| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: I do my invoicing at the end of every month. What about you? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "I do my invoicing at the end of every month. What about you?".
This poll was originally submitted by Sylvie LE BRAS. View the poll results »
| | | | | It depends on the client (old or new) | Jun 3, 2020 |
My long-standing customers are invoiced at the end of each month; for new clients invoices are sent out together with the translation (until hopefully they move to the other group).
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Except for 2 clients who get an aggregate invoice at the end of each month.
| | | | Ventnai 
Spain
Local time: 20:50
German to English
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| End of month except | Jun 3, 2020 |
I generally invoice my usual clients at the end of the month but I tend to invoice one-time clients immediately
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Liena Vijupe
Latvia
Local time: 21:50
Member (2014)
French to Latvian
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| At the end of the month | Jun 3, 2020 |
I do my invoicing at the end of the month, except for new clients who receive the invoice along with translation and one client who occasionally sends me very small jobs (3-5 words on average). For this particular client I sometimes combine a couple months in one invoice to avoid invoicing for very small amounts.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 20:50
French to English
Actually I do the invoice as soon as I've finished a project, in order not to forget details such as the extra half-page added after my estimate, but then I wait until the end of the month to send the bill.
Most agencies seem to prefer me to send one bill for everything I've done for them in the month, so I keep adding to it as they send it.
For translations sent in the last few days of the month, I'll tend to wait a few more days, just to be sure there are no problems, before bill... See more Actually I do the invoice as soon as I've finished a project, in order not to forget details such as the extra half-page added after my estimate, but then I wait until the end of the month to send the bill.
Most agencies seem to prefer me to send one bill for everything I've done for them in the month, so I keep adding to it as they send it.
For translations sent in the last few days of the month, I'll tend to wait a few more days, just to be sure there are no problems, before billing. Not that there are any, but I tell my clients that that's how I go about it, and they appreciate this small lapse in time, even if they never need to complain. ▲ Collapse
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...on the client - several clients use their own systems for invoicing, so that there is a certain time frame when the invoice can/should be issued.
...on my workload - during very busy periods, I sometimes tend to "forget" to send invoices, and then I send all the invoices at the end of the month or beginning of the next month.
...to be honest: on my bank balance I've got some clients who I usually send the invoice at... See more ...on the client - several clients use their own systems for invoicing, so that there is a certain time frame when the invoice can/should be issued.
...on my workload - during very busy periods, I sometimes tend to "forget" to send invoices, and then I send all the invoices at the end of the month or beginning of the next month.
...to be honest: on my bank balance I've got some clients who I usually send the invoice at the end of the month although it has never been officially agreed. But during times with a lower number of outstanding invoices and less money coming in, I prepare their invoices whenever it comes to my mind or when I check my accounts and see that a little more money would be nice. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Generally at the end of the month | Jun 3, 2020 |
I often prepare invoices as soon as I have delivered the job or as soon as I have time, but I check them and send them at the end of the month.
Of course, I accumulate jobs for repeat clients, and send one monthly invoice.
If their payment terms are 45 or 60 days from the invoice date, then I may send the invoice straight after I have sent the job. I invoice one client quarterly to save on bank charges, but her invoice goes off at the end of a month with the others.
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 19:50
Member (2007)
English
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| Mostly on the last working day of the month | Jun 3, 2020 |
I used to always invoice new clients immediately, but then I discovered that quite a few had more work for me very soon after delivery of the first job. So I've changed to month end for some of them too, although if it's very likely to be a one-off I prefer them not to get used to having "free" work.
I have one client at the moment that insists on receiving invoices on or just before the tenth of the month. What a massive PIA that is!
I must admit that I very nearly sen... See more I used to always invoice new clients immediately, but then I discovered that quite a few had more work for me very soon after delivery of the first job. So I've changed to month end for some of them too, although if it's very likely to be a one-off I prefer them not to get used to having "free" work.
I have one client at the moment that insists on receiving invoices on or just before the tenth of the month. What a massive PIA that is!
I must admit that I very nearly sent out all my latest invoices on Monday, 1st June  . Fortunately, one client emailed me a reminder on the Saturday. I was startled but checked the date, and then rushed home to work on them. I later worked out what had happened: whereas my preference is to use a calendar that shows Monday's date on the far left, I must have glanced at one that started each week on the Sunday. I was convinced that Monday was 31st May! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 16:50
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| It depends on the client | Jun 3, 2020 |
Some clients ask for the invoice after each job, some ask for it at the end of the month, and some every fifteen days. And there are clients who do not want or ask for an invoice; these will simply make a bank transfer to you XX days after delivery.
And it's interesting that some colleagues chose a single status for this. I guess people who are able to follow a single standard for invoicing dates have likely only a couple of clients.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 19:50
Member (2007)
English
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| Invoicing and payment terms are detailed in my T&C (a couple of sentences in an email) | Jun 3, 2020 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
it's interesting that some colleagues chose a single status for this. I guess people who are able to follow a single standard for invoicing dates have likely only a couple of clients.
I don't think that's a given. I've invoiced 10 different clients so far this year (several of them several times, of course) and they've all received monthly invoices. I'm working for a new client at the moment, a private individual who is a songwriter and wanted his non-native English lyrics checked. I probably ought to have invoiced him in advance, and I certainly ought to invoice him directly after delivery, but we've chatted a lot and I trust him (rightly or wrongly -- my risk).
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 20:50
Spanish to English
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| Depends on the client | Jun 3, 2020 |
I only really work with one agency, and on an occasional basis, and they like their invoices at the end of the month and they pay promptly, usually by the end of the next.
I bill my best direct client at the end of each month and they also pay promptly. The rest tend to be small businesses, universities or associated research institutions, and they usually take longer to pay. For example, one market research company I've been working with for a long time tends to want their invoices per pr... See more I only really work with one agency, and on an occasional basis, and they like their invoices at the end of the month and they pay promptly, usually by the end of the next.
I bill my best direct client at the end of each month and they also pay promptly. The rest tend to be small businesses, universities or associated research institutions, and they usually take longer to pay. For example, one market research company I've been working with for a long time tends to want their invoices per project, and they will pay "when they can". Over the years I've gotten used to it. A couple of weeks ago I did some translations for them, but I don't know if that project has finished or not. They actually owe me quite a bit for bills from earlier in the year, so I should probably send them a reminder. ▲ Collapse
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Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 16:50
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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Sheila Wilson wrote:
I don't think that's a given...
No, of course not. But if the client allows you to issue an invoice immediately after delivery, why would you wait an additional 25 days for a job you delivered on the 5th for example? I want to shorten the term as much as possible. Clients who require one invoice per month and pay you on 30 days are actually paying me in 30 TO 60 days, depending on the date I deliver the job.
| | | | | After each project | Jun 4, 2020 |
Clients have different schedules for making payments. I figure that the sooner I get my invoice in, the sooner I'll be paid. This is especially important because I mostly do long jobs, which means that more of my income is at stake.
| | | | Marjolein Snippe
Netherlands
Local time: 20:50
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
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| End of the month | Jun 4, 2020 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
Sheila Wilson wrote:
I don't think that's a given...
No, of course not. But if the client allows you to issue an invoice immediately after delivery, why would you wait an additional 25 days for a job you delivered on the 5th for example? I want to shorten the term as much as possible. Clients who require one invoice per month and pay you on 30 days are actually paying me in 30 TO 60 days, depending on the date I deliver the job.
I send out all my invoices at the end of the month - usually around 10 per month, often with more than one job per invoice.
Interest rates are zero percent here, and have been for a while, so I can afford to wait an extra 25 days for my payment.
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