ProZ.com Translation Forums

Invoicing tool | there is the better way

Sergei Tumanov — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 09:51:00 +0000

Forum: ProZ.com technical support
Topic: Invoicing tool
Poster: Sergei Tumanov
Post title: there is the better way

[quote]Geraldine Pugh wrote:

Does anyone know how to produce an invoice without Due Date and Terms fields? I don't really need them as we never agreed on a date for payment and I don't even understand the terms field. [/quote]

If you really do not need these fields leave them empty. It's a normal business practice not to fill all fields in the invoice.

[Edited at 2014-04-14 10:07 GMT]

Invoicing tool | terms vs. due date

Sergei Tumanov — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 09:46:00 +0000

Forum: ProZ.com technical support
Topic: Invoicing tool
Poster: Sergei Tumanov
Post title: terms vs. due date

These are important fields

When a seller prepares his/her invoice, it is prudent to set certain date when the invoice is due. If such date is not explicitly mentioned a customer is not obliged to pay on time (as there is no due date at all on the invoice).
Reference to current legislation in force does not help much.... if the invoice is not paid when the seller wants it be paid

The seller can make it in two ways -- filling either the field 'terms' or the field 'date due' up.

Filling the field terms is convenient for the seller. E.g. if the invoice is made up on the 17th April it's hard to say when it is due (some additional calculation is needed) at once, but it is very easy to select payment terms '37 days net' in the box in the screen.

However, when the customer receives this invoice the burden of calculation is totally on him/her. It is polite therefore to put the due date in the invoice -- the customer knows that the invoice must be settled on 24th May without any math.

Well designed bookkeeping packages allow users to fill up the field 'terms' on computer screens (convenience for the user) when issuing invoices. But when the invoice is printed out, it's the field 'due date' that appears on it (convenience for the client).

I would recommend to fill both fields as a good practice.

[Edited at 2014-04-14 09:48 GMT]

Invoicing tool | Don't remove them!

Charlotte Farrell — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 08:58:00 +0000

Forum: ProZ.com technical support
Topic: Invoicing tool
Poster: Charlotte Farrell
Post title: Don't remove them!

[quote]Nicole Schnell wrote:

Hello Geraldine,

the "terms" field is highly important because this is where you state that you want to be paid within, say, 30 days from invoice date. Or within 45 or 60 days or within two weeks. The due date is the day when you expect a check in your mailbox, based on your payment terms. Why would you, of all things, omit this part? [/quote]

I agree with Nicole - it doesn't make any sense to remove these parts. Without a due date, invoices are not even valid in certain countries, so it's very important to have one. Also, without a due date, what's to make the client pay? The payment can never be late if a deadline is never set. If you absolutely don't care about when you get paid, then set a date three months from now. Most common seems to be 30 days from month end (i.e. you'd put a due date as the end of May if you sent an invoice now).

Invoicing tool | Why would you want to omit the payment terms?

Nicole Schnell — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 03:43:00 +0000

Forum: ProZ.com technical support
Topic: Invoicing tool
Poster: Nicole Schnell
Post title: Why would you want to omit the payment terms?

Hello Geraldine,

the "terms" field is highly important because this is where you state that you want to be paid within, say, 30 days from invoice date. Or within 45 or 60 days or within two weeks. The due date is the day when you expect a check in your mailbox, based on your payment terms. Why would you, of all things, omit this part?

Invoicing tool

GP Translations — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 03:02:00 +0000

Forum: ProZ.com technical support
Topic: Invoicing tool
Poster: GP Translations

Does anyone know how to produce an invoice without Due Date and Terms fields? I don't really need them as we never agreed on a date for payment and I don't even understand the terms field.