How Invoicing Works

Last Updated: August 2026

Invoices are part of the boring-but-important side of running digital services.

We try to make them as straightforward as possible.

An invoice tells you what you're paying for, how much you're paying, when payment is due, and who is providing the service.

This article explains how invoicing generally works across the fortheworld and development.city ecosystem.


1. When Do We Issue an Invoice?

The timing of an invoice depends on the service and the agreed payment terms.

An invoice may be issued:

  • Before a service begins

  • When an order is placed

  • At the beginning of a subscription period

  • After a service is delivered

  • At an agreed project milestone

  • On a recurring billing schedule

  • According to the terms of a specific customer agreement

The applicable service page, proposal, subscription, order, or agreement will determine the relevant billing arrangement.


2. What Does an Invoice Include?

Depending on the transaction, an invoice may include:

  • Our company information

  • Customer information

  • Invoice number

  • Invoice date

  • Service or product description

  • Quantity where applicable

  • Unit price where applicable

  • Subtotal

  • VAT or other applicable taxes

  • Total amount due

  • Currency

  • Payment due date

  • Payment instructions

  • Relevant payment or transaction information

For business customers, additional information may be included where required for accounting or tax purposes.


3. Who Issues the Invoice?

Services within the development.city ecosystem are operated by fortheworld OÜ, unless a particular service clearly identifies another contracting entity.

The relevant invoice should identify the legal entity responsible for the transaction.

The development.city ecosystem may contain multiple products, services, platforms, and customer-facing interfaces, but the legal entity behind the applicable transaction remains the entity identified in the relevant agreement or invoice.


4. Invoice Numbers

Each invoice may have a unique invoice number or other reference.

Please use the invoice number when contacting us about a billing question.

It helps us locate the correct transaction quickly.

For example, instead of:

"I think I was charged for something last month."

it's much easier to investigate:

"I'm asking about invoice #12345."

Tiny detail.

Huge difference.


5. Currency

The currency used for a transaction will be shown before or at the time of purchase, or in the applicable agreement.

Depending on the service and customer relationship, prices may be provided in currencies such as:

  • EUR

  • USD

  • GBP

  • Other supported currencies

The currency shown on the invoice is the currency applicable to that transaction.

If your payment provider converts the amount into another currency, the exchange rate and any conversion charges may be determined by the payment provider or your bank.


6. VAT & Taxes

VAT and other applicable taxes depend on factors such as:

  • Whether you are a consumer or business

  • Your country

  • Your VAT status

  • Where the customer is established or located

  • The type of service

  • Applicable tax rules

  • Whether reverse charge applies

The applicable VAT treatment should be reflected on the invoice where required.

For more information about VAT treatment, see:

VAT & EU Invoicing


7. Business Customers

If you purchase services on behalf of a business, please provide accurate business information before invoicing where required.

This may include:

  • Legal business name

  • Registered address

  • VAT identification number

  • Company registration information

  • Billing contact

  • Other information required for the transaction

For EU business customers, providing a valid VAT number can be important for determining the applicable VAT treatment.

If your business information changes, please let us know so future invoices can be issued correctly.


8. Consumers

If you purchase services as an individual consumer, your invoice and applicable tax treatment may differ from those applicable to a business customer.

Consumer rights are governed by applicable law and the terms relevant to the service you purchase.

Nothing in an invoice removes or limits mandatory consumer rights.


9. Recurring Invoices

Subscriptions and recurring services may generate invoices automatically according to the applicable billing cycle.

For example, a service may be billed:

  • Monthly

  • Quarterly

  • Annually

  • According to another agreed cycle

The applicable billing frequency should be communicated before you commit to the service.

Recurring invoices normally correspond to the service period being billed.


10. Project & Milestone Invoices

Custom projects may use milestone-based invoicing.

For example:

Project start → Development → Delivery → Final payment

The exact structure depends on the agreement.

A project invoice may therefore not follow the same schedule as a standard subscription.

If your project has milestone payments, the applicable proposal or agreement takes precedence.


