Guide

#How to send your first invoice: the big picture

For someone doing it for the first time, the whole process takes just a moment: you open an account using your online banking credentials, add a customer, fill in the invoice details, and send it. You don't need your own company, a Business ID (Y-tunnus), or any prior invoicing experience. Truster makes sure the invoice is formally correct, and once your customer pays, you receive your earnings as salary with taxes already taken care of.

Before sending your first invoice, it's worth agreeing on three things with your customer in writing, even just by message: what work you'll do, at what price, and when you'll invoice. Also mention that you invoice through Truster, so the invoicing service will appear as the sender. Agreeing on things clearly in advance is the best way to make sure the invoice actually gets paid on time.

Let's go through each step in detail next, so you know exactly what to expect.

Many people worry in advance about invoice formatting requirements: what if the amount is wrong, what about VAT, what if something gets forgotten? In practice, the app takes care of the format for you. You only need to know three things: who you're invoicing, what work you did, and at what price. The rest is generated automatically.

#Step 1: Open an account with your online banking credentials

Opening an account starts by downloading the Truster app or going to the service in your browser. You verify your identity with Finnish online banking credentials or Mobile ID, so your identity is confirmed securely without any separate forms or attachments. After verification, you fill in your contact details and the bank account number your salary will eventually be paid to.

The account is free and doesn't commit you to anything: there are no fixed monthly fees, and the service fee is charged only on actual invoicing. So you can open an account before your first gig is even agreed on, and send the invoice whenever the time comes.

While you're at it, it's a good idea to check that your tax card is in order. Truster retrieves tax card information electronically from the Finnish Tax Administration, so it's usually enough that the income estimate on your tax card is up to date in OmaVero (the Finnish Tax Administration's online service).

You can choose between two service fee models: 3.99% of invoicing suits occasional invoicing, and the monthly plan at €55/month becomes more cost-effective when you invoice larger sums regularly. You don't have to decide right away or permanently — you can start with the percentage model and switch to the monthly plan once your invoicing becomes steady.

#Step 2: Add a customer with a Business Register search

When invoicing a company, adding the customer is especially fast: type the company name or Business ID (Y-tunnus) into the search field, and the app fetches the official details directly from the Business Information System (YTJ). This way the name, Business ID, and address details end up on the invoice correctly without typos. Also check with the customer whether they want the invoice by email or as an e-invoice, and whether a reference or order number needs to be included.

You add a private customer's details manually: name, address, and email are enough. For consumer invoicing, it's worth being especially clear about the price in advance, since the consumer looks at the total amount including tax that will leave their account.

The customer is saved in your customer list, so invoicing is even faster next time: you just pick the customer from the list and go straight to the invoice content.

If your customer is a large company, ask in advance about any special invoicing requirements: many use purchase order numbers or cost centers that need to be mentioned on the invoice so it doesn't get bounced back. One question in advance can save you a week of waiting.

The same Business Register search also comes in handy when you want to confirm that a customer company exists and its details are in order before starting the work. A little background checking is part of professional freelance work and reduces the risk of unpaid invoices even before the invoice has gone out.

#Step 3: Fill in the invoice details and choose the payment term

A good invoice tells the customer at a glance what they're paying for. Describe the work clearly: what you did, when, and where if relevant. Break down the quantity and unit price, for example the number of hours and hourly rate, or an agreed fixed price. VAT is also itemized on the invoice: the price excluding tax, the tax rate, and the tax amount. The Truster app generates these automatically once you enter the work details.

The payment term means the time the customer has to pay the invoice — in practice, the due date. Agree on the payment term with your customer in advance: a short payment term brings in money faster, but many companies have their own standard practices for processing invoices. A reasonable, pre-agreed payment term benefits both parties and is clearly stated on the invoice.

Before sending, read through the invoice once more from the customer's point of view: is the description of the work easy to understand, do the amounts match what was agreed, and are the customer's details correct? In our experience, a carefully prepared invoice gets paid faster and raises fewer questions. Then just send it: the invoice is delivered to the customer in the way you choose.

The invoice automatically includes the details needed for payment: the account number, the reference number, and the due date. The reference number is important because it lets the payment be matched to your invoice without any manual sorting out. If the customer asks for changes to the invoice, for example a more detailed description of the work, editing and resending is quick to do in the app.

#What happens when the customer pays?

When your customer pays the invoice, Truster processes the payment and turns it into your salary: the service fee and statutory items are deducted from the invoice amount excluding tax, withholding tax is applied to your salary according to your tax card, and the net salary is paid into your account. You receive a payslip, and the income is reported to the Incomes Register automatically. You don't have to do anything: you can see in the app when the invoice has been paid and your salary is on its way.

What if you need the money right away and can't wait for the due date? That's when you can use HetiPalkka: Truster pays your salary immediately, without waiting for the customer's payment. HetiPalkka costs 5% of the invoice amount, and it suits situations where speed matters more than squeezing out the last euro.

If a customer doesn't pay by the due date, you don't have to turn into a debt collector: Truster's Maksuvahti sends reminders to the customer and keeps track of the receivable for you, for €1.99/invoice. Most of the time it's simply an oversight, and a friendly reminder is enough. After your first invoice, the next ones become routine, and you'll notice that invoicing is the easiest part of freelance work.

The app always shows you exactly where your invoice stands: sent, due soon, or paid. Once your first salary lands in your account, you already have everything essential covered. The natural next step is to save your customer's details for future use, agree on your next gig, and check with Truster's calculator that your pricing is on a sustainable level.

Many new light entrepreneurs say afterwards that the biggest hurdle was mental: can I really charge for this, do I know what I'm doing, did everything go right. After the first paid invoice, these doubts usually disappear. Your work is worth paying for, and invoicing is simply the proper way to get paid for it, with taxes and reporting taken care of.