Free coffee cart invoice template
Bill the event by the hour or the cup, take the deposit up front, and let the queue pay by tapping a QR code.
A cart is a two-hour business with a four-hour setup, and the invoice has to say so. Corporate clients want a flat package — two hours of unlimited drinks for a hundred and fifty people — because they need one number for the budget line. Weddings and open houses often want per-drink, which sounds cheaper until you count the baristas. Either way the real costs are the same: two people on the machine, the drive, the load-in, and milk you bought that morning. Price the package, list the barista hours underneath it, and put a QR on the cart for the events where guests pay for their own.
Lines a coffee cart operator actually bills for
| Line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| 2 hour espresso service package — up to 100 drinks | $500–$1,000 |
| Additional hour of service | $175–$400 per hour |
| Per-drink billing — espresso and milk drinks | $4.50–$8 a drink |
| Barista on the cart, per hour (includes setup and breakdown) | $30–$55 per hour |
| Travel and load-in | $50–$200 depending on distance and stairs |
| Alternative milks and syrup upgrades | $40–$120 per event |
| Branded cups or custom latte art topper | $75–$300 |
| Deposit to hold the date | 25%–50% at booking |
What to include on a coffee cart invoice
- Your business name, phone number and email — and your license number if your state puts one on the paperwork
- The customer's name, the service address, and a phone number or email you can actually reach them on
- An invoice number and the date the work was done
- The service window, plus the load-in time — an hour before, minimum, and it should be visible on the invoice
- Headcount and whether the package is capped at a drink count or genuinely open bar
- Where the cart sits, and whether they are providing power and water or you are bringing your own
- Baristas by name or number, with their hours, on their own line
- Whether guests pay for their own drinks or the host is covering the whole queue
- Deposit taken, balance due, and your cancellation window
- Subtotal, sales tax if you charge it, and the total due
- Any deposit or payment already taken, and the balance still owed
- The due date, and what happens if it goes past it
- How they can pay — card, bank transfer, check or cash
Coffee Cart invoicing questions
Hourly package or per drink — which should I quote?
Quote hourly for corporate. A company wants one number it can approve, and an open-ended per-drink bill is the kind of thing that has to go back to a manager. Per drink suits a public event or a venue where guests buy their own. If you do quote per drink for a host, put a not-to-exceed number on the invoice so nobody gets a surprise.
How do I charge for setup and breakdown?
Inside the barista hours, and say so on the line. A two-hour service is really five hours of somebody's day: load the cart, drive, set up, pull shots, break down, wash everything at home. Operators who quote only the service window end up working for about half what they thought. Writing 'includes setup and breakdown' right on the line makes the number make sense to the client.
What if the venue has no power?
Find out before you quote, because it changes the job. A commercial espresso machine wants dedicated circuits, and if the answer is a generator, that is a line item and a permit conversation. Put the power and water requirement on the invoice as a condition. It is the single most common reason a cart shows up and cannot serve.
Should guests be able to tip?
Yes, and make it easy. Baristas work a queue for hours and tips are a real part of what you can pay them. If the host is covering the drinks, add a tip option to the pay page or leave a jar out. If guests are paying for their own, tipping comes along with the card payment anyway.
Can I take payment at the cart instead of invoicing?
For a public event, that is exactly the right way. Ring drinks up on the counter till as you make them, and stick a QR code on the front of the cart so the queue can pay on their phones without you stopping to hand over a terminal. Keep the invoice for the booked events, where there is a deposit, a date and somebody's finance team involved.
Is it really free, or is there a catch?
Free to write and send as many invoices and estimates as you book, no trial clock. There are paid tiers — Starter at $9.99 a month, Pro at $24.99 — and they only carry what costs us money each time: scanning your bean and milk receipts, emailing from our domain, your cart's logo on the invoice, extra baristas on the account. The rest comes from card payments, where we take 0.5%. Cash at the cart, we take nothing.
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Write a free coffee cart invoice — Pocket Business is free to build and send, no signup, no invoice limit.