Query: Payment and invoicing Thread poster: Osiris Jasso
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Osiris Jasso
Mexico
Local time: 22:51
Spanish to English
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Hi,
On December 2nd I finished a transcription job for an outsourcer. They got my address from the Proz.com directory and contacted me via e-mail.
At the time of starting the project, we did not discuss the payment terms, so a few days after completion of the project I asked my PM about the date I could get paid. He replied that according to the company policy the payment would be made 45 days after the invoice is raised. However, more than 60 days after completion of ... See more Hi,
On December 2nd I finished a transcription job for an outsourcer. They got my address from the Proz.com directory and contacted me via e-mail.
At the time of starting the project, we did not discuss the payment terms, so a few days after completion of the project I asked my PM about the date I could get paid. He replied that according to the company policy the payment would be made 45 days after the invoice is raised. However, more than 60 days after completion of the project, I have not heard anything about it. They say the payment will be initiated in due time and I should not worry about that.
Since being freelance is something new for me, my question is: What exactly does "raise the invoice" mean? Is there anything else I should have done at the start of the project in order to receive the payment within 45 days? They never requested anything else besides my rates and the amount of work that I could take.
Thanks in advance, Osiris.
[Edited at 2014-01-29 15:54 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Osiris Jasso wrote:
Since being freelance is something new for me, my question is: What exactly does "raise the invoice" mean?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invoice
You have to create an invoice (a bill, essentially a formal request for payment) and send it to the company you worked for. It has to have the outsourcer's identification info (company name, address, phone number, email) and your info (same), it has to state the work performed, the price agreed (usually broken down by unit price x units), and the method of payment (email address for PayPal is that is what you agreed on, or bank account info: account number, routing numbers, etc.).
Depending on the tax rules of the country you are in and the country the client is in, you may have to include some tax info as well.
| | | | nordiste 
France
Local time: 06:51
English to French
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| sending an invoice | Jan 29, 2014 |
Have you send them a valid invoice with all the necessary information: details of the client, description of the job, amount, taxes (if applicable in your country), your details, details of your bank account/paypal or other?
If you already sent an invoice, ask if they need a paper invoice - some clients prefer for whatever reason.
| | | | Jane Proctor (X)
France
Local time: 06:51
French to English
of what their terms are, state your own terms on your invoices. Mine is 7 days. This doesn't mean you can always expect to get paid within a week, but at least you're not just slavishly endorsing unreasonable terms. Mind you, I don't do business with agencies that take more than 30 days to pay and I send a reminder after 14 days. Life is too short!
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 05:51
Member (2007)
English
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| Date the invoice | Jan 29, 2014 |
Perhaps the most important field on the invoice (along with the amount) is its date. But it's best to remind the client of your payment term so you also need either the number of days or the last date for payment. I give the two dates so there's absolutely no chance of misinterpretation. For the same reason, because I deal with clients of all nationalities and continents, I use the YYYY-MM-DD format. Any other all-figure format can be misleading; of course, you could write out the month name but... See more Perhaps the most important field on the invoice (along with the amount) is its date. But it's best to remind the client of your payment term so you also need either the number of days or the last date for payment. I give the two dates so there's absolutely no chance of misinterpretation. For the same reason, because I deal with clients of all nationalities and continents, I use the YYYY-MM-DD format. Any other all-figure format can be misleading; of course, you could write out the month name but my invoices are trilingual so it would be a pain. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 22:51
Dutch to English
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| Suggestion about dates | Jan 30, 2014 |
There are different ways of numbering dates in different countries, for example, 11/12/2013 or 12/11/2013, or as Sheila suggests, 2013/12/11 - all are equally confusing. Does it mean 12 November or 11 December? My suggestion is to always write the date out in full. There can be no misunderstanding about 11 December 2013, or December 11, 2013.
| | | | | Another possibility | Jan 30, 2014 |
In the military, we were taught to use this format to avoid confusion:
31JAN2014
01FEB2014
etc.
I still use it sometimes. Works for English, anyways.
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