Free Courier Invoice Template (Australia)

Quick answer

A courier invoice needs to show how the work was billed - per drop, per hour, or per kilometre - with quantities the client can check against their own manifest, plus any fuel levy and wait time as separate lines. Owner-drivers invoicing a freight company weekly should state the billing period on every invoice.

Free courier tax invoice template (copy/paste)

TAX INVOICE (if GST-registered)

From:
Business name: [Your Courier Business Name]
ABN: [Your ABN]
Phone: [Phone]
Email: [Email]

Bill To:
Client: [Freight Company or Client Name + ABN if $1,000+]
Email: [Client Email]

Invoice details:
Invoice number: [INV-0001]
Invoice date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Due date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Billing period: [e.g., Week ending 05/07]

Line items:
- [Deliveries: X drops @ $Y/drop]         $[amount]
- [Hourly work: X hrs @ $Y/hr]            $[amount]
- [Wait time: X mins @ $Y/hr]             $[amount]
- [Fuel levy: X% of subtotal]             $[amount]
- [Tolls / parking (at cost)]             $[amount]

Subtotal (ex GST): $[amount]
GST (10%):         $[amount]   (only if GST-registered)
Total:             $[amount]

Payment terms:
- Payment due in [7/14/30] days
- Bank transfer: [BSB / Account]
- Reference: Invoice number

Per drop, per hour, or per km?

Match the invoice to the contract and keep the unit visible: “42 drops @ $9.50” beats a lump sum every time, because the freight company’s ops team reconciles your invoice against their manifest. If you mix billing styles across clients, keep one line per style rather than blending them.

RCTIs: when the freight company invoices for you

Many large freight companies use Recipient Created Tax Invoices (RCTIs): under a written agreement, they generate the tax invoice for your services and you don’t send one. If you’re on an RCTI arrangement, don’t double-invoice - but most owner-drivers still need standard invoices for private jobs, overflow work, and second contracts, which is where a template (or an app) earns its keep.

GST: couriers are not rideshare

Rideshare and taxi drivers must register for GST from their first dollar, but that rule only covers carrying passengers. Parcel and freight delivery uses the normal threshold: registration is compulsory once turnover reaches $75,000 in a 12-month period. Under that, no GST and no “Tax Invoice” label - see invoicing without GST.

ATO-ready basics

• Business name + ABN
• Invoice number + invoice date + billing period
• Billing basis (drop/hour/km) with quantities
• Fuel levy and wait time as separate lines
• Total payable (+ GST if registered)
• Client name or ABN on invoices of $1,000 or more

Note: General information only, not tax advice.

Invoice from the driver’s seat

Free Invoice App saves your rates as line items, numbers invoices automatically, and emails a professional PDF before the next pickup. Weekly invoices to the same freight company can run on a recurring schedule.

Frequently asked questions

What should a courier invoice include?

Business name and ABN, invoice number and date, the billing period, the billing basis with quantities, fuel levy and wait time as separate lines, the total, and GST if registered.

Do couriers have to register for GST from the first dollar?

No - that rule is for taxi travel and ride-sourcing (passengers). Couriers use the standard $75,000 turnover threshold.

What is an RCTI?

A Recipient Created Tax Invoice: the freight company generates the invoice for your services under a written agreement. If you’re on RCTI, don’t also send your own invoice for that work.

How should I charge a fuel levy?

As its own percentage line on the delivery subtotal, so you can adjust it as fuel prices move without renegotiating rates.