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Does your company invoice make it difficult for the customer’s AP department to process it and pay it?  Does it go into a pile to the side because it needs researched and someone to find out who purchased the product or service?  Make your invoices extremely informative, understandable, easy to process and able to be paid quickly.

Make sure these data are on all company invoices:

• customer’s purchase order number (or release number) — this allows AP to look up the purchase in their system
• customer’s buyer’s name (who placed this order employed by the customer) — this may allow the AP clerk to ask the buyer, he nods “yes” and she puts it in the system ready for the next check run,
• vendor’s representative who took the order and executed it, — your internal guy who took the order and got the shipment to the customer, AP may ask the buyer if this is the guy who processed the order,
• date of the product delivered or service performed,  — this should match up with the date their internal receiving report is dated,
• signed bill of lading (BOL) showing what products and quantities were shipped and who (employed by the customer) signed the BOL — this quickly gives proof that the customer’s receiving rep signed and dated you BOL for the driver,
• other related or necessary backup that accompanies the invoice, — this varies on industry,
• delivery address (customer site or location, work site, production facility, warehouse) — this tells the AP clerk in PA which of her 512 locations across the U.S. the goods were delivered,
• telephone number of the you, the vendor,— include this so they can call you with any questions to get your invoice in the system to be paid.
• fax number of you the vendor, — some smaller offices still use fax numbers so do not drop this off your stationary and office forms,
• email address for questions about this invoice, — you want to provide an email address for your billings person so the AP can communicate with her,
• each product code, description, quantity shipped and price billed (should be listed in the purchase order or agreed upon price list presented to the customer previously and approved),  — this should match those items that were noted on their internal receiving report,
• description of the service performed (what was done, where was it done, when was it done, who approved the completed work, date done)
• The remittance address you want the customer to send the check, money order to,
• The bank account and routing number where you want the customer to send their wire or ACH payment,
• freight charges if applicable,
• freight invoice (outside party)  if the agreement requires a copy of the freight cost and allows 10% added for processing,
• handling charges if described in the purchase order or master service agreement signed upfront,
  • sales tax for the appropriate county, state where the sale occurred, UNLESS you have a sales tax exemption certificate already on file for this customer for deliveries to this state.

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