Education Invoice Template

Free Online Course Creator Invoice Template

Invoice templates for online course creators billing businesses and organisations for course development and eLearning production.

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What is an Online Course Creator invoice?

An online course creator invoice is issued by a freelance eLearning specialist or course development professional to a business, educational institution, or publisher for the design, development, and production of online courses, eLearning modules, and digital learning content. Online course creation is a distinct profession from teaching. Course creators design learning experiences: structuring curriculum, creating video scripts, developing assessments, building interactive content in authoring tools (Articulate Storyline, Rise, Adobe Captivate), and managing the production of multimedia learning assets. Businesses commissioning online courses for employee training, onboarding, compliance, or customer education represent the primary market. Higher education and professional bodies also commission custom eLearning development.

What to include on an Online Course Creator invoice

Common online course creator invoice line items

Service Typical Rate Unit
Course design and storyboarding (per module) 800 module
eLearning development (per finished hour) 3000 hour
Video production for course (per minute) 200 minute
Assessment design (per quiz/assessment) 300 assessment
LMS setup and course upload 500 course
Instructional design consultancy (per hour) 90 hour

How to invoice as an online course creator

eLearning projects are typically invoiced in stages: 30% on project kick-off, 40% on delivery of first draft modules for review, and 30% on final delivery. This aligns payments with project milestones and protects both parties. The '40:1 rule' in eLearning states that 40 hours of development time is needed for each hour of finished eLearning. Quote accordingly. Do not undercharge based on the finished runtime; charge based on development effort. For ongoing L&D partnerships (developing multiple courses over a year), a retainer model with monthly invoicing provides steady income. Define the monthly deliverables (hours of development, specific modules) clearly. For video production within a course, consider whether you are producing the video in-house or subcontracting. Subcontracting costs should be passed through to the client with your project management markup.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to create an online course professionally?
Professional eLearning development costs vary enormously. Simple PowerPoint-to-SCORM conversions cost £500 to £1,500 per hour of finished content. Custom interactive Articulate Storyline courses cost £3,000 to £8,000 per finished hour of content. The CIPD/Towards Maturity benchmarks £3,200 to £5,700 per finished hour for typical corporate eLearning.
What authoring tools do eLearning developers use?
Articulate Storyline and Rise 360 are the industry standards. Adobe Captivate is used for more complex interactions. iSpring is popular for simple conversions. Canva, Vyond, and Camtasia are used for graphic and video elements. Most clients want SCORM 1.2 or 2004 output compatible with their LMS.
What is SCORM and why does it matter for eLearning invoicing?
SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) is the technical standard that allows eLearning content to work with different LMS platforms. Clients typically specify SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004. Confirming the required output format (SCORM, xAPI, video, web) before development begins prevents expensive rework.
Do online course creators charge VAT?
Course development services are standard-rated at 20% if the creator is VAT-registered. The supply of a finished eLearning product (as a licence to use the content) may have different VAT treatment from consultancy services. Confirm with your accountant.
Who owns the intellectual property in a commissioned course?
Unless agreed otherwise, the course creator retains the copyright in original creative work. Most commercial commissions include a full IP assignment to the client on receipt of final payment. Confirm IP ownership in your contract. Ensure the client understands they own the SCORM package but not the authoring tool source files unless you agree otherwise.
Can I use this template for free?
Yes. Tidybill's free plan lets you create up to 5 invoices per month at no cost, with no credit card required. You can use the Online Course Creator invoice template straight away after signing up.