An invoice is the smallest legal document your company sends, and the one it sends most often. Get it right and clients pay on time, your bank can match the money, and your records tell a clean story of a real business. Here is a plain-English 2026 guide to invoicing US and international clients from your US LLC when you run the company from outside the US.
This guide is about the invoice as a business document: what it shows, who it comes from and how payment details sit on it. It is not about tax. Sales tax, VAT, GST and how income is treated are a separate question; talk to a qualified tax professional. It is also not legal advice. OtoCo is software and admin support for forming and running US LLCs.
Short answer: Issue every invoice in the LLC's exact legal name, from a real business address, with a unique invoice number, issue and due dates, a clear description of the work, the amount and currency, and payment details for an account in the company's name. Send a PDF or a hosted invoice link, keep a copy, and fix mistakes with a credit note and a fresh invoice rather than quietly editing an old one.
The invoice comes from the company, not from you
Your clients are contracting with your LLC. The invoice should say so. State law already fixes what that name looks like. Delaware's LLC Act requires the name in the Certificate of Formation to contain "Limited Liability Company", "L.L.C." or "LLC" (6 Del. C. § 18-102). Wyoming's Act requires one of a short list of endings, such as "limited liability company", "LLC", "L.L.C.", "limited company" or "LC" (W.S. § 17-29-108(a)).
Use that full legal name, ending included, at the top of every invoice. "Example Labs" is a brand. "Example Labs LLC" is the company the client owes. If you trade under a different brand, Wyoming's statute notes that nothing in its naming rules stops a company using a trade name under applicable law (§ 17-29-108(b)). A common, clear pattern is "Example Labs LLC, trading as Orbit Studio". Our guide to getting a DBA or trade name for a US LLC covers when you need to register one.
This is the same habit we recommend when you sign contracts on behalf of your US LLC. Contract, invoice and bank account should all carry one identical name. It also supports the separation between you and your company that we explain in keeping your US LLC's liability protection.
What a proper invoice shows
There is no single global template. Stripe's own documentation says invoice requirements vary by jurisdiction and that you are responsible for making sure your invoices meet the rules that apply to you. With that caveat, these are the building blocks finance teams in most places expect to see.
Who it is from
- Legal name of the LLC, exactly as it appears on the formation document and the bank account.
- Business address. Use a real business address where the company receives mail, not your home flat if you would rather keep that private. See our guides to a real US virtual mailing address and changing your LLC's principal office or mailing address.
- Contact details for billing questions: a company email address and, if you have one, a US business phone number.
Who it is to
- The client's legal name and billing address, as they gave it to you.
- A purchase order (PO) number or reference, if the client uses one. Many corporate clients will not pay an invoice that is missing it.
The invoice itself
- A unique invoice number that follows a sequence you never reuse.
- Issue date and due date, plus the payment terms in words, such as "due within 14 days".
- A clear description of each item: what was delivered, the period it covers, quantity or hours and the rate.
- Total amount and currency, written with the currency code (USD, EUR, GBP) so nobody guesses.
- How to pay: the methods you accept and the exact details for each.
Numbering, dates and corrections
Pick a numbering scheme on day one and keep it. Invoicing tools usually handle this for you. Stripe, for example, generates invoice numbers with a prefix and a sequence, such as MYSHOP-1203. It offers two schemes: numbering per customer, or one sequence across your whole account. Stripe notes that it picks a default based on the country your account is based in, and that EU member countries and the UK typically require account-level sequencing. If many of your clients sit there, one continuous sequence is the simpler habit.
Once an invoice is issued, treat it as fixed. If something is wrong, do not overwrite the old file. Issue a credit note that cancels or reduces the original, then a new invoice with the right figures. Stripe supports credit notes for exactly this, and once a Stripe invoice is finalised, fields such as the footer and custom fields can no longer be changed.
Currencies for US and international clients
Decide the currency before you send the invoice, not after the client asks. A few practical patterns:
- US clients: invoice in USD and give US bank details. This is the default most US finance teams expect.
