Get Started

How to Create WooCommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slips in Your Store

Editorial Team
April 10, 2024
How to Create WooCommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slips in Your Store

Do you want to create WooCommerce PDF invoices and packing slips for orders placed in your store?

In eCommerce, every detail matters. From the moment a customer places an order to delivering the product, every interaction shapes their perception of your brand.

One often overlooked aspect is the generation of PDF invoices and packing slips and sending them to your customers.

Creating PDF invoices, packing slips, delivery notes and labels in WooCommerce isn’t just about generating paperwork. It’s about crafting a seamless, professional and memorable experience.

By using a WooCommerce PDF invoice and packing slip plugin, you can simplify your workflow and generate polished, branded invoices and packing slips.

In this article, you’ll learn how you can automate WooCommerce PDF invoices & packing slips in your store and leave a lasting impression at every touchpoint.

Creating invoices and shipping slips won’t make much sense if you don’t have an optimized checkout experience - click on the button below to skyrocket your conversions!

Why You Should Create WooCommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slips?

Creating WooCommerce PDF invoices and packing slips serves several important purposes for your business:

  • Professionalism - Providing well-designed invoices and packing slips enhances the professionalism of your business. It shows customers that you take their orders seriously and care about presenting a polished brand image.
  • Order accuracy - Invoices, packing slips, delivery notes, and shipping labels are important documents for order fulfillment. Automatically generating them reduces the risk of errors and ensures that the order details are correctly recorded and communicated.
  • Customer communication - Sending invoices and packing slips to customers keeps them informed and reassured about their purchases. It contains important information such as item details, quantities, prices, and shipping information.
  • Legal compliance - Providing invoices is a legal requirement for businesses in many jurisdictions. Generating WooCommerce PDF invoices and packing slips for each order helps adhere to these compliances.
  • Efficiency - Automatically generating invoices and packing slips saves time and reduces the need for manual intervention. This allows you to focus on other aspects of your business while still providing a high level of service to your customers.
  • Branding - Customizing invoices, packing slips and shipping labels with your business logo, colors and branding elements reinforces brand recognition. This helps you to strengthen your brand identity in front of customers.

Overall, creating PDF invoices and packing slips for your WooCommerce orders is essential for maintaining professionalism, reinforcing branding, complying with legal requirements, and improving your business's operational efficiency.

Top 3 WooCommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slip Plugins

There are several PDF invoices and packing slip plugins for WooCommerce, each with its own set of features and benefits.

Here are three top plugins recommended by our experts:

1. PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce by WP Overnight

This WordPress plugin by WP Overnight allows you to automatically add a PDF or UBL invoice to the order confirmation emails after a customer places an order.

WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips Professional plugin by WP Overnight

It has many templates that you can customize or create your own. 

In addition to that, you can even download or print invoices and packing slips from the WooCommerce order section.

Let’s explore some of its features:

  • Templates - This plugin offers various invoice templates that can be customized with simple HTML/CSS. You can even create templates from scratch.
  • Bulk invoices - Generate PDF invoices and packing slips in bulk.
  • Sequential invoices - This plugin supports a system that generates invoices with a unique, sequential number.
  • Supports multiple languages - It is compatible with different languages such as Italian, English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Russian, and more.

The PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce plugin by WP Overnight is available for free with limited features.

You can upgrade it to the premium version at €59 annually for one website.

2. WooCommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slips by Acowebs

This PDF invoice plugin generates custom-designed invoices for orders placed in your WooCommerce store.

WooCommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slips plugin by Acowebs

In addition to invoices, this plugin lets you generate packing slips, shipping labels and delivery notes for WooCommerce orders.

Take a look at its features:

  • Automatic invoice generation - This plugin supports invoices, packing slips, dispatch labels, delivery notes and shipping labels. It automatically generates the invoices and sends to customers via order emails.
  • Customization - It has many customization options for your store logo, name, address, etc., on your WooCommerce PDF invoices and packing slips.
  • Extensive options - This plugin has extensive functionalities that allow specific roles to access invoices, display or hide free line items, disable invoices for free orders, and more.

