When you extend credit to customers, you deal with something called accounts receivable. To ensure your company gets paid and your books are all up-to-date, you need to have a solid accounts receivable process in place. Here’s your step-by-step guide on accounts receivable processes and procedures to live by.
Accounts receivable overview
What are accounts receivable? Accounts receivable (AR) is money customers owe your business, typically from a sale on credit. Entries in your AR are receivables, and these represent outstanding invoices in your books.
Accounts receivable can include:
- 无薪或出色发票
- Sales issued on a credit card to be paid at a later date
- Money you expect from customers
- 客户的延迟付款
例如，如果您开具客户以信用销售并在以后付款，则您将获得应收账款。
应收账款流程是什么？
应收账款流程可帮助您从客户那里收取欠款的资金。该过程包括一系列步骤，从销售开始，结束您的书籍中的AR（希望收到客户的付款）。
Having a solid accounts receivable collection process allows your business to bring in cash before invoices are past due or becomebad debts。反过来，这有助于您的现金流保持健康，并提高业务盈利能力和增长。
Accounts receivable process: 4 Steps
每家公司的应收账款工作流程相似。通常，它归结为四个简单的步骤：
- Establish credit policies
- 发票客户
- 跟踪和监控应收账款
- 应收账款的帐户
准备学习如何像专业人士一样处理您的应收账款并获得客户的薪水？如果是这样，请继续阅读。
1.制定信用政策
为了淘汰不付款的客户，您需要制定和执行信用政策。如果您需要设置策略，请确保确定以下内容：
- 谁可以获得信用资格
- Amount of credit you want to extend to customers
- 付款时间段（例如，在30天内付款）
- 如果您想提供早期付款折扣，如果您打算提供折扣
- 延迟付款费
- Credit conditions that are specific to your business or industry
- Other terms and conditions
When a customer agrees to pay for something on credit, you can run a credit check to determine if they’re credit-worthy. You can also have them sign an agreement promising they will pay you back if they purchase something on credit.
2. Invoice customers
一旦客户购买了商品或服务并同意在以后的日期偿还您，您可以向他们发送invoice。
您的invoice should detail the following:
- Invoice date
- Invoice number, if applicable
- 截止日期
- 产品或服务信息（例如，每个产品的数量和价格）
- Sales tax, if applicable
- Discounts, if applicable
- 任何其他评论和注释
- 您的联系信息
- 付款信息（例如，如何付款，您接受的付款类型等）
- 如果没有按时支付发票，则延迟费用（如果适用）
- 提早付款折扣information, if applicable
您的发票付款条款对于您的客户来说应该很清楚。这样，他们确切地知道自己欠多少款项，何时应付付款以及后期付款的后果。
Depending on your business’s preferences, you can either send a paper or an electronic invoice. If you usevwin.com ,你可以简化派电工实习的过程onic invoices and receiving customer payments.
3. Track and monitor accounts receivable
Once your customers agree to pay you back later, you have to make sure they actually follow through with that promise.
Track and monitor your accounts receivable for each customer who owes you. You should keep an organized list of the following for each customer:
- 顾客姓名
- Total balance owed
- 当前金额
- 过去的日子，如果适用的话
为了简化此过程并使其变得不那么困难，您可以使用会计软件来创建和查看accounts receivable aging report。An AR aging report tells you which customers have outstanding invoices. And, some software can even help you reach out to customers for late payments with automatic payment reminders.
如果您要手动处理事情，请确保在付款到期时与客户进行跟进。您可以手动发送付款提醒，也可以单独联系客户。如果您无法让客户付款，则可能需要求助于雇用收款公司。
4. Account for accounts receivable
要完成应收账款业务流程，您需要在书籍中记录应收帐款。这包括记录发票的付款。
相应地在书中记录每个传入付款。在此过程中，您还应该更新您的资产负债表, make adjustments for any bad debts, and account for unpaid invoices.
定期更新应收账款（例如，每月），以确保您的书籍尽可能准确。
准备使您的应收账款流程变得轻而易举吗？遵循一些提示
必须微调应收账款流程，尤其是如果您希望您的业务及时获得报酬。
To make your accounts receivable process a snap, consider following these few tips:
- Have an organized system to track and monitor AR
- 优先考虑高价值帐户
- 尽可能自动化流程（例如，使用会计软件）
- 定期记录AR
- 设置提醒以与延迟付费客户联系
- 确保您的信用条款尽可能清楚
- 通过提前付款折扣激励客户
- Give your customers more than one way to pay (e.g., credit card, cash, check, etc.)
您利用的应收账款改进想法越多，（希望）您将获得客户付款并填补您的口袋。
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