What it is
Tide's invoicing tool lets you create branded invoices inside the app or web dashboard, send them directly to a client's email, and track whether they've been viewed and paid. When a client pays into your Tide account by bank transfer or card, the payment is matched against the open invoice automatically, so you're not manually reconciling a bank feed against a spreadsheet of what's owed.
It sits alongside, rather than replaces, the transaction feed: every invoice becomes a line you can also see and categorise as income when it's paid.
Who can access it and on which plans
Invoicing is available on every Tide plan, including Free — it's one of the core reasons sole traders and freelancers choose the account in the first place. Higher plans may add extras such as recurring invoices, more customisation, or faster payment matching, but the basic create-and-send functionality is not gated behind a paid tier. Confirm current plan-by-plan detail on our plans and fees page, since inclusions can shift.
How it works step by step
- Add your client's details and the line items — description, quantity, price, VAT if applicable.
- Set payment terms and a due date, and choose how the client can pay (bank transfer, card, or both where supported).
- Send the invoice directly from the app; the client receives an emailed link rather than a PDF attachment only.
- Track status in the app: sent, viewed, overdue or paid.
- When payment lands in your Tide account, it's matched to the invoice automatically, closing it out.
- Chase overdue invoices with reminders sent from the same tool.
Current cost and allowances
Core invoicing carries no separate fee beyond your plan. If a client pays by card rather than bank transfer, a card processing fee may apply depending on how that payment is routed — this is a standard cost of accepting card payments, not a Tide-specific invoicing charge. Check the current fee structure for card-paid invoices on our plans and fees page or Tide's own pricing page before assuming it's cost-free.
A worked example
A sole trader graphic designer invoices four clients a month, each around £600. She raises each invoice in the app the day the work is delivered, sets 14-day terms, and gets an automatic reminder sent to any client who hasn't paid by day 10. Three clients pay by bank transfer and are matched automatically; the fourth pays by card and the payment appears with a processing fee deducted, which she categorises against a 'bank charges' expense line. At the end of the month, her income is already reconciled without a separate invoicing subscription.
Limitations and exclusions
Tide's invoicing tool is aimed at straightforward B2B and B2C invoicing rather than complex billing scenarios — recurring subscriptions with proration, multi-currency invoicing at scale, or detailed project-based time billing are better served by dedicated software. It also only closes the loop automatically when payment arrives into your Tide account; invoices settled elsewhere need manual marking.
How it compares with alternatives
Dedicated tools like FreeAgent, QuickBooks or Xero offer deeper invoicing — multi-currency, more automation, better reporting — but require a separate subscription and a bank feed connection that can lag by a day or more. Tide's version is shallower but instant: no import delay, because the invoice and the account are the same system. For a business with simple, low-volume invoicing, that's often enough; for one with complex billing needs, it usually isn't.
Relationship to the REFER200 offer
Invoicing itself doesn't count towards the offer — sending or receiving an invoice isn't a card transaction. But if a client pays an invoice by card into your account, or if you use the account day-to-day and separately spend on an expense card, that spend can contribute to the £100 qualifying card spend step, subject to current terms on what qualifies.