Oh, to be a freelancer. The freedom of getting to work at your own leisure, being able to say, "I don't have to report to anyone" and beyond. That is until it comes time for the inevitable invoice...

One of the worst parts of being self-employed is being in charge of your own accounting and finances. Unfortunately, some of us just aren't equipped with the math-brain needed to calculate invoices and spreadsheet.

That's why sending an invoice with PayPal is literally one of the best things that ever could have happened for freelancers.

PayPal at a glance

You'd be hard pressed to find an employer these days that doesn't resort to PayPal. It's the most widely-used money transfer system in the world.

203 million active users can't mean nothing, can they? Not to mention bigwigs like Elon Musk and Reid Hoffman took parts in building the PayPal empire.

Furthermore, "I'll PayPal you" is such a common statement these days. We are all suckers for convenience!

How to send an invoice with PayPal

The user-friendly interface makes PayPal my choice of payment method—regardless of if I'm selling a pair of sneakers or paying a friend back for dinner.

Although they do charge fees for certain transactions, they're also nothing compared to the massive bank fees. AND the invoice feature is so easy, it makes billing look easy.

1. Log into PayPal in Shift
2. Click "Send & Request"
3. Go to "Send an invoice"
4. Fill out your invoice with the details that you're invoicing for
5. In the "Bill to:" section, put your customer's email address
6. Click "Preview" to see what the invoice will look like to the recipient
7. When you're set, hit "Send"

Note: You can edit and preview as much as you like before you send it. No more accidentally billing for $10 when you're owed $100!

Additionally, if the customer is a recurring client, you can save the invoice as a template for the next time.

Time-saving, easy to create invoices—no wonder PayPal is so widely used.

Why not add it to your Shift directory today? You won't regret it.

Related Article: The Best Productivity Apps for Freelancers