What is the purpose of adding billable expenses to an invoice?

Adding billable expenses to an invoice serves the specific purpose of including costs that have been incurred by a business in the process of providing services or goods to a customer. When businesses incur expenses that are related to a specific client or project, they often have the right to recoup those costs. By itemizing these expenses on the invoice, the business ensures that the customer is aware of the additional charges that relate directly to the work performed on their behalf.

This is particularly valuable in cases where services are rendered, and related costs—such as travel, materials, or subcontractor fees—must be passed on to the client. It allows for full transparency and ensures that the business can recover all costs associated with the project, thus maintaining profitability while providing the customer with a detailed statement of what they are being billed for.

The other options do not capture this essence: providing discounts relates to price adjustments rather than expense recovery, reminders about due dates concern payment timelines rather than expense inclusion, and tracking overall expenses might relate to financial management but does not specifically address the purpose of directly billing clients for incurred costs.