- International clients paying in USD: state "USD" clearly and give international wire details. Ask the client to send USD so the amount is not converted on the way unless you want it to be.
- International clients who want to pay in their own currency: only invoice in EUR, GBP or another currency if your company can actually receive it into an account in the LLC's name.
Providers publish what they support. Wise Business lets eligible customers open account details in several currencies, including USD, EUR and GBP, and share them with clients so they can pay by local bank transfer. Stripe Invoicing lets you bill the same customer in a currency other than their default, and localises invoice emails and PDFs into dozens of languages. Check each provider's current pricing page for conversion and receiving fees before you quote a currency, because those change.
The currency on the invoice, the currency the client sends and the account that receives it should line up.
Payment details and tools
Payment details belong to the company, so the beneficiary name on the invoice should be the LLC's legal name and the account should be in that name. For the exact fields each bank transfer type needs, read our guide to ACH vs wire vs SWIFT for US LLC payments. If you do not have a company account yet, start with opening a US bank account for a foreign-owned LLC.
You can send invoices from a spreadsheet template, but an invoicing tool saves time and keeps numbering clean. Two common options:
- Stripe Invoicing lets you create an invoice in the Dashboard with no code, send it by email, share a hosted invoice link or a PDF, set default payment terms, add your logo and add up to four custom fields such as a PO number. Its footer is often used for company registration details. If you are still setting Stripe up, see how to get Stripe for a foreign-owned US LLC.
- Mercury Invoicing is built into Mercury business accounts. Mercury says you can include ACH or wire instructions, let clients pay by card through Stripe, and have incoming payments matched to invoices automatically. Recurring invoices sit on its paid plans. Mercury is one bank among many, and account approval is always Mercury's decision.
If a client pays outside the tool, mark the invoice as paid there so your open invoices stay accurate.
Crypto founders: invoicing in stablecoins
If a client pays onchain, the invoice still matters. Write the token, the network and the company wallet address on the invoice, and ask the client to confirm the network before sending. Pay into a wallet the company controls, record the transaction hash against the invoice number, and keep it separate from your personal wallets. Our guides to accepting crypto and stablecoin payments with a US LLC and setting up a multisig treasury go deeper.
Keep the paper trail
Every invoice is a record. Keep each issued invoice, any credit notes, the contract or statement of work behind it, and proof of payment, filed by invoice number. Match payments against your bank statements every month. This is the backbone of clean books, and our guide to bookkeeping for your LLC using AI shows how to build the routine.
How OtoCo fits
OtoCo forms Delaware and Wyoming LLCs online for founders anywhere in the world, as Instant Series LLCs from $99/year or Standalone LLCs from $299/year on public pricing. The dashboard keeps your company documents in one place, so the exact legal name and formation details you put on invoices are always to hand, with AI assistance for routine company operations. That is software and admin support, not legal advice.
FAQ
Should the invoice show my personal name?
The invoice should come from the LLC. You can name yourself as the contact person, but the issuer, the beneficiary and the account should all be the company.
Can I invoice under my brand name?
Show the legal name first. If you trade under a brand, add it alongside, for example "Example Labs LLC, trading as Orbit Studio", and check whether you need to register that trade name.
What currency should I invoice international clients in?
The one your company can actually receive into an account in its own name. USD is the simplest default for a US LLC. Invoice in another currency only if you have account details for it.
I sent an invoice with a mistake. What now?
Do not edit and resend the same number. Issue a credit note against the original and a new invoice with a new number and the correct details.
Do I need to add tax to my invoices?
Tax treatment is a separate question; talk to a qualified tax professional.
Bottom line
A good invoice is quiet. It names the company exactly, gives one clear amount in one clear currency, shows payment details for an account in the company's name, and leaves nothing for a finance team to ask about. Build that template once and every client after that is easier. Form or manage your US LLC at otoco.io.
