Guides
- How to write a job card The record of what you were given, what condition it was in, and what you agreed to do.
- A job card template Built so the condition section gets filled in, because that is the one that gets skipped.
- Approving extra work on a job The authorisation limit, the phone call, and why a text message is worth more than a nod.
How to make a job card
- Take the customer's details and describe the item: make, model, serial or registration number.
- Write down the reported fault in the customer's own words, and note the condition it arrived in.
- List the work and parts you expect, with estimated costs, or leave the amounts blank until you've diagnosed it.
- Get it signed, print two copies, and attach one to the item.
When to use one
Fill in a job card the moment an item is handed over: a phone, a laptop, a vehicle, a machine. It's the record of what you were given and the condition it was in, which is the thing people argue about later. Convert it to an invoice once the work is approved and finished.
Questions
What's the difference between a job card and a quote?
A job card records the item and the intake; a quote prices work you've already scoped. For repairs you often can't quote until you've opened the item, so the job card carries an estimate and the customer approves the real figure later.
Should I note existing damage?
Always, in detail: scratches, cracked corners, missing parts, fuel level, mileage. Photograph it too, and note on the card that photographs were taken. Undocumented pre-existing damage becomes your problem the moment the customer collects, and it is almost never the work that gets disputed. How to write a job card has a worked condition block.
How do I handle approval for extra work?
Write your authorisation limit on the card at booking in and get the customer to sign against it. Below that figure you proceed; above it you stop and phone. Follow the call with a message so the approval is in writing rather than remembered. Approving extra work has the four-line message that does the job.
What about items nobody collects?
State your storage terms and the point at which uncollected items may be disposed of. The rules on this vary by country, so check what applies where you trade before relying on it.
Do I need to create an account?
No. There is no sign-up, no login and no trial, and nothing is held back behind one. The page works the first time you open it and the hundredth. Since nothing you type is stored anywhere, there would be nothing for an account to hold. The privacy page sets out what that means in practice.
Can I put my own logo on it?
Yes. Click the logo box at the top left of the sheet and choose an image. Resize it to around 600 pixels wide first: a photo straight off a phone can be several megabytes, and that weight goes into your saved file and any PDF you export. The logo is stored inside the sheet, so it comes back with the job card next time you open it.
Can I save it and change it later?
Use Save as file to write a small .json file to your own disk, then Open a saved file to bring it back with everything in place, logo included. That file is also the quickest way to build a template: fill in your own details once, save it, and open that copy each time. The job card template guide covers what to fix and what to leave blank.
How do I get a PDF?
Choose Print or save PDF, then pick Save as PDF as the destination in your browser's print dialogue. The file is produced on your own machine and never passes through a server. Two settings decide how it looks: background graphics on, and scale at 100%. Turning an invoice into a PDF explains both, and they behave the same on every sheet here.
Which currencies can I use?
Every currency in common use. The picker opens on the one that matches your country, worked out from your browser's own locale rather than by looking anything up over the network. Change it whenever you like and the symbol follows through to every figure on the job card. If you bill across a border, invoicing a client in another currency covers the decisions worth making first.
Is anything I type sent anywhere?
No. There is no server behind this page. Client names, prices, notes and your logo stay in the browser tab while it is open and go when you close it, which is why saving to a file matters. The privacy page sets out exactly what does and does not happen, including the one external request the site still makes.
Can I list parts and labour separately?
Yes, and you should. Add an Hours column from the column bar for labour and keep Qty and Rate for parts. A customer who can see the split queries the total less often than one handed a single figure. The job card template guide covers the columns worth keeping.
Should the customer sign it?
Yes, at booking in and again at collection. The first signature records the condition the item arrived in and the authorisation limit; the second records that it went back and the work was accepted. Switch the signature block on in the sidebar and both columns appear at the foot of the sheet.
Can I turn a job card into an invoice?
Save it as a file, open the invoice page and type the approved lines across. Reference the job number on the invoice so the two match. Keep the job card as the record of what was found and authorised, since that is the document that settles disputes about extra work.