Key items to include on your invoice that can impact on your ability to make a claim.
What you include on your invoice can impact on your ability to make a claim.
Here are the key items you should include on your invoice:
| What to include on your invoice | Why |
| The parties involved (your business & your buyer) | The business or company receiving payment needs to be identified on the invoice. The name must match the name on the Trade Credit Insurance policy or one of your joint insureds. Similarly, the invoice needs to state who is being invoiced for payment (your buyer). If you don’t identify the buyer then you cannot claim non-payment of the goods or services received. To avoid any doubt, include the ABN and/or ACN for your company and your buyer. |
| The amount due | Your customer needs to know how much they owe you. |
| Trading terms | It is preferable that every invoice stipulates the terms on which trade is conducted. |
| The Delivery Terms | You and your customer need to know the delivery terms and who is responsible for costs of delivery. Refer to the International Chamber of Commerce INCOTERMS rules for guidance. |
| The due date | This tells your buyer when they need to make payment for the goods or services received. Our policy allows you to trade to your Maximum Extension Period (MEP). The start and end of your MEP is determined by the invoice due date. If an invoice does not have clear trading terms, a due date is required. |
| Date of invoice and date services were provided OR date of despatch | This helps determine when cover commences under your policy |
| Description of goods and services | The description of goods or services received needs to fit within the trade description you’re insured for. |
If your accounting software makes it difficult to incorporate some of these items, talk to us and we can work with you on a solution.