| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: What % of your invoices are paid on time? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What % of your invoices are paid on time?".
This poll was originally submitted by Konstantin Kisin
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information... See more This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What % of your invoices are paid on time?".
This poll was originally submitted by Konstantin Kisin
View the poll here
A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
| | | | emili
Germany
Local time: 12:10
Finnish to Spanish
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| EU directive says 30 days | Sep 28, 2006 |
I wonder why EU-based translation companies refuse to pay accordingly to the EU-directive which explicitly establishes a 30 days period. Am I the only one who has to wait (with some exception) much longer than that time? Any ideas how to try to break this circle?
I voted 20%-40%. These are the agencies or direct clients who pay whitin 30 days. For me and according to EU-directive all the rest pay too late.
[Edited at 2006-09-28 06:30]
| | | | Pundora 
India
Local time: 16:40
English to Hindi
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| Mostly on time!! | Sep 28, 2006 |
Major chunk of my work is from my regular clients. They always pay me on time whether they are local agencies or situated abroad. If they do not pay on time sometimes, the reason lies with me and not with them because I delayed invoice in that case. And, the agencies that contacted me through net, sent me payments within a few days!!! Mostly from Japan.
Two of my clients(both locals) used to delay payments and kept some balance with them. They are a history for me now. One(lady) did... See more Major chunk of my work is from my regular clients. They always pay me on time whether they are local agencies or situated abroad. If they do not pay on time sometimes, the reason lies with me and not with them because I delayed invoice in that case. And, the agencies that contacted me through net, sent me payments within a few days!!! Mostly from Japan.
Two of my clients(both locals) used to delay payments and kept some balance with them. They are a history for me now. One(lady) did not pay me. And, all of these bad clients were non-translators. They couldn't read or write well. A bit out of context, but I would like to say that generally the people running agencies and having translation background are more understanding and considerate than those who are the above type.
Pundora ▲ Collapse
| | | | | What do you mean by "on time"? | Sep 28, 2006 |
a) the legal term of 30 days
b) the term of 60+ days on what most people, for example in Italy, agree
Bye
Sergio
[Edited at 2006-09-28 18:24]
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What I mean by "on time" is on or before the payment date agreed upon by both parties. So, an invoice paid within 32 days where you agree payment within 30 days is not paid on time while an invoice paid within 89 days where a payment term of 90 days was agreed would be considered "on time".
| | | | | Invoice payments | Sep 28, 2006 |
My invoice payments vary from 10 days to 3 months, but normally I am paid at the end of the following month that I send in the invoice. Some agencies manage their invoices on a certain day of the month e.g 15th and pay out at the end of that month. This could mean that an invoice sent in on the 14th could be paid at the end of the same month. After that date it would be the following month. I also work for a journal publishing company who pay me 15 days after the translation is published, which ... See more My invoice payments vary from 10 days to 3 months, but normally I am paid at the end of the following month that I send in the invoice. Some agencies manage their invoices on a certain day of the month e.g 15th and pay out at the end of that month. This could mean that an invoice sent in on the 14th could be paid at the end of the same month. After that date it would be the following month. I also work for a journal publishing company who pay me 15 days after the translation is published, which can be up to 90 days. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Fan Gao
Australia
Local time: 22:10
English to Chinese
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Sergio Mangiarotti wrote:
b) the term of 60+ days on what most people, for example in Italy, agree
Why on earth do most people agree to 60+ days for payment in Italy?
That just sounds so unreasonable and unfair.
We recently picked up a client who's policy it is to pay at the end of the month following the month in which the project was completed. That's fine for accepting jobs at the end of the month but if we were to take on a job on the 1st or 2nd of the month then it's like 2 months before we get paid! They use Paypal as well so it's not like it's exactly complicated or time consuming to make a payment once a month.
Mark
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Chinese Concept wrote:
Sergio Mangiarotti wrote:
b) the term of 60+ days on what most people, for example in Italy, agree
Why on earth do most people agree to 60+ days for payment in Italy?
That just sounds so unreasonable and unfair.
There are probably many reasons: poor legality culture, inability of translators to make them selves respected, they find them selves involved in such a system yet at the beginning, and so on.
Anyway, if that sounds so unreasonable and unfair, I would like to know how much sense it makes to know, whether invoices are mostly paid within 89 days or later upon a term of 90 days.
Are 90 days payments acceptable indeed?
(I hope you'll understand my english...-)
[Edited at 2006-09-28 13:13]
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Chinese Concept wrote:
Sergio Mangiarotti wrote:
b) the term of 60+ days on what most people, for example in Italy, agree
Why on earth do most people agree to 60+ days for payment in Italy?
That just sounds so unreasonable and unfair.