The PDF Invoices and Packing Slips for WooCommerce plugin by Acowebs is available for free in the WordPress repository. Its premium version will cost you $43 annually for a single website.

3. WooCommerce PDF Invoices, Packing Slips and Credit Notes by WebToffee

This WooCommerce invoice plugin auto-generates PDF invoices, packing slips, and credit notes.

WooCommerce PDF Invoices, Packing Slips and Credit Notes plugin by WebToffee

It allows you to send your customers PDF invoices and packing slips via order emails.

Key features of this plugin:

  • Ready-to-use templates - Use customizable pre-designed templates for creating invoices, credit notes and packing slips.
  • Download or print invoices - This plugin lets you download and print invoices and packing slips separately or in bulk. You can even allow customers to print or download invoices from your WooCommerce store.
  • Add custom fields to invoices - This plugin allows you to add custom fields such as VAT, GST, ABN, or other tax-related information to your invoices. You can even add fields for payment information, tracking details, etc.

You can get this WooCommerce PDF Invoices, Packing Slips and Credit Notes plugin at $69 annually for one website.

Our Experts Recommendation

Here, we’ll choose the PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce by WP Overnight. 

It’s a great WordPress plugin that offers many features in the free version. 

You can customize the appearance of your invoices and packing slips by adding your business logo and store details, displaying customer information, setting custom invoice numbers, and more.

In addition to that, you also get the option to customize your packing slips with the details you want to show on them.

Apart from that, you can also configure UBL invoices by specifying tax schemes and categories. 

However, there is only one template available in the free version but that is more than enough because its format looks clean.

In case, you want to use other templates and advanced premium features, go for its Pro version.

How to Create Woocommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slips?

We’ll use the free version of PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce plugin by WP Overnight.

Follow the instructions to create your PDF invoices and packing slips:

Step 1: Install and activate the PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce plugin

Navigate to Plugins ⇨ Add New Plugin. Locate the plugin by typing its name on the search bar.

Install and activate the WooCommerce PDF invoices and packing slips plugin on your wordpress website

Install and activate it on your WordPress website.

Step 2: Configure the WooCommerce PDF invoice and packing slip settings

Next, navigate to WooCommerce ⇨ PDF Invoices and configure some basic settings.

Navigate to WooCommerce - PDF Invoices

You’ll be able to see the live preview of your template as you make changes to your invoice.

  • Choose invoice PDF template

Since we’re using the free version, there is only one simple template.

Choose WooCommerce invoice PDF template

You can have different templates in the premium version of PDF Invoices & Packing Slips for WooCommerce.

  • Add your business logo

Click on the ‘Set Image’ button and upload your business logo.

Once you’ve added your logo, you’ll be able to see a live preview of the logo displayed in your invoice and packing slip.

In addition, configure the height of your business logo in formats like mm, cm, or in, and use a dot for decimals.

Customize woocommerce pdf invoice and packing slip - add business logo
  • Enter the name and address of your WooCommerce business

Next, enter your shop name, which will appear on invoices and packing slips.

Scroll down and enter the business address in the ‘Shop Address’ field.

Customize woocommerce pdf invoice and packing slip - enter business name and address

You can also add your business's VAT or Chamber of Commerce Number, which will appear on UBL invoices. However, this is a premium feature.

  • Add footers like terms & conditions, policies, etc.

You can also add footers to your invoices, such as customer care number, terms and conditions, privacy policy, etc.

Customize woocommerce pdf invoice and packing slip - add footers like customer care support, privacy policy, terms and conditions, etc.
  • Enable extended currency symbol support

Turn on the extended currency symbol support if the currency symbol is not displaying correctly in your invoices.

Customize woocommerce pdf invoice and packing slip - enable extended currency symbol support

Click on ‘Save Changes’ when done.

Step 3: Configure the PDF invoice and packing slip document settings

Configure the following document settings:

  • Enable PDF and attach it to emails

Enable the PDF and check the ‘New order (Admin email)’ and ‘Processing order’ emails.

