How to Invoice with FPS and PayMe in Hong Kong (Free Template)

Hong Kong has no statutory invoice template, but a company must show its registered name and liability status on every invoice and receipt, and keep invoices for at least 7 years. To be paid fastest, print an FPS ID or FPS QR code on the invoice: FPS runs 24 hours a day in HKD and RMB, and the system does not charge merchants (your bank may). PayMe for Business costs 1.2% in-app and 1.5% via API or POS. A copyable template follows.

Last reviewed: September 2026 · Sources: HKMA, HKICL, Companies Registry, IRD, HSBC PayMe

What a Hong Kong invoice must contain

There is no "tax invoice" in Hong Kong because there is no VAT or GST, so no statute lists invoice fields the way the EU or Singapore does. Two legal rules still shape the document. The rest is commercial good practice that makes the invoice easy to pay and easy to defend.

The legal minimum. The Companies (Disclosure of Company Name and Liability Status) Regulation (Cap. 622B) requires a company to state its registered name and liability status on "transaction instruments", which the Companies Registry's disclosure FAQ confirms include any invoice or receipt. Either the English or the Chinese registered name will do, but it must match the Registry exactly. "ABC Trading" is not "ABC Trading Limited".

The record-keeping rule. Section 51C of the Inland Revenue Ordinance requires every business to keep sufficient records of income and expenditure for at least 7 years, and the IRD's record-keeping guidance names invoices, receipts and vouchers among them. Failing to keep them carries a maximum fine of HK$100,000. Records may be kept electronically and in English or Chinese.

Good practice that gets you paid. Everything else below is not statutory, but missing items are the main reason a customer's accounts team parks an invoice:

• A unique, sequential invoice number (INV-2026-001, INV-2026-002 and so on)
• Issue date and a due date stated as a date, not only as "Net 30"
• Your business address and Business Registration number
• The customer's legal name, address and, for companies, a contact in accounts payable
• The customer's purchase order number, if they issued one
• A description of each item or service, quantity, unit price and line total
• The total in HK$ (or the agreed currency), with the currency stated
• Payment instructions: FPS ID or QR code, bank account, PayMe code
• Your payment terms and any late-payment clause agreed in the contract

FPS on an invoice: proxy IDs and QR codes

The HKMA's FPS page describes the Faster Payment System as a 24x7 real-time payment platform for HKD and RMB, linking banks and stored value facilities. A payer does not need your bank account number. They need a "proxy ID" that points to it.

The four proxy types

The HKICL consumer FAQ lists the proxies. For a business invoice, the choice matters because of what each one reveals.

An FPS ID is unique and tied to a single account, and HKICL's merchant FAQ notes it is not portable: if you change banks, you get a new one and must update every invoice template. A mobile or email proxy embedded in a QR code can show that phone number or address to the payer, which is another reason to use an FPS ID.

FPS QR codes

FPS QR codes follow the Hong Kong Common QR Code specification introduced in 2018, so any participating bank or wallet app can scan them. Most business banking apps will generate a static QR for your account. The HKICL merchant FAQ also describes the HKQR app, which can combine several payment schemes into a single code.

A static QR carries your account proxy but not the amount, so the customer types the figure. Put the invoice number next to the code and ask them to enter it as the payment reference. That one step saves most of the reconciliation work later.

Fees and limits

HKICL's merchant FAQ states that "the FPS does not charge the merchants". Banks and stored value facility operators set their own charges and transaction limits, which vary by institution and account type, so check your own bank's tariff. Whether incoming FPS credits carry a charge is a bank decision, not an FPS rule.

Limits also vary. HKICL notes that some cross-boundary services have their own caps; for example, FPS x PromptPay and the northbound Payment Connect service each have a daily limit of HK$10,000. A domestic B2B customer paying a large invoice may hit their own bank's daily FPS limit and need to use a bank transfer instead.

PayMe for Business

PayMe for Business is HSBC's merchant version of its PayMe wallet. According to the PayMe for Business homepage, fees are 1.2% per transaction through the app and 1.5% through the API or POS integration. Funds are accessible instantly, and transfers to your bank account carry no charge.

It suits businesses whose customers are consumers who already hold PayMe, such as retail, tutoring, fitness and events. You can issue PayCodes and PayLinks, which carry the amount, so the customer does not have to type it. Sign-up is designed for HSBC Business Internet Banking customers, although other businesses can apply.

For B2B invoices, PayMe is usually the wrong default. A corporate accounts payable team pays from a bank account, not a personal wallet, and a 1.2% fee is money you do not need to give up when FPS is free at the system level.

JetFlow lets you upload the FPS or PayMe QR image from your banking app once, with an FPS ID caption, and it then appears on every invoice PDF you send. See how JetFlow handles invoicing.

Worked example: what each method costs on a HK$20,000 invoice

Take a single HK$20,000 invoice paid four different ways. Bank-set fees vary, so they are shown as "per your bank tariff" rather than invented.

