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Poll: Has it ever taken you a few months or even a year to send in an invoice?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
May 23, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Has it ever taken you a few months or even a year to send in an invoice?".

This poll was originally submitted by Betty M.. View the poll results »



 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 11:37
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
No May 23, 2018

It takes max 10 days after completion of a job,

I don't see how you can forget or procrastinate to issue an invoice.
Of course, some clients only want one invoice at the end of the month, but I try to avoid those.


 
Kuochoe Nikoi-Kotei
Kuochoe Nikoi-Kotei  Identity Verified
Ghana
Local time: 10:37
Japanese to English
Yes. For one particular client May 23, 2018

You just reminded me that I'm sitting on a six-month old invoice for a client...

 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 10:37
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other May 23, 2018

Most of my regular clients (except two) appreciate monthly invoices. For other clients (mainly new customers or one-offs) invoices are sent together with the translation, with a single exception: I have a client for whom I translate occasionally tiny texts and I agreed with him to only invoice when we reach a certain value (usually this takes three or four months). I must say also that lately I’ve been struggling with a new client who pays well and on time but is extremely disorganized: he is ... See more
Most of my regular clients (except two) appreciate monthly invoices. For other clients (mainly new customers or one-offs) invoices are sent together with the translation, with a single exception: I have a client for whom I translate occasionally tiny texts and I agreed with him to only invoice when we reach a certain value (usually this takes three or four months). I must say also that lately I’ve been struggling with a new client who pays well and on time but is extremely disorganized: he is supposed to issue a single PO for all the jobs done during that month and unfortunately I have to remind him over and over again that I need a PO. This is extremely time-consuming and though I’ve been giving him the benefit of the doubt enough is enough and my patience is wearing thin…Collapse


 
Marjolein Snippe
Marjolein Snippe  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 11:37
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Once May 23, 2018

I always send my invoices at the end of the month and it has happened to me once that one invoice got prepared, checked, and then never sent out. I discovered this a couple of months later, when checking the payment status. As this was a reliable client, I realised quickly that their non-payment was probably due to a mistake I made. The invoice was sent with apologies and paid very soon afterwards.

 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 11:37
English to Italian
yes May 23, 2018

a client who sent me several small jobs received his invoice about 8 months after the first small job.

another client received the invoice for a specific job after 4 months (when he sent me an email asking if I had ever issued the invoice for that job...)


 
Angus Stewart
Angus Stewart  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:37
Member (2011)
French to English
+ ...
Yes May 23, 2018

Once I was unexpectedly hospitalised for three weeks over New Year and it took me a couple of weeks after I was discharged before I was properly back on my feet. Accordingly, I was approximately a month late in issuing the invoices that should have been done at the month end.

 
Julian Holmes
Julian Holmes  Identity Verified
Japan
Local time: 19:37
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Other May 23, 2018

Strictly speaking 'No' since one client tells me that I've forgotten to bill them. God bless 'em!

This client sometimes gives me a string of small additions after large projects which I forget to bill and has in the past told me a couple of times that I need to bill them after this discrepancy has been discovered as a result of an internal audit. The amounts are never that big, which is why they slip through, but ad
... See more
Strictly speaking 'No' since one client tells me that I've forgotten to bill them. God bless 'em!

This client sometimes gives me a string of small additions after large projects which I forget to bill and has in the past told me a couple of times that I need to bill them after this discrepancy has been discovered as a result of an internal audit. The amounts are never that big, which is why they slip through, but add up to enough to pay for the gas and electricity bills for a few months.
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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 03:37
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes May 23, 2018

Twice. They were both one-off assignments. By the time I got around to following up, both companies had gone out of business. There was also a job for about $10 and the translation portal was so complicated that I never followed through. But that was a all about 8 to 10 years ago. I learned my lesson and have been very efficient with my invoicing ever since.

 
Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 10:37
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Never May 23, 2018

Sending the invoice is my favourite task.

 
Nina Khmielnitzky
Nina Khmielnitzky  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 06:37
Member (2004)
English to French
For one client May 23, 2018

He sends me tidbits to be translated, so I keep adding them up until I have a reasonably interesting amount and send him an invoice once every six months.

 
M. Anna Kańduła
M. Anna Kańduła  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:37
English to Polish
No May 23, 2018

Invoices go out together with a translation, unless it's a regular client, in which case the last day of the month, each month.

 
Emin Arı
Emin Arı  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 13:37
English to Turkish
+ ...
Yes May 23, 2018

When there is a client offering small jobs, I accumulate payments till it reaches a reasonable sum. Otherwise, I must pay huge transfer fees.

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:37
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes May 23, 2018

I once forgot to bill a university client until about 9 month after delivering the job, and only discovered it when they approached me for another translation.

I dislike admin at the best of times, which is one reason I don't like being called "a business", as I'm not very businesslike or professional in that sense.


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 07:37
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No May 23, 2018

I've always had an organized agenda and reminders for this (and other) purpose (s). I do sometimes forget to issue an invoice, but until I do, the reminders will keep popping up in my screen. So delayed, yes, several times. More than a month late, never.

 
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Poll: Has it ever taken you a few months or even a year to send in an invoice?






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