# Invoicing and Payment Software for Contractors

> A field crew that invoices right after finishing a job should use Housecall Pro, Jobber, or ServiceM8, all built to collect payment on site from a phone. A contractor who mainly needs to pay suppliers and subcontractors is better served by BILL or Melio, and Square Invoices suits a solo operator who wants simple standalone invoicing.

Source: https://kitfinch.com/tasks/invoicing-payments
Author: Amine from KitFinch
Last checked: 2026-09-26

## Our picks by business type

| Profile | Pick | Why | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field crew invoicing right after the job | Housecall Pro | One-click invoices pre-filled with job details, batch invoicing, and progress invoicing for staged billing | AI voice invoicing and advanced features are part of the full paid platform |
| Trades business wanting invoicing tied to scheduling | Jobber | Invoice quick-create, batch invoicing, and automated follow-ups for unpaid invoices | Deposit and payment features work best once the business is already on Jobber for jobs |
| Small or budget-conscious crew | ServiceM8 | Free plan includes mobile quote-and-invoice on site plus recurring jobs and deposits | Free tier caps users and jobs per month; progress invoicing needs a paid tier |
| Business paying suppliers and subcontractors | BILL | Routes supplier bills through an approval workflow and pays by ACH, check, or card | Its free tier only covers the Spend & Expense card product, not full AP automation |
| Business wanting bill pay with flexible timing | Melio | Two-way sync with QuickBooks or Xero, and can pay bills over time with monthly installments | Built for accounts payable, not for invoicing your own customers |
| Solo operator wanting simple standalone invoicing | Square Invoices | Sends invoices, estimates, and contracts and manages payments in one simple product | Fewer field-service-specific features like dispatch or job costing |

## What to look for

- **Invoicing pre-filled from the job record**, so a technician is not retyping line items already entered during quoting or dispatch.

- **Batch invoicing for recurring or multi-visit accounts**, useful for property managers or commercial customers billed on a schedule.

- **Automated follow-up on unpaid invoices**, so a business is not manually chasing down late payments.

- **Deposit collection available even on a free or entry-level plan**, which matters for a small crew watching cash flow closely.

- **A path to pay your own bills, not just collect from customers**, if supplier and subcontractor payments are a growing part of the workload.

- **Two-way sync with your accounting platform**, so paid invoices and paid bills post to the books automatically.

## Housecall Pro

Housecall Pro generates one-click invoices pre-filled with job and customer details, and its AI voice invoicing lets a technician generate an itemized invoice by speaking job details from the field.

Batch invoicing lets a business "send multiple invoices together and collect a single payment across several outstanding invoices," and progress invoicing supports staged billing on larger or multi-day jobs by dollar amount or percentage of the total.

Payment options include card, ACH, digital wallets, and financing, with auto-charge for cards on file and a customer-facing online payment portal available at any time.


## Jobber

Jobber's invoice quick-create can "instantly generate accurate, professional invoices" using customizable templates with company branding, and batch invoicing sends multiple invoices at once by selecting jobs and dispatching them together.

Automated invoice reminders prompt a business to invoice at the right time, whether that is right after a visit, on job completion, or on a monthly cycle, and follow-up reminders go out automatically for unpaid invoices.

Customers can pay through a digital link sent by email or text, with automatic billing and instant payouts, and a business can request and collect deposits digitally on larger jobs.


## ServiceM8

ServiceM8 lets a field crew "quote & invoice on site" directly from a mobile device, generating a professional invoice before the technician leaves the property, and it accepts credit card payments on site for immediate collection.

Its free plan includes one user account, a capped number of jobs each month, and access to its essential features, including support for recurring jobs and deposits.

Higher-tier plans unlock partial and progress invoicing for staged billing, along with supplier invoice importing for tracking expenses, both unavailable on the free plan.


## BILL

BILL routes supplier bills for approval "based on your company's policies," with automated payment processing across ACH, checks, cards, and international transfers.

It syncs two-way with QuickBooks so paid bills post back to the books automatically, and its Spend & Expense product, which includes company cards and expense tracking, has a free plan separate from its paid accounts payable and receivable automation tiers.