Enable invoice PDF and attach it to emails feature

You can disable sending your invoice emails to specific order statuses.

  • Display customer information

Check the option to display relevant customer information such as their shipping address, email address, phone number, or customer notes on invoices or packing slips.

Display customer information - shipping address, email address, phone number, customer notes, etc. in PDF invoices and packing slips
  • Generate and display invoice numbers

Scroll down and enable the display invoice number option.

You can even set the custom numbers for your next invoices. Enter the number format next to the prefix, suffix, or padding.

Display custom invoice numbers

Further, it allows you to reset the invoice number yearly. But we recommend you to keep this setting disabled.

  • Log invoice number generation

Enable the invoice number generation logs to help debug the numbering issue.

  • Allow customers to download their invoices

Locate the ‘Allow my account invoice download’ settings and set it to ‘Only when an invoice is already created/emailed’.

Enable log invoice number generation and allow customers to download their invoices

In addition, there are many other settings to enable invoice numbers from your WooCommerce orders list.

You’ll find options such as enabling the invoice number column, invoice date column, invoice number search, disabling invoices for free orders, and more.

Make sure to save the changes before moving further.

Step 4: Set the tax scheme and category (for UBL invoices)

This WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips plugin automatically fetches all the tax rates from your store.

You can set the tax scheme and tax category from the UBL section:

Set up tax scheme and category for UBL invoices

Click on ‘Save Changes’ when done. 

Step 5: Set additional advanced settings

Configure advanced settings such as:

  • Document link access type
  • Document access denied redirect page
  • Enable debug output
  • Enable semaphore logs, and more.
Configure advanced settings of WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips

Make sure to save the changes when done.

That’s it! This is how you can create WooCommerce PDF invoices and packing slips in your store.

Testing the PDF Invoices and Packing Slips Generation in Your WooCommerce Store

In this section, we’ll share you can test the WooCommerce checkout process and see if it accurately generates PDF invoices and packing slips.

To do that, add an item to your shopping cart and head to the checkout page.

Enter your test payment information and place the order.

Test your checkout process by adding items to cart, heading over to checkout and placing the order
🔔 Note: This checkout page above is made using a prebuilt template by FunnelKit Funnel Builder.

FunnelKit Funnel Builder is one of the most powerful sales funnel builder plugins for WooCommerce and WordPress.

Once your order is placed, you’ll be directed to the thank you page.

You'll be directed to the thank you page after successfully placing your order

Next, head to WooCommerce orders and click the ‘PDF Invoice’ and ‘PDF Packing Slip’ button to download them.

Go to WooCommerce orders and go to the latest order. Click on PDF Invoice and PDF packing slip to view these documents

You’ll be able to see the full PDF invoice:

Complete PDF invoice for this order

Here’s your order packing slip PDF:

Complete PDF packing slip for this order

The PDF format lets you download or print these documents.

That’s it! This is how you can test and verify the WooCommerce PDF invoice and packing slip generation process in your store.

👉 Refer to our guide on how to test WooCommerce checkout to provide an optimized shopping experience to your customers.

7 Tips for Effective WooCommerce Invoicing & Packing Slip Usage and Management

Let’s look at 7 effective tips to enhance your invoicing and packing slip generation process:

1. Optimize your checkout process

If your WooCommerce store isn’t optimized for conversions, setting up invoices and packing slips will be pointless.

That’s why you should optimize your WooCommerce checkout process.

Our experts recommend that you use FunnelKit Funnel Builder. It has the most advanced WooCommerce checkout manager functionality.

You can create one-page checkouts, order forms, Shopify-style checkouts, multi-step checkouts, and more.

With its editor, you can modify your checkout form fields simply by dragging and dropping.

In addition to that, you can optimize your checkout for quick conversions.

👉 Explore our guide on customizing your WooCommerce checkout page here.

2. Include essential information

Ensure that your invoices and packing slips contain all the crucial information. 

This information can include order details (items, quantities, and prices), customer information, payment method, shipping address, and any relevant order notes or messages.

