Work order vs invoice is a question of timing and purpose. The work order is raised before the work and says what will be done, by whom, and what it will cost from the business's own hours, rate, parts and markup; it is the sheet the job is written on. The invoice is raised after the work and asks for the money, reading the same lines and total, with the deposit already taken shown against the balance. The two should agree because the second is produced from the first, and the point of keeping the order as a record is that they do. This guide is what each carries, and where they differ.
The work order: authorisation and price, before the work
A work order carries the customer and the site, the work to be done, who is doing it, the date and the figures behind the price: labour hours at the rate, parts at cost with the markup, a trip charge and the tax on the parts line. It exists to authorise the work and to fix the price before anyone is sent. The work order template on this site prices it on the page, free, and prints or saves as PDF for the customer.
The invoice: the request for payment, after the work
An invoice carries the same customer and the same lines, now as the work actually done, with the total, any deposit taken and the balance due, plus the terms and the date payment is due. It is the document the customer's bookkeeper pays from, so it has to read exactly what the order showed. Where the two differ, the difference should be a dated change on the order, such as extra parts added on site, not a figure typed from memory.
Why the record matters between them
Every dispute about a bill is a difference between the work order and the invoice that nobody can explain. Jobcardo keeps the order as a record with its lines, its status and a date on every change, and exports it so the invoice reads from it; it does not raise the invoice itself, because invoicing is its own product and the two documents are best kept by the tools that own them. What sales tax applies to labour or parts on either document is a question for your state.
Questions people ask about work order vs invoice
Does a work order come before an invoice?
Yes. The work order authorises and prices the work before it starts; the invoice asks for payment after it is done, and should read the order's lines and total.
Can a work order be used as an invoice?
Some small shops hand the priced work order over as the bill. Whether that satisfies your customer's bookkeeper or your state's invoicing requirements is a question for your accountant; the worksheet shows the figures either way.
Does Jobcardo raise invoices?
No. It raises, prices and keeps the work order and exports its lines; the invoice is raised by your invoicing tool or bookkeeper from those lines.