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Platybooks

Free invoice generator (ZAR)

Make a professional invoice in rand and download the PDF — free, in your browser, with no account and no email address. Nothing is saved and nothing is sent to us. Fill it in, download it, send it to your client.

Open this template

Pre-filled and ready to edit. Free, no signup — nothing is saved.

Use this template

How it works

The generator opens with a rand invoice ready to edit. Replace the placeholder details with your own, add your line items, and watch the PDF preview update as you type. When it looks right, download it.

There is no sign-up wall and no email capture. The invoice lives in your browser tab and disappears when you close it — we never see it. That also means we can't recover it for you, so download the PDF before you navigate away.

  1. Open the generator — it starts pre-filled in rand.
  2. Enter your business name and address, and who you're billing.
  3. Add your line items with quantities and prices.
  4. Set the tax rate to 15% if you're VAT registered — leave it at 0 if you're not.
  5. Download the PDF and send it to your client.

What goes on a South African invoice

For an ordinary invoice from a business that isn't VAT registered, keep it simple: who you are, who the client is, an invoice number, the date, what you did, what it costs, when payment is due, and your banking details.

If you are VAT registered, the requirements are stricter. SARS sets out what a tax invoice must contain, and a missing field can get your client's input VAT claim disallowed. You need the words "Tax Invoice", your VAT number, the client's VAT number where they're a registered vendor, and the net, VAT and total shown properly. Our guide to invoicing with VAT in South Africa walks through the full list — and if that's you, start from the VAT invoice template instead.

One thing worth getting right either way: don't charge VAT unless you're registered. If you're not a VAT vendor, leave the tax rate at 0 and keep your VAT number off the document.

  • Your business name, address and contact details.
  • The client's name and address.
  • A unique invoice number and the date of issue.
  • A clear description of the goods or services, with quantities and prices.
  • The total due, the payment due date, and your banking details.
  • VAT registered? You need more — see the VAT invoice template.

When you outgrow a generator

A generator is perfect for a one-off. It stops being enough the moment invoicing becomes a routine, because everything it doesn't do lands on you: keeping numbering sequential across documents, remembering client details, knowing what's unpaid, and chasing the ones that go quiet.

That's the point at which a free workspace is worth ten minutes. You get saved clients, invoice numbers generated server-side so they're gapless, email delivery with the PDF attached, and a dashboard showing what's outstanding and overdue. Add a Paystack payment link and clients can settle by card in rand, with the invoice marking itself paid and a receipt sending automatically.

The Free plan is free forever with no credit card: 1 user, 3 clients and 5 documents a month. Nothing here is a trial that expires.

  • Saved clients — stop retyping details every time.
  • Gapless invoice numbering generated server-side, not in a browser tab.
  • Email the invoice with the PDF attached, and see what's unpaid.
  • Automatic overdue reminders instead of awkward follow-up emails.
  • Card payments in rand through your own Paystack account.

Frequently asked questions

Is this invoice generator really free?

Yes — completely. No account, no email address, no watermark on the PDF, and no limit on how many you make. It runs entirely in your browser. We offer paid plans for the full invoicing app, but this generator isn't a trial and doesn't expire.

Do you store my invoice or my client's details?

No. Everything stays in your browser tab and is gone when you close it. Nothing is sent to our servers, which also means we can't recover an invoice for you — download the PDF before you leave the page.

Can I add VAT to the invoice?

Yes. Set the tax rate on each line to 15% and the PDF will show the net, the VAT and the total separately. Only do this if you're actually registered for VAT — an unregistered business must not charge it. If you are registered, start from the VAT invoice template, which is set up for it.

Can I email the invoice to my client from here?

Not from the generator — it downloads a PDF that you send yourself. Emailing invoices directly, with the PDF attached and a payment link included, needs a free workspace. That also gets you saved clients, gapless numbering, and automatic reminders.

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