Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say "Invoice" in Spanish
Factura · noun · fahk-TOO-rah
Factura is the primary Spanish translation of "invoice"—an itemized document requesting payment for goods or services. It is a feminine noun (la factura) used universally in business Spanish. In Argentina, factura has an additional meaning: a type of bakery pastry.
fahk-TOO-rah (three syllables, stress on the second)
¿Me puede enviar la factura por correo electrónico, por favor?
Can you send me the invoice by email, please?
Invoice in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for invoice, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| factura | invoice | fahk-TOO-rah | Default, widely understood |
| recibo | invoice | receipt; sometimes used loosely for invoice | |
| cuenta | invoice | bill, especially at restaurants | |
| factura de venta | invoice | sales invoice, formal commercial term |
How Native Speakers Use Factura
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Business context
El proveedor nos envió la factura con un plazo de pago de treinta días.
The supplier sent us the invoice with a thirty-day payment term.
Factura is the standard term in formal business and accounting contexts.
Requesting an invoice
Necesito una factura con los datos fiscales de mi empresa.
I need an invoice with my company's tax information.
In many Latin American countries, requesting a factura fiscal (tax invoice) is important for deducting business expenses.
Issuing an invoice (verb form)
Voy a facturar los servicios del mes pasado.
I'm going to invoice the services from last month.
The verb facturar means 'to invoice' or 'to bill.' It is also used for checking luggage at an airport: facturar el equipaje.
Argentine pastry meaning
Pasamos por la panadería a comprar facturas para el desayuno.
We stopped by the bakery to buy pastries for breakfast.
In Argentina and Uruguay, facturas are sweet pastries like medialunas, commonly eaten at breakfast.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Factura
Confusing factura with cuenta
Incorrect: Mozo, ¿me trae la factura? (at a restaurant)
Correct: Mozo, ¿me trae la cuenta?
At a restaurant, you ask for la cuenta (the bill/check), not la factura. Factura is a formal commercial document, while cuenta is the bill you pay at a restaurant or bar.
Confusing factura with recibo
Incorrect: Aquí tiene su factura. (handing a customer a proof of payment)
Correct: Aquí tiene su recibo.
A factura is issued before or at the time of requesting payment. A recibo is the proof that payment has been received. They serve different purposes in a transaction.
Why Invoice Matters in Spanish-Speaking Cultures
Lock in Invoice Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Factura used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using factura in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear ¿Me puede enviar la factura por correo electrónico, por favor? while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Invoice in Spanish
- What is the difference between "factura" and "recibo"?
- A factura is an invoice—a document requesting payment for goods or services, typically with itemized details and tax information. A recibo is a receipt—proof that a payment has been made. In short, factura comes before payment and recibo comes after.
- Why does "factura" mean pastry in Argentina?
- The origin is debated, but one popular theory links it to the Argentine labor movement of the early 20th century, when bakers named their pastries after business terms (factura, vigilante, bola de fraile) as a form of social commentary. Regardless of the origin, the double meaning is well established.
- How do you say "to invoice" as a verb in Spanish?
- The verb is facturar. It means to issue an invoice: Necesito facturar este trabajo (I need to invoice this job). Note that facturar also means to check in luggage at an airport.