Across 50 such invoices a year, PayMe in-app would cost 50 × HK$240 = HK$12,000 in fees. That is the price of convenience for customers who only use PayMe. For customers who can use FPS, it is avoidable.

Payment methods compared

Free Hong Kong invoice template

Copy this into your word processor or accounting system. Replace the capitalised placeholders. Remove any line that does not apply, but keep the registered name exactly as it appears on the Companies Registry.

ABC TRADING LIMITED
(registered name exactly as on the Companies Registry)
Unit 1201, 12/F, Example Building, 88 Example Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
BR No.: 12345678 | [email protected] | +852 0000 0000

INVOICE

Invoice no.:   INV-2026-001
Issue date:    25 September 2026
Due date:      25 October 2026 (30 days)
Customer PO:   PO-7788

Bill to:
XYZ Company Limited
Attn: Accounts Payable
Address line 1
Address line 2, Hong Kong

Description                          Qty   Unit price (HK$)   Amount (HK$)
Consulting services, September 2026   10          1,500.00      15,000.00
Travel and materials (at cost)          1          5,000.00       5,000.00

                                              TOTAL (HK$)      20,000.00

How to pay
FPS ID:        1234567  (ABC Trading Limited)
FPS QR:        [scan code]
Bank transfer: Example Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, account 000-000000-000
Reference:     please quote INV-2026-001

Terms: payment due within 30 days of the invoice date. Overdue amounts
may attract interest as set out in our agreement dated 1 March 2026.

Two things are deliberately absent. There is no "VAT" or "GST 0%" line, because Hong Kong has neither and the line only confuses overseas customers. There is no tax registration number either, because Hong Kong issues none for invoicing; the BR number is the identifier customers expect. For more on overseas customers, see does Hong Kong have VAT or GST invoice requirements.

How to set up FPS collection for invoices

1. Ask your business bank for an FPS ID on your main collection account, and register a role email (not a personal one) as a backup proxy if you want one.
2. Generate a static FPS QR code in your business banking app, or a combined code with the HKQR app.
3. Add the FPS ID, the QR code and the account name to your invoice template, directly under the total.
4. Ask payers to quote the invoice number as the FPS reference, and put that request on the invoice itself.
5. Reconcile FPS receipts against open invoices daily or weekly, using the reference field.

Common mistakes

• Using a director's personal mobile as the FPS proxy. It exposes personal data on every invoice and breaks when the director leaves. Use an FPS ID.
• Trading name instead of registered name. Cap. 622B requires the registered name on invoices and receipts. A trading name can appear too, but not instead.
• "Net 30" without a date. Customers' systems key on the due date. Print the actual date.
• No reference instruction. An FPS credit of HK$20,000 with no reference can take an hour to match if three customers owe that amount.
• Reusing or skipping invoice numbers. Gaps and duplicates are a red flag in an IRD enquiry or an audit. Void and keep a cancelled invoice rather than deleting it.
• Defaulting to PayMe for B2B. Corporate payers rarely use it, and the fee is avoidable.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official invoice format in Hong Kong?

No. There is no prescribed layout and no "tax invoice", because Hong Kong has no VAT or GST. A company must still show its registered name and liability status on invoices under Cap. 622B, and keep the records for at least 7 years.

Do I need to put my BR number on an invoice in Hong Kong?

We found no statutory requirement to print the Business Registration number on an invoice. Most businesses do because customers and their auditors expect it, and it identifies you clearly. It costs nothing to include.

Does FPS charge businesses a fee?

HKICL states that the FPS itself does not charge merchants. Your bank or stored value facility sets its own fees and limits, so check the tariff for your business account.

How much does PayMe for Business charge in Hong Kong?

HSBC's PayMe for Business page lists 1.2% per transaction through the app and 1.5% through the API or POS. Funds are accessible instantly and moving them to a bank account is free.

How long do I need to keep invoices in Hong Kong?

At least 7 years, under section 51C of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. That covers both the invoices you issue and those you receive, along with receipts and bank statements.

Key takeaways

• Hong Kong has no prescribed invoice format, but a company's registered name and liability status must appear on every invoice and receipt.
• Keep all invoices and supporting records for at least 7 years; the maximum fine for failing to do so is HK$100,000.
• Put an FPS ID, not a personal phone or email, on business invoices, with a request to quote the invoice number.
• FPS charges merchants nothing at system level; PayMe for Business costs 1.2% in-app and 1.5% via API or POS.
• Never add a "VAT 0%" line or an invented tax number; Hong Kong has no VAT or GST.

Getting the invoice right is half of getting paid; the other half is what you do after the due date, which our accounts receivable playbook covers. If you are choosing a system, our guide to accounting software for Hong Kong SMEs compares the options, and the month-end close checklist shows where FPS reconciliation fits. JetFlow issues invoices with your FPS or PayMe QR code on every PDF, tracks what is overdue and shows AR ageing in one report. Start free with JetFlow.

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees and limits are set by each bank and payment provider and can change; check your own provider's current tariff.