Paper invoice in New Zealand
Paper invoices are traditionally used as a way to print invoices onto paper and then sending them to the customer. These days, due to the massive financial and non-financial impacts associated with paper, more and more businesses are switching to paperless invoicing.
The above mentioned financial impacts include the cost of buying, printing, delivering and storing papers for record keeping purposes. On the other hand, the non-financial costs include the cost of compromise on the hazardous environmental impacts of using paper. These non-financial costs refer to the environmental costs, as trees will need to be cut to produce paper.
It is also important to note that paper invoices must be physically delivered to the customer’s location or office via courier or some other mode of delivery.Advantages and Disadvantages of Paper Invoices
This next table explores the advantages and disadvantages of using paper invoicing:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| It is a traditional way of billing. So, all stakeholders in the trade feel comfortable when using paper invoices. | Most processes in the paper invoices are manual. Hence, there are higher chances of errors leading to disputes between parties in the trade. |
| There is no need for electronic devices or the Internet to access paper invoices. | It is an expensive mode of billing or invoicing. In other words, the cost of paper and the time required in preparation is higher. |
| Executing the billing function when using paper invoices is easy because technical expertise is not required to operate this system. | The cash collection process gets delayed if the customer does not receive the invoice on time. For instance, the customer may be based 4,000 kilometers away from the seller's premises. Therefore it can be a time-consuming and a hectic process to deliver the invoice physically. |
| The paper invoice may be needed for compliance purposes. For instance, the regulator, tax authority, or some government organization may require invoices in paper form. | There are severe environmental consequences of using paper as a business document. The paper is made of pulp obtained by cutting down trees. Hence, it is a compromise on universal greenery. |
| Storing, managing, tracking, and archiving the physical invoices is a greater challenge. Similarly, it is challenging to integrate billing processes when using paper invoicing, as you may have to incur additional efforts when trying to automate data. |
How to Create a Printable Invoice
Method 1: Use our simple invoice software
Method 2: Download a free printable invoice template:
Invoicing tools for New Zealand: