Confused about accept/send invoice

[FoxandWit]

I just got my 2nd wholesale order and I'm so confused about about what I'm doing.

Do I need to click accept and then send invoice?

The first time I only clicked accept.

But it showed up under the accepted tab.

It didn't go to the open tab until I clicked send invoice.

Is this correct? I don't understand the difference between the two.

Also, I've learned that you're never supposed to charge a buyer until you're ready to ship (I attended a business camp).

So I set my ship date and my payment by date as the same date.

What if I'm at my shop by date and I'm ready to ship but the buyer has not paid? Do I wait?

Sorry. Still new as far as using the EW system goes.

[Former_Member]

Hey Mary!

I'll walk you through what I do, I'm not saying it's perfect or even right but it works for me:

- Order comes in
- I review it to make sure I can handle it, work out a timeline for delivery, add a shipping charge (for me the USPS flat rate priority boxes are the easiest to deal with) and add that in to the list of charges (there's a box for this under your dollar totals, "add shipping charge" or something like that). If you forget to add shipping at this time I think it would be really awkward to add it in later!
- Enter a ship by date and a pay by date (these are the same date for me, I invoice when the order is complete and wait for payment *before* shipping); as long as I finish the order before the ship by date I feel ok; sometimes buyers don't pay until after the ship by date but that is sort of their choice, you know?
- I write a note to the buyer that mentions delivery timeline and shipping charge
- Click "Accept Order"
- The buyer then has the chance to review what you've entered (dates and shipping charges); I usually never hear back from the buyer until I send an invoice, but they could contact you about the timeline or shipping charge
- If you need to add more information to this order the only way I've found to do so is through convos, not through the order itself which is really frustrating. Once you've "accepted" the order, you can only invoice after that. Sometimes I need to make a small adjustment and I have to contact them through convos to do that.
- Order is ready; I update the "note" on the order that it's ready and I'll be happy to ship once payment goes through. I leave the original dates the same, only because the shop owner may have planned their budget according to that timeline I gave them. I finished my last order a week early, but I understand if they need to wait until that original ship day I gave them. I doublecheck the shipping charge I gave them although I don't think I'd ever adjust it upward since we agreed to that initial shipping charge; I am occasionally able to adjust it downward though
- When everything looks good I click "send invoice"
- Then I wait; After a couple days, I start contacting them every couple days, especially if we go past that original ship date then I start contacting daily. I've never had a nonpaying buyer, but sometimes they take a few days.
- Payment comes in; I make sure it shows up either on paypal or Etsy as completed or whatever, then I print off the invoice, stick it in the box with the order and tape that up; I print my labels on usps.com

I took me two or three orders to get used to the procedure but I'm pretty comfortable with it now. The biggest thing for me is communicating with the buyer as much as possible - if there's a problem or if I can finish way earlier, whatever it is, I try to keep them updated.

Good luck Mary!

[Former_Member]

Oh and to sort of answer your question, the difference between "accept" and "invoice":

To me, accepting an order just means I'm agreeing to get together what the buyer wants in this amount of time, with this charge for shipping. No payment exchanges hands at this time.

Invoicing means payment is needed, no necessarily that the order is ready. I know plenty of sellers accept and invoice at the same time, up front, before the order is completed. They need the funds for supplies, they don't want to get stuck with completed products and a non-paying buyer - that's all up to you how you want to run your business. I know how much I can screw stuff up so I like to wait until I know an order is completed and perfect before I take someone's money. For some people a nonpaying buyer would be a very big deal, for me not so much so I can work with taking payment later. Again it's up to you, plenty of sellers on both sides of that procedure.

[Former_Member]

Hi Mary! Etsy gives you a chance to accept or refuse an order for whatever reasons you may have. You are the boss. after you accept the order you can then send your invoice.

I like to be payed first. then I send the product. Is whatever you want. It is your shop and you are the boss :)

[janeeroberti]

I have been told by Etsy that the order is not a binding contract* until you Invoice the buyer. So you want to do that before you start work on it.

Absolutetly DO NOT SHIP until after you have gotten paid. If the buyer doesn't pay you later, you will have lost your money and your goods.
As for when to make your Payment date, I know makers of luxury goods that require 50% before they start work, in order to help buy their very expensive materials, pay for custom sewing, and have some guarantee that the buyer will not stiff them later.
(*Etsy is supposed to help if you have non-payment, and I am waiting to hear from Admin about an order of mine right now.)

[FoxandWit]

Okay! Thank you so much.

I was so confused about the difference between accepting and invoicing.

Thanks again!

[Former_Member]

I just received my first wholesale order and this thread was super helpful. Thank you so much for this information. I was wondering if you had an opinion on changing the terms from accepting the order to sending the invoice. Upon more reading, I have decided to changing the terms of when they pay and just figured out how to add a shipping charge. Is it okay to change from accepting the order to sending the invoice?

[ShopIdeable]

Hi Chelsea....I just answered you on your other thread :)

[Former_Member]

I always accept, invoice right away with a payment du date [usually the day before I should be ready to ship], a ship by date & I always write in the notes what my lead time is [generally a week].

[Former_Member]

I just got my first wholesale order and just quick went through it without realizing what I was actually setting everything for. I do appreciate everyone's posts and definitely understand it way better!