"You've Got Money - John Doe sent you $60"

Of course John Doe didn't include a message and I don't have his name anywhere in my email or calendar. Now I get to try to track down which of the many possible singles this random payment is for. Yay!

I always ask for a message with every payment, and still I keep getting these mysteries to solve.

It's. Making. Me. Crazy.

Any advice?

Start taking cash or credit cards????

FWIW

Thanks. Yeah, I accept those too. Many clients would complain if I stopped accepting e-payments though.

From the amount of replies here, I'm guessing the rest of you aren't having this problem as much as I am...

On anything I get from PayPal the name and address are shown on the transaction email...FWIW

I hate dealing with that stuff and am happy to pay a book keeper to do it for me.

first world problems…

I get it. When someone other than your client pays for the invoice, it can be confusing with PayPal, Zelle or similar e-payment platforms. If you do a boatload of mastering singles, that can be a challenge. With PayPal you can send a PayPal invoice, so that payment will be tied to the invoice. I use BofA's Clover credit card processing system for most invoices, so I always know which one got paid.

Yes, when the singer writes the emails but the drummer pays the bill. Or the wife or whatever. And with rappers everyone uses fake names anyway. 'Happens on the regular.

I have 3 mysteries right now, so I'm just venting a little. And hoping someone has a miraculous solution!

Usually I end up asking for unpaid sums weeks later and then they tell me they already paid, and then we clear it up. PITA.

I pretty much use PayPal invoicing exclusively, even for labels (when they let me). No mysteries as it's always tied to the invoice number*. It even sends automatic reminders for unpaid invoices.



*I actually put the artist name in the invoice number so I know at a glance what's what.

I wouldn't let unpaid invoices slide by for too long, it gets too hard to collect and it's wasting valuable time. If you are working for a lot of random new clients you could also ask for payment in full before releasing the master(s). Most people will be OK with that.

refuse the payment, send it back to John Doe.
the individual will either contact you about the issue or you will find out who hasn't been paying their bills by the end of the month.

That would probably lead to you never getting paid...

Charge slightly different amounts just under the rounded number of $60 (or any other rounded number), so no invoice has the exact same amount. That way it is easy to find the corresponding invoice with $59.96 or $59.94 for example. Cheaper than having an accountant doing the work for you and saves you the headache for a few cents.

I request (on invoices) that the invoice number be quoted with the payment, regardless of method, and include client's initials in the invoice number.

The detective work seems to be on the rise. I'm often receiving mix files and folders with not even an artist name, and this is regardless of genre or experience, or whether from the artist or engineer. As a staff engineer charged with making final master tapes, I understandably would've been fired for not labeling or mislabeling them.

That's an excellent idea, I'm going to start doing that!

The struggle is real!

I often have similar issues. Often a payment is sent by a client’s friend or partner. Sometimes the real name is different to the client’s stage or nick name. Sometimes an existing client pays in advance for a job that hasn’t come through yet. All these scenarios can lead to a bit of head scratching and time wasted trying to track down what’s coming from where.

Another similar issue that can be annoying is when a hard up client starts sending part payments in from different sources over time to cover a single invoice.

I’m strongly encouraging clients to pay in advance using Wise now as it saves both the client and myself money compared to banks and PayPal, plus you can create bespoke payment links for each job.

nope.
like i said, they'll call in or he'd find out who it is by the end of the month.

exactly, and that is accounting 101.

Just ignore the payment like you didn't receive it. Then, when you send the person a reminder, and they say: "waddayamean, i paid it?!", you can ask when it was paid, and the mystery is solved! And hopefully the client learnt the lesson. And you didn't waste too much time trying to work out who the miscreant was!

And don't use invoice numbers that let your client work out how busy or not busy you are!

For example, don't send: 2024-Q3-003_John_Doe_Ooh_baby_baby.pdf on September the 27th!

I request that either the inovice number or artist name be included in the payment reference. I only accept direct bank transfer unless there are extenuating circumstances (god bless the UK banking system and its gratis direct transfers that mean I don't have to give 5% of my income to Paypal), and this also means I get at least a person's name. It's only ever a problem with singles really; for other projects I can usually tell based on the amount paid, even if the client forgets to label their payment properly.

Isn't that the international standard anyway? Simply because you need to have closed evidence in your books for the tax service? I thought the OP's problem was because people would not adhere to the standard of mentioning the invoice number with their payment and he would want to add it himself in the books.

When I look in my PP account there are always a number of unpaid invoices that I know were actually paid, but paid separately from the invoice. 'Feels like people are trying to confuse me, and I really don't need any help in that department.

That's a creative idea. I could tell them I decided to give them a 4 cent discount!

Oh, I always request. People don't pay attention.

Don't even get me started on audio files and folders! Links to random WAV files in my inbox. I can't count how many folders labeled "For Justin" I've received. Thanks, I already know MY name. Put YOUR name on it!

That's what I do. It's the least bad scenario...

Yep. Always singles. The most effort to collect the smallest amounts.

Yeah, I think requiring payment up front for singles by unfamiliar clients may be helpful. I'll still have to spell out that if they don't tell me which single it's for then I won't send the master. But it should make a dent in the number of mysteries...

Are you sure it isn't spam or phishing? Do you recognize the email it is from?

IDK about the rest of you but I use a system where they have to pay to get the file and it automatically gives a download link on payment.
I give a preview with a few beeps in it.
Never have to chase and no mystery as everything is archived.
If they must use a bank transfer which is mostly big labels like Sony, EMI etc then they always send a payment remittance.

Well, it's a difference between asking clients to include a message with payment, vs. numbering invoices to include the client's initials and stating (on the invoice's Terms) that that be quoted in the payment reference field with payment.
In many other cases (eg: labels, companies with 30 day terms, etc) there would be a Purchase Order sent after quoting, and that number can also be quoted on the invoice for cross-referencing by both parties.

That’s interesting. What service if you don’t mind sharing?

@ Trakworx I use QBO for multiple businesses. If you send invoices via their system, when clients pay within their ecosystem - which is easier now because multiple options can be used for payment included PayPal - it always notifies you that an invoice has been paid, and links the transaction. Of course, fees, etc..

Hope that helps,
MG