A professional invoice should explain both what the client owes and how to pay it. The awkward part is often not producing the bill—it is discovering that the deposit, due date or payment instructions were never agreed.
Start with clear service terms before the booking, then use the invoice to reflect that agreement. The sample workflow below is general business guidance, not a legally reviewed contract or a universal deposit policy.
1. Agree the service and payment schedule
Confirm the service, fee, clothing-budget exclusion, appointment details and follow-up scope. State when any deposit is due, what balance remains and when it must be paid. Explain cancellation and rescheduling terms in advance and have them reviewed for your business and applicable consumer law.
A deposit can support scheduling, but the percentage should fit the work and your terms. Do not describe a payment as automatically non-refundable regardless of the circumstances.
2. Create an invoice with correct business details
Include the recipient, invoice number, issue date, due date, service description and total. Check your business details and ABN where required. If GST applies, use the appropriate treatment and document wording; if you are not GST-registered, do not charge GST or label it a tax invoice.
The ATO explains tax invoice requirements, including additional recipient details for invoices of A$1,000 or more. Ask your accountant to check your setup rather than assuming that selecting a tax option makes the document compliant.
3. Make the payment destination unmistakable
In LookLayer, an invoice can include a payment URL and payment instructions. If you use a Stripe Payment Link, create it in your own Stripe account and paste the correct link. A client follows it to Stripe’s external checkout. You can also use an appropriate Square or PayPal link, or state bank-transfer instructions.
Verify the destination, amount and whether the link is intended for a deposit or the full balance. A manually supplied link does not automatically update as the invoice balance changes. Avoid asking a client to pay the full service fee again after they have already paid a deposit.
For bank transfer, include the account details and a useful reference, then check them carefully. If payment information changes, verify the change through a trusted contact channel to reduce the risk of invoice fraud.
4. Worked example: deposit to remaining balance
Suppose an agreed personal shopping service is A$450 in total and your reviewed terms require a 25% deposit. The deposit is A$112.50 and the remaining balance is A$337.50. These figures illustrate the arithmetic, not a recommended percentage.
- Issue the service invoice and clearly state the deposit request.
- Provide instructions or a link for the A$112.50 payment.
- Confirm receipt in your payment provider or bank.
- Record the received payment against the invoice in LookLayer.
- Before requesting the A$337.50 balance, verify the amount and payment destination.
- Record the final received payment and send the appropriate receipt.
5. Understand what is manual
LookLayer supports service invoices, deposits, payment records, credits, refunds and emailed receipts. Client payments through an external link are not automatically reconciled by a stylist Stripe integration. You confirm receipt and record the payment; LookLayer calculates the remaining balance and invoice status from those records.
LookLayer’s own subscriptions use Stripe, but that is separate from the money your clients pay your styling business. Recording a refund in LookLayer is not the same as sending money back through a bank or processor; carry out the actual refund with your provider and keep the records aligned.
6. Follow up without ambiguity
A concise reminder might say: “Invoice INV-XXXX has A$337.50 remaining, due on the agreed date. Please use the payment instructions on the invoice and include the invoice reference.” Replace every placeholder with the correct information before sending. Confirm receipt before chasing a payment the client has already made.
Review your process regularly: unpaid invoices, unclear links and inconsistent terms are easier to address when you keep one reliable record. For setting the underlying service fee, read Australian package examples; for organising the whole client journey, see the day-one tech stack.