3. Set up email delivery

Configure your plugin to automatically email your customers with attached PDF invoices and packing slips after they place an order.

This gives customers a digital copy of their order details and enhances communication and transparency.

Our experts recommend you send your WooCommerce emails through an SMTP server to ensure its deliverability.

Integrate your WooCommerce store with an SMTP plugin like WP Mail SMTP that reconfigures the default wp_mail() function and solves email delivery issues.

👉 Refer to our guide on configuring your WooCommerce store to send emails properly.

4. Make sure the invoice looks professional and on-brand

Customize the appearance of your invoices and packing slips to align them with your brand identity.

Add your business logo, adjust layouts and choose colors that reflect your brand.

The premium version of the WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips plugin unlocks various other templates.

5. Enable sequential numbering

Keep your invoices organized and easily trackable with sequential numbering.

This helps you maintain systematic invoice orders and simplify the overall record-keeping and accounting process.

6. Provide clear instructions 

Use clear and concise language in your invoices and packing slips to avoid confusion and misunderstandings.

Double-check shipping addresses and order details to prevent errors and delays before generating these documents.

7. Monitor feedback from your customers 

Always pay attention to feedback from your customers regarding the usefulness of invoices and packing slips.

Use this feedback to continuously improve the design and quality of your documents to ensure they meet customer expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

In this section, we’ve answered some of the common questions our users asked about WooCommerce PDF invoices and packing slips.

1. How do I use PDF invoices and packing slips in WooCommerce?

You can use the WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips plugin to generate invoices and packing slips for each order placed in your store.

First, install and activate the plugin on your WordPress website.

Next, configure the document settings for customization options and the details you want to display on your invoices and packing slips.

We’ve demonstrated the complete process in this article.

2. How do I customize a PDF invoice in WooCommerce?

To customize a PDF invoice in WooCommerce, install and activate the PDF Invoice and Packing Slip plugin.

After that, go to WooCommerce > PDF Invoices. There, you can configure settings such as adding a logo, entering the business name and address, setting the footer, adding any custom fields (if you want), enabling details you want to display, setting a custom invoice number, etc.

You can even select pre-designed invoice templates; however, it’s a premium feature. Once done, save the changes.

3. Can you print a packing slip on WooCommerce?

Yes, you can print packing slips on WooCommerce. All you have to do is go to a WooCommerce order and download the packing slip.

You can print your packing slip once you’ve downloaded it on your device.

4. How do I download all invoices from WooCommerce?

You can download all your invoices from WooCommerce using the bulk feature. Just select all orders and choose PDF Invoice from bulk action.

Once all the invoices are opened in a new window, download them to your device from there.

5. What is the difference between an invoice and a packing slip?

In eCommerce, invoices and packing slips serve different purposes. 

An invoice outlines the sale or transaction between a seller and a buyer. It contains information about order details (item name, quantities, prices, and total amount), customer information (name and shipping address), payment method, and more.

A packing slip accompanies a shipment of goods from a seller to a buyer. It contains information such as an item name, quantities of each item, brief description or SKU, or any special instructions or delivery notes related to the shipment.

Excited About Setting Up WooCommerce PDF Invoices and Packing Slips in Your Store?

Incorporating PDF invoices and packing slips into your WooCommerce store offers many benefits, from improved professionalism to enhanced customer satisfaction.

By seamlessly integrating the PDF Invoices & Packing Slips plugin, you can simplify the automatic generation of customized invoices and packing slips.

However, optimizing your online store goes beyond order management and invoice generation.

That’s where FunnelKit Funnel Builder comes into play, helping you create visually appealing, high-converting checkout pages that drive massive conversions.

So why wait? Take your WooCommerce business to new heights today!

Author: Editorial Team
The Editorial Team at FunnelKit (formerly WooFunnels) is a passionate group of writers and copy editors. We create well-researched posts on topics such as WordPress automation, sales funnels, online course creation, and more. We aim to deliver content that is interesting and actionable.
chevron-down