobe, here's how to download Adobe Acrobat .

How can I get Adobe Sign for free? 

Download a 7-day free trial of Adobe Sign today You can download Adobe Sign for free with a seven-day trial from Adobe. There’s no obligation to buy as long as you cancel your subscription within seven days. Or, if you like it, you can convert to a paid subscription, either during the trial or after it's finished.

Download a 14-day free trial of Adobe Sign today (small businesses and enterprise)   Small businesses and enterprises can download Adobe Sign for free with a 14-day trial from Adobe. There’s no obligation to buy as long as you cancel your subscription within 14 days.

You can download the Adobe Sign for free, in the form of a seven-day free trial (or 14 days for business users). This will give you ample time to try out the software and discover whether it works for you, without having to pay a penny.

Don’t try to find a free version of the Adobe Sign service elsewhere: you won't. If you search for 'download Adobe Sign free', you'll probably find some fake sites claiming to offer one. But click their so-called 'download' links and you’ll invariably get nothing but a virus-ridden computer.

If you decide Adobe Sign isn’t for you during your trial, you can cancel your subscription at any time, either on the website or by contacting customer support, and you won't be charged. Alternatively, if you like it and want to keep your subscription, you won’t have to do anything.

Note: if you only want to use Adobe Sign on mobile, you may be excited to see the Adobe Sign iOS app and Adobe Sign Android app are free to download. However, they aren’t really free, as you’ll still need one of the following subscriptions in order to use them: Adobe Sign, Adobe PDF Pack, Adobe Acrobat DC or Adobe Creative Cloud . 

How do I download Adobe Sign?

Download Adobe Sign today from $9.99 a month You can download Adobe Sign from $9.99 a month. The most basic plan enables you to e-sign and convert and combine PDFs, whereas if you pay a little more then you get Acrobat Pro DC included, too. Click 'view deal' to explore your options.

To access Adobe Sign you'll need Windows 10 (using Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox , or Chrome), Windows 8 (using Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome) or Mac OS X v11+ (using Safari , Firefox, or Chrome).

Before you do so, though, let us explain the different payment options, so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Unlike most Adobe software, Adobe Sign is NOT part of the Creative Cloud. So there are three ways to download Adobe Sign as an individual. There are also three multi-user plans.

How much does it cost to download Adobe Sign for individuals?

Download Acrobat PDF Pack with e-sign from $9.99 per month This affordable subscription package provides you with a basic collection of tools to e-sign, convert and combine PDFs online. Click the link above or the View Deal button. 

Download Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign from $14.99 per month Get both Adobe Sign and Acrobat Pro DC in one subscription, bringing you the most advanced e-signature functions and features available today. Click the link above or the View Deal button. 

Download Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with advanced e-sign: $27.99 $19.99 per month For the full set of Acrobat Pro features and tools that enable you to post esignable forms online, collect payments and more, you'll need the advanced option. Currently on sale for $19.99 a month. 

For individuals, the cheapest way to get is to take out a subscription known as ‘Adobe Acrobat PDF Pack with e-sign’. At time of writing, this costs $9.99 / £10.42 / AU$14.50 per month, billed annually, and provides you with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and Adobe Sign as a bundle. Note that Adobe does not allow third-party retailers to resell Adobe Sign, so there really is no way to get the software cheaper.

The other option for individuals is called ‘Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign’. This is currently available for $19.99 / £15.17 / AU$21.99 per month, billed annually, and provides you with both Adobe Sign and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (for more on the latter, read our article Download Adobe Acrobat ).

There's also now a third option, Acrobat Pro DC with advanced e-sign, which offers all the features of Acrobat Pro as well as e-signing tools for a variety of uses. This plan cost $27.99 a month usually, but is currently on offer at $19.99 a month.

How much is Adobe Sign for businesses?

Download Adobe Sign for small business from $16.99 per month Small businesses can get up to 10 licences for this subscription package, which includes both Adobe Sign and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC in one. Click the link above or the View Deal button. 

Download Adobe Sign for small business with advanced e-sign features: $29.99 $21.99 per month This package includes the full set of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC features plus powerful e-signing tools and is ideal for teams of up to 10 people. 

Managing a team and need more than one Adobe licence? The small business plan starts at $16.99 per month, can be used by teams of up to 10 people and must be paid for annually.

The next step up is the Acrobat Pro DC with advanced e-sign features plan, which costs $29.99 a month and is currently on offer for $21.99 a month. This plan is also for teams of up to 10 people, and also requires annual payment.

If you need more licences than that, you’ll need the Business and Enterprise Plan, and will have to contact Adobe to discuss pricing directly. 

Download Adobe Sign for students: Discounts for students and teachers

Sadly, there is currently no specific student or education discount for Adobe Sign. There are big savings to be made on the Creative Cloud subscription for students, teachers and education workers (see our Adobe Creative Cloud deals post), but as we mentioned earlier, Adobe Sign is not included in the Creative Cloud, making this a moot point. 

What is the Adobe Document Cloud?

The Adobe Document Cloud is a PDF and e-signature tools ecosystem, integrated across desktop, mobile, and web. Its aim is to create a complete, reliable and automated system for digital signature workflows, to make businesses more productive and consumers happier. 

The Adobe Document Cloud includes Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, Adobe Sign and other desktop, mobile and web apps, which either work on their own or integrate with your existing productivity apps, processes, and systems. 

It's free to create an Adobe Document Cloud account, which comes with 2GB of free storage, but some of the apps and services require subscription, either as single apps or as part of a Creative Cloud All-Apps plan.

• Adobe software list : Which apps do you need?
• Adobe Illustrator tutorials : Lessons to boost your skills
• Download Photoshop : How to try Photoshop for free or with Creative Cloud

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Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity , published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World , T3.com and Tech Radar . He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects. 