## Melio

Melio lets a business "pay vendors, contractors, and any business bill" by bank transfer, credit card, or international payment, with bill capture through camera upload, email sync, or manual entry using AI-powered extraction.

Approval workflows let a team share responsibility for sign-off, batch scheduling pays multiple bills at once, and a business can pay a bill over time across monthly installments.

On the receivables side, Melio can "create, track, and sync professional invoices" with custom payment links, and it syncs two-way with QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, or NetSuite.


## Square Invoices

Square positions Invoices as a way to "send invoices and estimates, create contracts, and manage payments with an all-in-one solution."

As a standalone product outside a full field service platform, it fits a solo contractor who wants a simple way to bill a customer and get paid without also needing dispatch, job history, or crew scheduling.

## Free options

ServiceM8's free plan includes mobile quote-and-invoice on site, recurring jobs, and deposits for a single user within a capped monthly job count.

BILL's Spend & Expense product, for company cards and expense tracking, also has a free plan, separate from its paid bill-pay automation.

Melio includes free invoicing and payment acceptance features on every plan, though paying bills by certain methods can carry its own cost shown in the table on this page.


## Related reading

- Compare the leading field service invoicing tools: [Housecall Pro vs Jobber](/compare/housecall-pro-vs-jobber), [Housecall Pro vs ServiceTitan](/compare/housecall-pro-vs-servicetitan)
- Full tool profiles and alternatives: [/tools/jobber/alternatives](/tools/jobber/alternatives), [/tools/housecall-pro/alternatives](/tools/housecall-pro/alternatives)
- Once invoices are set up, keep the books current with [accounting and bookkeeping software](/tasks/accounting-bookkeeping)
- Need to quote the job before you invoice it? See [estimate and quote software](/tasks/estimates-quotes)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best invoicing software for a field service business?

Housecall Pro, Jobber, and ServiceM8 are all built to invoice from the job site: a technician can generate a professional invoice, collect a card or ACH payment, and close out the job before leaving the property. The right one usually depends on which platform already handles your scheduling and quoting, since invoicing works best synced to that same job record.

### Can I batch multiple jobs into one invoice?

Yes. Both Housecall Pro and Jobber support batch invoicing, letting a business select several completed jobs and send them together so a customer can pay several outstanding invoices at once. This suits recurring commercial accounts or property managers with multiple visits billed on one schedule.

### What is progress invoicing?

Progress invoicing bills a customer in stages across a large or multi-day job, by a set dollar amount or a percentage of the total, instead of waiting for full completion to invoice. Housecall Pro supports staged progress invoicing for bigger jobs, which helps cash flow on projects that run over several weeks.

### What does BILL or Melio add that a field service app does not?

BILL and Melio focus on paying your own bills, not collecting from customers: they route supplier and subcontractor invoices through an approval workflow, pay by ACH, check, or card, and sync two-way with QuickBooks or Xero. A field service app like Jobber or Housecall Pro invoices your customers; BILL and Melio pay the people you owe.

### Is ServiceM8 free to use?

ServiceM8 has a free plan that includes one user account, a limited number of jobs each month, and access to its essential features including recurring jobs and deposits. A growing crew will likely need a paid tier once it exceeds the free plan's user and job limits, and current pricing is in the table on this page.

### Can a contractor collect a deposit before starting a job?

Yes, most tools in this category support deposit collection digitally. Jobber lets a business request and collect deposits on larger jobs as part of its online payment flow, and ServiceM8's free plan already supports deposits alongside recurring jobs, so a contractor is not forced onto a paid tier just to take a deposit.

### What is the simplest standalone invoicing tool for a solo contractor?

Square Invoices is built as a standalone product for sending invoices, estimates, and contracts and collecting payment, without the scheduling or dispatch features of a full field service platform. It suits a solo operator who does not need job management, just a simple way to bill and get paid.

## Sources

- https://www.housecallpro.com/features/invoicing/
- https://www.getjobber.com/features/invoicing/
- https://www.servicem8.com/
- https://melio.com/
- https://www.bill.com/
- https://www.bill.com/pricing
- https://squareup.com/us/en/invoices

Cite as: Amine from KitFinch, "Invoicing and Payment Software for Contractors", Kitfinch, https://kitfinch.com/tasks/invoicing-payments
