Free personal chef invoice template
Meal prep weeks, private dinners and grocery pass-through — priced the way a client can check against what landed in the fridge.
A personal chef's invoice carries two kinds of money that behave differently and should never share a line: your fee for the cooking, and the groceries you fronted. Bill groceries as a pass-through, ideally at cost with receipts attached, and your service fee separately — a client who sees one blended number always assumes the groceries were marked up, even when they weren't. For weekly clients, name the week and the meal count on every invoice; it's the record that stops 'didn't I already pay for this week' six invoices in.
Lines a personal chef actually bills for
| Line | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Weekly meal prep — up to 4 entrees, serves 2 | $250–$500 per week |
| Weekly meal prep — up to 6 entrees, serves 4 | $400–$800 per week |
| Private dinner service, up to 6 guests | $300–$700 |
| Private dinner service, 8–12 guests | $500–$1,200 |
| Grocery pass-through, at cost | at cost — attach the receipt |
| Custom menu / dietary accommodation fee | $0–$75 |
| Kitchen consultation and menu planning | $50–$150 |
| Travel fee outside normal service area | $20–$60 |
What to include on a personal chef work 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 week or the date of service, and the meal or course count
- Your service fee separated from grocery cost — never blended into one number
- Grocery pass-through shown at cost, with the receipt attached or offered
- Dietary accommodations or allergies noted, since that's often what the fee variation is for
- Containers and reheating instructions provided, as a line even at $0
- Any recurring schedule and the next date, so a weekly client sees when the next invoice lands
- 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
Personal Chef invoicing questions
Should groceries be marked up?
Most personal chefs bill groceries at cost and make their money on the service fee, which is the cleaner and more defensible split. If you do add a handling percentage, state it on the invoice rather than folding it silently into the total — 'groceries at cost plus 10% sourcing fee' is a sentence a client accepts; a blended number they can't check is the one that gets questioned.
How do I invoice a weekly client without it feeling repetitive?
Name the week and the meal count every time — 'week of March 3, four entrees, serves 4' — even though the format repeats. That specificity is what lets a client glance at six weeks of invoices and see exactly what they got each time, instead of six identical-looking charges they have to trust blindly.
Do I attach grocery receipts?
It's not required, but offering to is what makes 'at cost' credible without you having to say so. Some chefs attach a photo of the receipt to the invoice note; others just say it's available on request. Either builds the trust that lets a client stop mentally auditing your grocery runs.
How should I charge for a custom or allergy-driven menu?
A flat accommodation fee, stated once and applied consistently, is easier to defend than quietly charging more for every gluten-free or nut-free week. Put it on the invoice as its own line so the client sees it's a stated policy, not a guess at what they'll tolerate paying.
What if I need to cancel a scheduled prep day?
State your cancellation window up front — 48 hours is common — and whether groceries already purchased are billed regardless. Writing the policy on the very first invoice, before anyone needs it, is what makes it feel like a professional norm instead of a fight when it actually comes up.
Is sending invoices free?
Yes, unlimited, with no trial clock. We take 0.5% only when a client pays you by card; cash or check costs nothing at all. Paid plans start at $9.99/mo for optional things like your own logo and emailing from our domain.
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