We recently picked up a client who's policy it is to pay at the end of the month following the month in which the project was completed. That's fine for accepting jobs at the end of the month but if we were to take on a job on the 1st or 2nd of the month then it's like 2 months before we get paid! They use Paypal as well so it's not like it's exactly complicated or time consuming to make a payment once a month.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I tend to be quite choosy about my clients but I have one who pays in 3-4 months! It sounds terrible but why should it be a problem for me? They never miss the payment deadline by more than a couple of days and they pay very well. I am not a manufacturer, I don't have employees and therefore I don't really have a cashflow problem. The main issues for me are the type and volume of work, the willingness to pay my rate and reliability when it comes to actually making the payment. The added bonus is, by the time you're paid you've almost forgotten about the money you're owed so it's a pleasant surprise
Konstantin
| | | | Claire Titchmarsh (X)
Local time: 12:10
Italian to English
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| We don't agree!! | Sep 28, 2006 |
[quote]Chinese Concept wrote:
[Why on earth do most people agree to 60+ days for payment in Italy?
That just sounds so unreasonable and unfair.
It is totally unfair but unfortunately completely normal. I only have two Italian agencies who pay after 30 days bang on time, and I give them priority over everyone else. All the others, small, large, medium-sized or whoever, pay after 60 days minimum and many of them need reminders. I've had enquiries from agencies who pay after 120 days end-of-month...it's just ridiculous and I told them so. I've earned the money so it should be sitting in my bank account for three months, not theirs! (not that you earn anything given the extortionate bank charges we have to pay...)
Gripe over. It's nearly month-end, better get some more invoices out...
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I agree with everything Claire said. One of my clients pays at 120 days from the end of the month you issue the invoice - and recently paid me about 20 days on top of that! So I waited nearly 5 months!
I voted 0-20% because the average in Italy is 60 days but in 99% of cases, you have to wait at least 5 working days on top of that because bank transfers take so long to go through (mysteriously). That's if the clients remember to pay without a reminder.
So although most ... See more I agree with everything Claire said. One of my clients pays at 120 days from the end of the month you issue the invoice - and recently paid me about 20 days on top of that! So I waited nearly 5 months!
I voted 0-20% because the average in Italy is 60 days but in 99% of cases, you have to wait at least 5 working days on top of that because bank transfers take so long to go through (mysteriously). That's if the clients remember to pay without a reminder.
So although most of my payments are due, say on the 30th of September (60 days after my invoice), the money is unlikely to get to my account before the 10th of October or thereabouts.
Needless to say, I find all this very irritating and old fashioned... we need a revolution!
[Edited at 2006-09-28 14:28]
[Edited at 2006-09-28 19:26] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Fan Gao
Australia
Local time: 22:10
English to Chinese
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Sergio Mangiarotti wrote:
Anyway, if that sounds so unreasonable and unfair, I would like to know how much sense it makes to know, whether invoices are mostly paid within 89 days or later upon a term of 90 days.
Are 90 days payments acceptable indeed?
(I hope you'll understand my english...-)
Hi Sergio,
I understand your English perfectly and I agree that 90 days is even more of a disgrace. I don't care how great the job is I wouldn't accept those terms, there's just absolutely no justification for it.
Konstantin Kisin wrote:
I tend to be quite choosy about my clients but I have one who pays in 3-4 months! It sounds terrible but why should it be a problem for me?
Hi Konstantin,
I know what you mean and it's not like I'm going to be out on the streets if I don't get paid on time every month. It's more the principal the bugs me, like Claire said, why should they sit on the cash when it could be in my bank account earning a bit. Where is the justification for paying you after 3 or 4 months whether you need the money or not?
Claire Titchmarsh wrote:
I've earned the money so it should be sitting in my bank account for three months, not theirs!
Hi Claire,
Precisely:) It comes down to principles and once people let them go then the trend just continues.
Thanks for all your feedback.
Best,
Mark
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This discussion reminds me something one of translators here on ProZ wrote once (sorry, don't remember who it was).
They demand translations on time, why can't they pay on time?
Generally I make invoices with 30 days payment and I believe it's enough. I have one wonderful client, who pays me at end of each month, no matter if the job was delivered beginning of that month, or just a few days earlier - he just wants to hav... See more This discussion reminds me something one of translators here on ProZ wrote once (sorry, don't remember who it was).
They demand translations on time, why can't they pay on time?
Generally I make invoices with 30 days payment and I believe it's enough. I have one wonderful client, who pays me at end of each month, no matter if the job was delivered beginning of that month, or just a few days earlier - he just wants to have everything paid and clear before 1st of next month.
I wish everyone clients like that
Anni ▲ Collapse
| | | | | sitting in bank accounts? | Sep 28, 2006 |
Chinese Concept wrote:
It's more the principal the bugs me, like Claire said, why should they sit on the cash when it could be in my bank account earning a bit.
Those pesky principals...Sorry, couldn't resist.
On a serious note, I know for a fact that the client I mentioned get paid in 90 days themselves so my money isn't sitting in their account. In any case, the interest in question is not worth talking about if you ask me.
| | | | Williamson
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:10
Flemish to English
+ ...
| Pro forma directive | Sep 28, 2006 |
cathsal wrote:
So although most of my payments are due, say on the 30th of September (60 days after my invoice), the money is unlikely to get to my account before the 10th of October or thereabouts.
Needless to say, I find all this very irritating and old fashioned... we need a revolution!
[Edited at 2006-09-28 14:28]
"EU directive says 30 days".
Italy has implemented that directive pro forma, I suppose?
The penalty stipulated in that directive is the interest-rate of the EGB per day overdue + your own penalty.
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