Wholesale Invoice Template: Products, Pricing, and Terms

Short answer

A wholesale invoice should identify the supplier, business buyer, purchase order, delivery, product codes, pack sizes, quantities, unit or case prices, agreed discounts, freight, applicable tax, total, currency, and payment terms. The invoice must match the accepted order and delivery records so the buyer can approve it without recalculating unclear quantities.

Prepare the document with the free invoice generator, then confirm the fields required by the buyer's accounts-payable process.

Essential wholesale invoice fields

Include the normal invoice details plus product and order references:

• Supplier and buyer legal or trading names.
• Billing address, delivery address, and contacts.
• Unique invoice number and invoice date.
• Buyer purchase order number.
• Sales order, shipment, or delivery-note reference.
• Product name, stock code, model, or variant.
• Unit type, pack or case size, and quantity.
• Agreed unit or case price.
• Line total and subtotal.
• Volume, promotional, or account discount.
• Freight, handling, insurance, or approved fees.
• Applicable tax and total.
• Currency, payment terms, and amount due.

The invoice header checklist helps organize identifiers before the line items.

Make quantities unambiguous

Wholesale orders often use pieces, inner packs, cartons, cases, pallets, weight, or volume. State the unit explicitly.

For example:

• Quantity: 12 cases.
• Pack size: 24 units per case.
• Case price: $96.
• Line total: 12 x $96 = $1,152.
• Equivalent unit price: $4, shown only if useful and accurate.

Do not label the quantity as 288 while applying a case price unless the unit and calculation are clearly explained. See unit price vs line total for more examples.

Purchase order matching

The invoice should match the buyer's purchase order for supplier, products, quantities, agreed prices, delivery location, and terms. When actual delivery differs, retain the approved change, backorder, substitution, or partial shipment record.

An invoice number identifies the seller's document; a purchase order number identifies the buyer's authorization. The invoice number vs purchase order number guide explains the distinction.

Tiered prices and discounts

Wholesale pricing may change by quantity, customer tier, promotion, or contract period. Show the rate that applies to the actual ordered and delivered quantity. If a line-level discount changes the agreed list price, display the basis and amount rather than silently altering the total.

Use how to show a discount on an invoice to distinguish line discounts from invoice-level discounts.

Partial shipments and backorders

When only part of an order ships, invoice according to the agreement and fulfillment process. Identify the shipped quantities and delivery reference. Do not bill the same backordered items again when they are later fulfilled.

A separate invoice per shipment can simplify matching, while a consolidated invoice can work when every delivery and quantity remains traceable.

Freight and delivery charges

Label freight, handling, fuel surcharge, or insurance separately when they are agreed charges. State the delivery destination and shipping reference. Do not add an unexplained difference between the product subtotal and total.

Use the bill-to vs ship-to guide when a head office pays for stock delivered to a branch or warehouse.

Tax and currency

Wholesale transactions may involve resale, exemption, cross-border, or other tax considerations. Do not infer the treatment from the buyer's business status alone. Confirm required documentation, registrations, location rules, and product treatment.

State the currency explicitly and show whether prices are tax inclusive or exclusive. Obtain qualified advice when the correct treatment is uncertain.

Wholesale invoice workflow

1. Verify the customer account and approved purchase order.
2. Match picked and delivered quantities to source records.
3. Confirm pack sizes, prices, and agreed discounts.
4. Add freight and applicable tax using the correct basis.
5. Reference delivery notes and partial shipments.
6. Check payment terms and buyer submission instructions.
7. Send the invoice with required supporting documents.
8. Reconcile payment to the correct invoice and customer.

Final checklist

• Buyer and supplier entities are accurate.
• Invoice, order, and delivery references are distinct.
• Product codes and variants match the order.
• Unit, pack size, quantity, and price are explicit.
• Discounts and freight are separately shown.
• Tax, currency, total, and amount due are correct.
• Partial shipments and backorders are not duplicated.
• Payment terms match the accepted order.

Browse the blog archive for more product invoicing and payment guidance.

FAQs

Is a wholesale invoice different from a retail receipt?

A wholesale invoice commonly supports business credit terms, purchase-order matching, and larger product quantities. A retail receipt primarily confirms a completed consumer payment, although document requirements vary.

Should wholesale invoices show product codes?

Yes, when the supplier and buyer use them. Product codes help match similar names, variants, purchase orders, deliveries, and inventory records.

Can one invoice cover several deliveries?

Yes, if the agreement permits consolidated billing and each delivery, quantity, and reference is easy to verify. Avoid combining records in a way that hides shortages or duplicates.

How should volume discounts appear?

Show the qualifying quantity, applicable price or discount, and resulting line amount. The buyer should be able to reproduce the calculation from the invoice and order terms.