Poll: For repeat customers, do you invoice per job or per month? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "For repeat custmers, do you invoice per job or per month?".
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All my repeat customers are invoiced at the end of the month, but for one: my best repeat customer! Each month I handle so many translation projects for him (9 so far this month, representing 29 files) that we both prefer invoicing per job.
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I invoice all once a week. I cannot afford to wait a whole month + their credit time.
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Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 23:22
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
I would hate to send repeated invoices to the same client, in particular to the one who may send work each day for a week. It's a no-brainer:
1. Acknowledge receipt of work
2. Do work and deliver
3. One-line entry in Excel spreadsheet
Repeat above steps to end month
4. Bring up invoice template, plug in client and job details from spreadsheets, send
5. Admin effort during the next month then involves ensuring payment of single invoice is received and details p... See more I would hate to send repeated invoices to the same client, in particular to the one who may send work each day for a week. It's a no-brainer:
1. Acknowledge receipt of work
2. Do work and deliver
3. One-line entry in Excel spreadsheet
Repeat above steps to end month
4. Bring up invoice template, plug in client and job details from spreadsheets, send
5. Admin effort during the next month then involves ensuring payment of single invoice is received and details passed to accountant.
If I was invoicing for each job, I could maybe do away with step 3, though I probably wouldn't as I use it for compiling statistics and making comments. But I'd have to do step 4 multiple times during the month, and that step takes far, far longer. And the effort involved in step 5 would be a nightmare. I'm sure the client wouldn't pay each invoice separately. They'd combine several, meaning that I'd have to cross-check and get my calculator out (not my strong area), and if several invoices were for identical amounts I may never know which had been paid. If there seemed to be a discrepancy then both I and my client would be in for a long and tedious time checking it all again. No thanks!
The only downside is that some jobs offer the client a longer payment period. But then that client only becomes regular by demonstrating willingness to pay promptly. And if there's a charge associated with receiving payment then the books balance (longer wait for fewer deductions). I'm at last (after 15 years) in the position of having most/all payments in by the 15th of each month, so it's clear gain. ▲ Collapse
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I have long-term clients who prefer to receive my invoices after every completed job. However, for majority of my clients, I issue invoices at the end of the month.
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Ventnai
Spain
Local time: 00:22
German to English
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| Usually at end of month | Dec 26, 2014 |
I usually at the end of the month, but I might wait for the next month if the amount is under two hundred euors - depends how generous I am feeling and on the customer. Invoicing less often cuts down on paperwork for them, for me and for my accountant.
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Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 00:22
Member (2006)
German to English
Depending on the TOP, weekly, ever 2 weeks or at the end of the month for those that pay quickly
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Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 00:22
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Milena Taylor wrote:
I have long-term clients who prefer to receive my invoices after every completed job. However, for majority of my clients, I issue invoices at the end of the month.
Same here. Also, some of my clients prefer bi-monthly invoices.
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Rolf Kern
Switzerland
Local time: 00:22
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
It depends on the customer
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| At the end of the month... | Dec 26, 2014 |
...and 30 days net.
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| end of month | Dec 26, 2014 |
One of my main repeaters pays once a month, so I invoice end of month.
Some of the others have invoicing systems that require me to upload an invoice at the end of the month, many of these tend to be smaller jobs.
for the semi regulars, i just invoice per job.
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Would it not have been possible for someone to have proofread this question prior to posting??
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Andy Watkinson
Spain
Local time: 00:22
Member
Catalan to English
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Tina Colquhoun wrote:
Would it not have been possible for someone to have proofread this question prior to posting??
Pls. Come on, it's not as if this site were aimed at professional writers, language experts, translators and the like.
[Edited at 2014-12-26 23:11 GMT]
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| On completion of the job | Dec 27, 2014 |
I always invoice immediately. Almost all my jobs are large (over 5 K words). Payment schedules are unpredictable. I wouldn't want to add to the delay.
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Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 20:22
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| I wish it were our choice! | Dec 29, 2014 |
This is determined by the client. I know some people will say "I determine my terms of invoicing and payment, not the client". We see this type of comment here all the time.
However, in 90% of the cases, the client will say: "I pay like this. You invoice to us like that. If you agree with our terms, we'll send you the files. If not, we'll choose from one of the other 32 translators waiting in line. Thank you".
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