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BEGINNER · 5 MIN

7 invoice examples to keep your small business organized

Simplify your financial bookkeeping with these seven types of invoice examples. 

What you'll need

While often seen as routine paperwork, invoices are the backbone of financial operations in any small business. They play a pivotal role in creating accountability for and streamlining financial operations, helping to effectively track transactions, optimize cash flow, and ensure smooth customer interactions.  

Depending on your type of small business, invoices can take several forms, ranging from standard invoices to specialized varieties, each serving a distinct purpose and contributing to the smooth functioning of commercial transactions.  

In this post, we’ll walk you through the importance of understanding how various invoice examples can empower your small business to maintain accurate financial records, establish strong customer relationships, and navigate complex regulatory frameworks to foster transparency, streamline operations, and safeguard your financial well-being. 

Why invoices are important to your small business 

Meticulous bookkeeping isn’t only for Fortune 500 companies, and it isn’t just for keeping your nose clean come tax season either.  

Invoices help build trust within your operation and with outside stakeholders and customers by creating accountability and fostering effective communication. A well-crafted invoice example demonstrates professionalism and clarity to a recipient, providing a reference for addressing customer concerns and questions, helping avoid awkward and unnecessary misunderstandings or disputes.     Beyond streamlining customer experiences, invoices help protect you and your small business, helping ensure timely payments and a healthy cash flow. Promptly issuing invoices establishes clear payment terms, reducing the risk of late or missed payments and unfortunate misunderstandings.  

Invoices also serve as critical financial records. They provide detailed transaction information for accurate bookkeeping, tax compliance, and reporting. Organized invoice records help track income, expenses, and outstanding payments, facilitating transparency and informed decision-making.  

A solid record of well-designed and easy-to-decipher invoices also protects you and your small business, minimizing financial risks and ensuring legal compliance. They establish formal transaction records, protecting your business's rights and interests. In disputes or legal issues, invoices serve as evidence of agreed-upon terms and compliance with financial regulations and tax codes. Without them, your word won’t hold much weight to a litigious customer or an unsympathetic tax auditor.  

Invoices also support financial planning and forecasting. Analyzing invoice data reveals revenue patterns, customer preferences, and seasonal fluctuations. This insight drives informed decisions on pricing, inventory, and marketing strategies. Say you’re appealing to investors or positioning to sell your business — without a solid track record of the correct kind of invoices, you’ve got nothing to prove the expenses and revenue of your operation, making yourself vulnerable to some well-justified skepticism and pushback against your assertions of the viability and value of your small business.  

7 types of invoices and when to use them 

There's an old adage that states: “The devil is in the details.” However, the more specificity you lend to your invoices, the more your customers, stakeholders, and scrutinizers will think of you and your small business as their guardian angel.  

When you’re considering what kind to use, consider questions of timelines, credit and debiting of customer accounts, and quantity of products or hours of professional time spent on a project. The selections below comprise some of the more fundamental invoice examples you may find useful to your small business. 

1. Standard invoice 

The standard invoice is the fundamental type of invoice used in business transactions. It includes essential information like the seller's details, buyer's details, a detailed description of goods or services provided, quantities, prices, and the total amount due. Standard invoices are widely used across industries and are essential for accurate bookkeeping, establishing payment terms, and resolving disputes. 

2. Pro forma invoice 

As a way of quoting costs for a customer or client, a pro forma invoice serves as a preliminary outline of the estimated costs and terms of a future transaction by providing an overview of the goods or services, pricing, and other relevant details before a final agreement is reached. Pro forma invoices are especially valuable for international trade, allowing buyers and sellers to confirm terms, obtain necessary permits, and arrange financing. 

3. Interim invoice 

 For projects or services that take place over a more extended period of time, interim invoices help maintain a steady cash flow by billing clients periodically throughout the project's duration. Interim invoices are particularly relevant in industries such as construction, consulting, or software development, where the work carried out is typically measured in stages or milestones. 

4. Recurring invoice 

In businesses with ongoing service agreements or subscription models, recurring invoices are indispensable. They automate the billing process by generating invoices at predetermined intervals, such as monthly or annually. Recurring invoices streamline administrative tasks and provide a predictable cash flow while ensuring customers are billed accurately and on time. 

5. Credit memo 

When a buyer returns goods or receives credit for a previous purchase, a credit memo is issued. This type of invoice serves as a record of the credit or refund due to the buyer, reducing the outstanding balance or offsetting future invoices. Credit memos are crucial for maintaining accurate accounting records and reconciling discrepancies between buyers and sellers. 

6. Debit memo 

Conversely, when additional charges or fees are incurred by a buyer, a debit memo is issued. This type of invoice is used to notify the buyer of the amount due and serves as a record of the additional charge. Debit memos help businesses avoid financial losses by ensuring that all costs associated with a transaction are accounted for and paid up. 

7. Commercial invoice 

In international trade, commercial invoices are essential for customs and tax purposes. They provide a detailed description of goods, including their origin, value, and quantity. Commercial invoices play a critical role in ensuring smooth customs clearance, accurate assessment of import duties, and compliance with international trade regulations. 

  Free remixable templates to create your own invoices 

With the Adobe Express invoice maker, you can generate beautiful custom invoices from start to finish in just a few minutes — no matter your design experience. Start by browsing through thousands of professionally made templates, then pick one and personalize it. Insert your information, including client details, a list of goods or services, the amount to be paid, and applicable taxes.  

Simply open Adobe Express on the web or download the mobile app to get started, or kick off yours with some of the free templates of invoice examples below.  

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