The short answer
A good invoice shows who issued it, who it is addressed to, a number and date, what is charged, quantities, amounts, tax details and how to pay. Read it line by line against your proposal. If the company name or tax number is wrong, send the correct details through the support form. A receipt confirms payment; an invoice itemizes it.
What a good invoice contains
Stripe's documentation describes an invoice as an itemized list of goods and services rendered, including the cost, quantity and taxes. That is a sound general definition. In practice you want to see the following on every invoice, and a missing item is a fair reason to ask.
| Element | What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer details | Company name, address and any registration or tax number | Shows who you are paying |
| Your details | Your exact company name, address and tax number if relevant | Your accountant needs these correct |
| Invoice number | Unique and in sequence with earlier ones | The reference for every question |
| Invoice date and period | Issue date and the period or work it covers | Explains timing |
| Line items | A description, quantity and unit amount for each | Shows what the total is made of |
| Tax lines | Shown separately from the net amount | Lets you see net, tax and total |
| Total and currency | The amount due and the currency | Avoids mix-ups |
| Payment information | How and where to pay, and any due date | Prevents misdirected payments |
Which elements are legally required on an invoice differs by country. Ask your accountant what your own country requires. We cannot advise on it.
Subscription invoices and one-off invoices
The two types look similar and behave differently. A subscription invoice is generated automatically for each billing cycle of a plan. Stripe's documentation describes subscriptions as generating invoices for each billing cycle. The plan line usually looks the same each time, which is why a sudden change on one is easy to spot.
A one-off invoice covers a single piece of work, such as a project stage, a build milestone or an extra that was quoted and approved separately. It usually has its own description and does not repeat. If you see a one-off line on what you thought was a regular plan invoice, that is worth checking against your approvals. The article on understanding your plan shows how extras should be requested and quoted.
How to read an invoice line by line
Stripe's documentation notes that a finalized invoice can no longer be freely edited. Substantive changes are made by issuing a replacement and voiding the original, or by a credit note. That means a correction normally produces a new document rather than a changed one. Keep both.
- 1Start at the top. Check that the company name, address and tax number are yours, spelled as you need them.
- 2Note the invoice number and date. Write the number in your records.
- 3Read the period or description for each line. Ask yourself: do I recognize this work?
- 4Check quantities and unit amounts. Multiply them yourself. Quantity times unit amount should equal the line total.
- 5Look at discounts or credits. They should be described, and the descriptions should make sense.
- 6Add the lines to the subtotal, then see how tax is added, and compare with the total.
- 7Check the currency and the amount due.
- 8Check how you are asked to pay, and that the details match what you expect.
Receipts versus invoices
An invoice asks for payment and describes the charge. A receipt confirms that payment was made. Many systems send both, sometimes as one document with a 'paid' mark. They serve different needs.
| Document | What it proves | Typically needed for |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice | What was bought and what was charged | Your accounting record of the purchase |
| Receipt or proof of payment | That it was paid, when and how | Matching to bank or card statements |
| Credit note | That an amount was reduced or returned against an invoice | Correcting or adjusting an earlier invoice |
| Bank or card statement line | That money left your account | Cross-checking, not a substitute for an invoice |
Which of these your accountant needs depends on your country and your business. Ask them, and follow what they say.
Asking for company name or tax number to be changed
The most common invoice request is a correction to your own details: a company name that changed, an address that moved, a tax number that was missing. These are simple to ask for if you send them clearly.
- Send the request through the support form, category Billing or plan question.
- Name the invoice number and date that needs correcting, and say whether you want it applied to future invoices too.
- Give the details exactly as they should appear: the full legal company name, the address and the tax number, copied from an official document.
- Say who confirms that they are correct, if someone other than the sender does.
- Say if your accountant needs the corrected document by a particular date.
- Expect a corrected document. A person on our team will go through what can be changed on an invoice already issued, since that can depend on how it was issued and on your country's rules.
Whether an issued invoice can be amended, or must be replaced, depends on local rules. Stripe's documentation says to consult local regulations and your own legal counsel on how an invoice may be amended or voided. We cannot give legal or tax advice. Ask your accountant if you are unsure.
Keeping records for your accountant
You do not need a complicated system. You need one place, one naming habit and a review once a month. A folder in a shared drive, named by year, is enough.
- Save every invoice as a PDF named like 2026-10-12_invoice-number_what-it-was.pdf.
- Save proof of payment next to it.
- Save corrected or replacement documents next to the original and note which replaced which.
- Save the proposal and any written plan confirmations in the same folder.
- Save your question and our reply when a charge was clarified.
- Give your accountant access to the folder, not a pile of forwarded emails.
- Ask your accountant how long you need to keep records. The answer depends on your country and your business.
Where general consumer guidance exists
If you ever have a billing error on a card, the issuer's rules matter as well as ours. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission explains that the Fair Credit Billing Act sets a dispute process for credit cards, and that you should write to the issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent. Other countries have their own rules, and bank debit schemes have theirs. Your bank or card issuer can tell you the rules that apply to you.
This is general consumer information, not legal advice, and it does not describe any charge from us. Our first step is always to go through your invoice with you. See ask about a charge.
Example: A correction request that works
A company changes its name after a merger. Its finance lead sends a support request: 'Please update the company name and address on invoices from 1 November. The new legal name is Harbor Row Studio AB, address as on the attached company registration (link). The tax number is unchanged. Could you also tell us whether the October invoice 2026-0431, issued under the old name, can be reissued? Our accountant needs this by the 10th.' Everything is in the message: the new details, the source, the invoice and the deadline. A person on our team can go through what is possible without a second round of questions, and the finance lead keeps both documents together afterwards. (Names and numbers are invented for illustration.)
When to ask us
Ask us when an invoice shows a detail that is wrong or a line that does not match your plan. Use the support form, category Billing or plan question. Send the invoice number and date, the line or detail in question, what it should say, and a link to the document that proves the correct detail. A person on our team will follow up and go through your plan and invoice history with you. For tax treatment of any invoice, ask your accountant or a qualified tax adviser.
