Invoicing as a Caterer

Catering pricing lives and dies by the headcount, and that number always moves. Fee-Lion is built for exactly this rhythm: quote a per-head price, collect a deposit to reserve the date, then bill the real count once the plates are out. Here’s how to run an event end to end.

Quote per head with per-unit line items

Start a new estimate from Estimates in the left sidebar. Catering quotes are mostly per-unit lines, so price each item by quantity times rate.

1. Add a unit line item like “Plated dinner — per guest” and set the rate (say $48) with a quantity that matches your expected headcount.
2. Add more unit lines for bar service, rentals, or staffing — each as its own qty × rate row so the client sees exactly what they’re paying for.
3. Use a fee line for flat costs like a delivery or cake-cutting charge, and add a surcharge for a service charge or a discount for a repeat-client courtesy.
4. Set your tax rate and a deposit % on the estimate, then send it.

To stop re-keying your tax and deposit on every event, set them once under Settings → Preferences (the Estimates, tax, and deposit defaults) so each new quote starts pre-filled.

Tip: Pad the quoted headcount slightly and note your final-count cutoff in the estimate. When the real number lands, you’ll edit the quantity up or down before invoicing — easy when each course is its own per-unit line.

Take a deposit to lock the date

A signed quote means nothing until the deposit clears, and the magic-link portal makes that one smooth motion for the client.

• The client opens the estimate from a link — no login, no account — reviews the per-head pricing, and approves it right there.
• With a deposit percentage set, approval flows straight into paying that deposit by card. The money lands in your own Stripe account (minus a small platform fee), not in a holding account you have to chase.
• The reserved date is now backed by real money, and you’ve got a paper trail tying the deposit to the event.

Bill the final count

Once the event firms up and you have your guaranteed number, turn the quote into the bill.

1. Open the approved estimate and adjust the per-guest quantities to the real headcount, plus any day-of add-ons.
2. Click Convert to turn it into an invoice — one click, no retyping line items.
3. On the invoice, the deposit already collected is reflected, so the client pays only the balance via the Pay button.
4. If a client hands you a check or pays cash at the venue, use record an offline payment so the invoice still reads as paid and your books stay clean.

For weddings or galas you’re managing over weeks, convert the estimate into a project instead — track tastings, prep checklists, and client discussions in one place, then send the final invoice from there.

Tip: Running the same wedding-season menu over and over? Save it as a template under Settings → Preferences so each new quote starts with your standard per-head lines already in place.

What’s next

• Price an estimate with tasks, fees, and units
• Collect a deposit on an estimate
• Convert an estimate to an invoice
• Record an offline payment