{"id":4582,"date":"2018-06-13T10:00:11","date_gmt":"2018-06-13T09:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=4582"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:36:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:36:09","slug":"process-an-invoice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/process-an-invoice\/","title":{"rendered":"How to process an invoice and get paid on time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMoney Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to process an invoice and get paid on time\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tNeil Martin<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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You need to know how to process an invoice<\/a> if you want to be a step closer to having a successful and thriving business. Invoices are issued by your business to your customers and they will trigger the payment for the product or service you have supplied. Make sure you get this process right to increase your chances of getting paid on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OK, ground rules first, and this comes down to good housekeeping. Don\u2019t dilly dally with your invoices<\/a> (forgive the official terminology but this is an important point).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019ve made the deal and the product is on its way, get your invoice out. The longer you delay, in effect you are giving your customer increase in credit terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bear in mind that it\u2019s not regarded as fair to send out an invoice which is backdated. You might have the date when the deal was done on your invoice, but until the customer receives it, the days don\u2019t usually start counting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure your invoice looks professional<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Create an invoice that looks professional<\/a> and provides the person receiving it with all the information they need to know. Remember, many companies have a department that is one step removed away from the person who made the buying decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On occasion, they can be hard to contact and harder still to establish a working dialogue. It\u2019s not the case of: \u201cHey Bob, you know my invoice, do me a favour and pay it this week would you.\u201d It\u2019s more a case of sending an email to a nondescript office, home of the purchasing ledger, which could even be on another continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So don\u2019t give them an excuse to delay payment and say it\u2019s your fault for not supplying them with the correct details, or not doing it in the correct fashion (i.e. doing it in the way they want). And don\u2019t argue if they have rules and systems that irritate you. At all times, be professional and play the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get your free professional invoice templates<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What needs to go on your invoice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of things that you have to include on your invoices<\/a>. Ensure they feature these basic components before you take the step to process an invoice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n