Since invoices have been around for a very long time, it would seem likely that everyone would be using the best possible invoice structure by now. However, the opposite is the case — invoices appear to have been designed to make life easier for the issuing company, not the recipient. The result is confused customers and longer intervals before they pay.
Here are some examples of proper invoice structure:
- Eliminate graphics and shading. Fancy images may look pretty, but if the customer is trying to scan the invoice into a document imaging system, this may result in an unreadable gray blob. If shading is added around the invoice total, then the result is an unreadable invoice.
- Present the invoice number as clearly as possible. This one really bothers me. A prime example is General Electric’s leasing division, which places the customer number in really large font directly above the invoice number (in smaller font). As a result, my staff is constantly entering the customer number as though it were the invoice number
- List the early payment or late payment amount well away from the invoice total. If all these different payment totals are clustered together, it is too easy for the payables staff to enter the wrong one as the payable amount. A national temp agency lists the late payment amount directly under the invoice total, so we are constantly entering the larger late payment amount by mistake.
- Clearly show contact information. If there is a problem with an invoice, the customer does not want to use the White Pages to locate your headquarters. Do them a large favor and clearly show the accounting department’s phone number on the invoice.