The order formsays $12.07 , the invoice -a bit later in time- says likewise. The fine print on the invoice (adding $15.00 when paying late) isn't "in the system" so the paid amount cannot be matched to the invoice (DO they print a code on their invoice in USA ? A code you should repeat on the payment ? )
But the amount doesn't match the referrals,
so "Someone is trying to bribe us!" ... fog horn, big alarm, adrenaline running ... we HAVE TO refuse that payment.
Well, from within the system, it could be done: outgoing order form said "1.532.633 euro" and incoming invoce mentioned "5% rebate to be subtracted from payment, IF payment comes within 10 days" ... there was NO WAY to get 5% per fortnight at ANY bank at that time, so THESE invoices got a special treatment. OK, we had to "book" the amount twice, or (accounts were in bits, invoices on paper, bitcrunchers didn't read paper) ... "correct"the amounts in the accountancy DB.
This was done SO often, that we started "booking" the lesser amounts for all invoices who had said fine-print, even when it was for paper and pens. (Still: bought for 25-person office, it's no petty cash either)
One exception: when govt budget money was "sent into our account" with considerable delays. But that could be planned for too.
For INCOMING money, we didn't have such a system in place. But then, it was far too difficult to manage on that end. Probably, if "they" (our regular clients) would 've added some amount "for being late", it would 've gone unnoticed. Why ? because their payments were ALWAYS grouped differently fromwhat WE had been "billing" them. Up to 15 bills would be grouped into one single payment, and 17 payments would arrive the same day. And none of the "fifteen" in one payment would pay the exact amount that was asked from them. The total of 17*15 payments, though, could either exceed their dues or not cover all of 'em. So anything "added for being late" would've been VERY hard to find. |
