How to Check a Label Services Invoice
Compare campaign invoice lines with agreed work, spending records, and earlier payments. Use a worked example to spot a media charge that may have been billed twice.
The short answer
Check a label services invoice against the latest approved scope, the evidence for each charge, and payments you have already made. Match service fees and outside costs separately. Flag lines that lack approval, proof, or an expected credit. Ask for a written explanation or revised invoice and record what remains unresolved before routing it for approval.
Three things to know
- 01
Use the current scope and approved changes as the reference for each billed line.
- 02
Reconcile money sent for media against the actual charges before counting either amount again.
- 03
Send specific questions and keep the original invoice beside any correction.
What goes in an invoice review worksheet?
Use one row per charge or credit and link to the underlying records.
- 01
Billed line
Record the invoice number, release, billing period, description, amount and currency.
- 02
Approval and evidence
Link the agreed fee or change and the applicable delivery or spending record.
- 03
Earlier payments
Record any deposit, advance, direct supplier payment or credit that might apply to the line.
- 04
Review outcome
Mark the line matched or pending clarification and name who will follow up by the due date.
What records should you put beside the invoice?
Start with the agreed scope, approved changes, delivery records, spending evidence, and previous invoices or payments. The Records quote guide separates fees, media and third-party costs. Use those same categories on the received invoice. A Canadian government audit describes matching an order, a receiving record and an invoice. For a release, adapt the comparison to the records you actually have.
How do you check a service fee?
Match the release and billing period first. For a scheduled installment, find the agreed billing date and any conditions tied to it. For a line tied to delivered work, find the agreed output and the version or activity record that supports it. If the partner bills for extra editing, look for the approved change and price. Keep any question about whether a charge is due with the person responsible for interpreting the agreement.
How do you reconcile media and supplier charges?
Identify who paid each platform or supplier and whether the invoice is asking for reimbursement, replenishment, or a fee. Check the matching campaign, period and currency on the available supporting record. Compare charges with any funds you already sent, and ask how credits or the remaining balance are treated. When one report covers several releases, request a release-specific breakdown you can review without exposing unrelated artist information.
What does a constructed invoice check look like?
Constructed example. An artist agrees to a CAD 900 service installment and sends CAD 350 in advance for media. The partner’s spending record shows CAD 300 in campaign charges. The next invoice lists the CAD 900 installment and another CAD 300 for media, without explaining the advance. The artist asks whether the media line is informational or a new charge, how the advance was applied, and how the remaining CAD 50 is recorded. Those figures exclude any tax questions and establish no amount legally due.
How should you raise an unexplained charge?
Send the invoice number, line, amount, and reference you used, then ask for the missing record or an updated invoice. In the media example, request a reconciliation showing funds received, charges applied, and the remaining balance. Keep the due date and follow-up owner visible. If a difference affects timing, ask the partner to confirm the next step in writing. Take unresolved payment or contract disputes to qualified counsel and tax questions to an accountant.
What should you do if payment instructions have changed?
Verify the change independently with a known partner contact before relying on the new details. The Competition Bureau’s phishing guidance recommends using verified contact information when a message is suspicious. Call a number you already know or obtain it independently from an official source. Keep the verification result with your invoice review and route the document through your usual approval process.
Frequently asked questions
- What if a supplier receipt covers more than my release?
- Ask for the allocation basis and the portion that applies to your campaign. Keep other artists’ information out of the review.
- What if the same invoice arrives twice?
- Compare the invoice number, billing period and payment record. Ask whether the second copy replaces the earlier one or is a reminder.
- What if the platform and invoice use different currencies?
- Keep the original amounts and currencies visible. Ask for the applied conversion rate, date and any separately billed conversion charge.
- Do I need a new copy after a correction?
- Ask the partner for a corrected invoice or the appropriate adjustment record and keep it linked to the original document.
- Can a campaign report support an invoice line?
- It can support a line when it shows the agreed work or spending evidence for the same release and billing period.