11. How Do I Receive My Invoice?

Invoices may be delivered electronically through the communication or billing method associated with your service.

Depending on the service, this may include:

  • Email

  • Customer account

  • Billing portal

  • Project environment

  • Other electronic delivery method

Please keep your billing contact information up to date.

If you believe an invoice should have been issued but you cannot find it, contact us and we'll help locate it.


12. Can I Request a Copy?

Yes.

If you need another copy of an invoice, contact us through the appropriate billing channel and provide as much information as possible, such as:

  • Your name

  • Company name

  • Invoice number

  • Approximate invoice date

  • Service involved

We'll use that information to locate the relevant document.


13. What If an Invoice Contains an Error?

Mistakes happen.

If you believe an invoice contains incorrect information, contact us as soon as possible.

Examples include:

  • Incorrect company information

  • Incorrect VAT information

  • Incorrect amount

  • Duplicate invoice

  • Incorrect service description

  • Incorrect billing period

  • Other material billing information

Please don't simply ignore an invoice you believe is incorrect.

Tell us what looks wrong so we can investigate it.


14. Corrected Invoices

If an invoice needs to be corrected, we may issue an amended or replacement invoice or another appropriate accounting document depending on the nature of the correction and applicable accounting requirements.

Where an original invoice needs to remain part of the accounting record, the correction may be documented rather than simply deleting the original invoice.

This helps maintain a clear audit trail.


15. Payment Status

An invoice may have a status such as:

  • Pending

  • Due

  • Paid

  • Partially paid

  • Overdue

  • Cancelled

  • Refunded

  • Credited

The status reflects the payment information available to us and may take some time to update when payments are processed through external providers or bank transfers.


16. Payment References

When paying by bank transfer or another method requiring a payment reference, please use the reference provided on the invoice.

This helps us match the payment to the correct invoice.

If you accidentally use the wrong reference, contact us and provide the payment details so we can investigate.


17. Keeping Your Invoices

We recommend keeping copies of your invoices for your own accounting and record-keeping requirements.

Businesses may have legal obligations concerning how long financial records must be retained.

Your own accountant or tax adviser can advise you on the requirements applicable to your organisation.

We also retain financial records where required for legal, accounting, tax, contractual, or other legitimate purposes.


18. Privacy & Invoices

Invoices can contain personal and business information.

We therefore treat invoice information as part of the information covered by our Privacy Policy.

Depending on the transaction, an invoice may contain information such as:

  • Name

  • Address

  • Company information

  • VAT information

  • Email address

  • Service information

  • Payment information

  • Transaction references

We use this information for billing, accounting, legal, tax, contractual, and related legitimate purposes.


19. Third-Party Payment Providers

Some payments may be processed through third-party payment providers.

In those cases, the payment provider may process payment-related information according to its own terms and privacy policy.

The payment provider may also have its own requirements concerning:

  • Payment verification

  • Fraud prevention

  • Currency conversion

  • Transaction processing

  • Refunds

  • Chargebacks

The applicable payment provider's terms may therefore apply alongside our own terms.


20. Invoices & Subscriptions

An invoice confirms a billing transaction.

It does not necessarily mean that a subscription cannot be cancelled.

If you want to stop a recurring service, follow the cancellation procedure applicable to that service.

For more information, see:

Subscription & Billing Cycles

and

Refunds & Cancellations


21. Questions About an Invoice

If something on your invoice doesn't make sense, ask.

Please include the invoice number whenever possible.

We'll help explain:

  • What the charge relates to

  • Which service period it covers

  • How the amount was calculated

  • What taxes were applied

  • What payment is still outstanding

  • What you need to do next

An invoice shouldn't be a puzzle.


The Short Version

Your invoice tells you:

Who you're paying.

What you're paying for.

How much it costs.

What taxes apply.

When payment is due.

How to pay.

If something looks wrong:

Don't guess. Ask us.

We'll investigate it.

Build better. Connect smarter. Scale sustainably.

#ForPeopleForPlanet


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