| Страници во темата: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you include your terms and conditions in your invoices? Лице кое објавува дискусија: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you include your terms and conditions in your invoices?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Markus Perndl
Австрија
Local time: 13:08
италијански на германски
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No, why should I? Terms and conditions have to be agreed before accepting a job, afterwards they are not valid.
| | | | neilmac
Шпанија
Local time: 13:08
шпански на англиски
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If it's a bill for hours, my invoice will contain the number of hours and rate; if it's per word, the number of words and the rate. Also the taxes deductible (income tax, VAT) and my contact details. That's all.
| | | | | No, not in the invoice! | Nov 1, 2015 |
I drafted a very simple T&C (pricing, time of delivery and terms of payment) printed on my proposal. When I am first contacted by a direct client, I always send one. For agencies, I tend to agree (or not) to theirs…
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Because all terms and conditions are agreed upon before we start doing business.
How would you feel if your customers/clients repeatedly stated theirs in detail in their POs whenever they placed an order with you? Not exactly conducive to working on a friendly basis, is it.
| | | | | I restate our agreement | Nov 1, 2015 |
I negotiate rates, payment term and method before taking the assignment.
Being in Brazil, I keep the financial costs apart from what I am actually charging for my work. In many/most other countries, the difference would not be significant.
To give a general idea on interest rates, figures for APR in the USA are numerically close to MPR (monthly) in Brazil. Therefore a client overseas will have some considerable financial advantage if they pay me COD.
Receiv... See more I negotiate rates, payment term and method before taking the assignment.
Being in Brazil, I keep the financial costs apart from what I am actually charging for my work. In many/most other countries, the difference would not be significant.
To give a general idea on interest rates, figures for APR in the USA are numerically close to MPR (monthly) in Brazil. Therefore a client overseas will have some considerable financial advantage if they pay me COD.
Receiving an international bank transfer in Brazil costs me less than US$ 20 in fees at the present currency exchange rate, regardless of the amount involved; I'll cover that. Meanwhile, if I receive via PayPal, the gross amount will be deducted by 10% before it reaches my bank account in BRL.
While my rates are fixed, I give my clients the freedom to choose their financial options.
My invoice is an electronic form, which I convert into a PDF file before sending. It lists six payment method options with their check boxes, and there is a field immediately under the total amount, labeled "For payment by:". Sometimes I check more than one option (if their financial cost is equivalent), and sometimes I leave the payment term blank, e.g. for a constant client who settles our account every other Friday.
I assume that not always the person who hired me will be the one making the payment, so my invoice restates our agreement. This will give the "payer" clear instructions without having to ask any questions. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Other, basically no | Nov 1, 2015 |
I state the payment terms, 30 days net, or whatever else I have agreed on with the client. Largely for the benefit of my accountant, so that he need not worry about reminders after 30 days if, exceptionally, I have agreed on 45 days.
I do sometimes attach the client's PO if they sent one, or the mail where we agreed on terms and conditions, especially if it is a new client.
I only discuss other T&Cs - professional liability, confidentiality, use of CATS, the Cloud, MT o... See more I state the payment terms, 30 days net, or whatever else I have agreed on with the client. Largely for the benefit of my accountant, so that he need not worry about reminders after 30 days if, exceptionally, I have agreed on 45 days.
I do sometimes attach the client's PO if they sent one, or the mail where we agreed on terms and conditions, especially if it is a new client.
I only discuss other T&Cs - professional liability, confidentiality, use of CATS, the Cloud, MT or whatever, if there is anything unusual.
[Edited at 2015-11-01 17:28 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Julian Holmes wrote:
Because all terms and conditions are agreed upon before we start doing business.
How would you feel if your customers/clients repeatedly stated theirs in detail in their POs whenever they placed an order with you? Not exactly conducive to working on a friendly basis, is it.
Exactly. It's all agreed beforehand. However, it is a legal requirement in France that invoices bear the payment deadline, the penalty rate in the event of late payment and the cost of recovery. I admit that I do not add the last two, which I used to do however in some small print at the bottom of the page.
https://www.service-public.fr/professionnels-entreprises/vosdroits/F31808
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Mario Chavez (X) 
Local time: 07:08
англиски на шпански
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| Impractical in my case | Nov 1, 2015 |
The way it works here is that invoices and POs are often routed separately. The POs are for the project managers who handle the assignment, check on deadlines, reviews, etc. The invoices go to Accounting or the Accounts Payable person in charge of disbursing them.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Шпанија
Local time: 12:08
Член (2007)
англиски
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The most important bits are there:
Delivery date
Invoice date
Payment due date
Total to pay
Payment method(s)
Tax details.
What other T&C are relevant at invoicing?
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 07:08
англиски на шпански
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| Invoicing according to country of residence's laws | Nov 1, 2015 |
Sheila Wilson wrote:
The most important bits are there:
Delivery date
Invoice date
Payment due date
Total to pay
Payment method(s)
Tax details.
What other T&C are relevant at invoicing?
Sheila's comments reminded me of a more protracted method of invoicing in other countries, namely Argentina: if you are a practicing translator invoicing more than XXX (amount of money) a year, you have to get a government tax ID and use a certain invoicing form because it contains VAT information.
I don't know about other countries with VAT tax regimes, but Argentina is notorious for using the VAT in a capricious way.
| | | | Rolf Kern
Швајцарија
Local time: 13:08
англиски на германски
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Во сеќавање на
It depends on the agency/client.
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Mario Freitas
Бразил
Local time: 08:08
англиски на португалски
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Although the terms were agreed in advance, a standard invoice should contain all applicable information about the terms agreed. There is usually a standard field in the invoice for that exact purpose, so it's a commercial practice to mention them therein.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 07:08
англиски на шпански
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| Commercial practices | Nov 2, 2015 |
Mario Freitas wrote:
Although the terms were agreed in advance, a standard invoice should contain all applicable information about the terms agreed. There is usually a standard field in the invoice for that exact purpose, so it's a commercial practice to mention them therein.
Mario, commercial practices vary from country to country. There is no should involved, unless it's in a specific market or country.
I know of some translators who prefer not to issue invoices in the case of some clients because those clients manage everything in an online project management system.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 07:08
англиски на шпански
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Markus Perndl wrote:
No, why should I? Terms and conditions have to be agreed before accepting a job, afterwards they are not valid.
That truism would be of course be enforced in practice by agreeing to those terms in writing. Hence, keeping a paper trail is essential.
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