A supplier sends a proforma to start production, then a commercial invoice with a different total. Finance has both in its inbox and a request to pay the balance. Before choosing a document, establish what the buyer agreed to purchase, which amount is currently due and why the versions differ. The heading alone does not answer those questions.
The order described here is a fictional, generalised illustration, not a customer case. This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Document requirements depend on the transaction and the parties reviewing it.
Understand what each document is doing
A proforma invoice commonly sets out a proposed sale or requests an advance payment before fulfilment. A commercial invoice records the seller's billing details for the goods and is commonly used in shipping and customs documentation. The International Trade Administration document guide describes these uses. They overlap with other purchase records; neither heading proves that a payment is due now.
Ask whether the proforma remains the agreed basis for the deposit and whether the commercial invoice supersedes it for the final goods. Do not assume that a proforma is invalid for a deposit or that a commercial invoice always means full settlement. Confirm the intended function with purchasing and the supplier.
Compare the order rather than the layout
Match the buyer and seller names, order reference, goods, specification, quantities, unit prices, currency and total. Check the agreed delivery term and named place against the purchase agreement. Record any change in packaging, freight or other charges that affects the amount finance is asked to pay.
A tidy template can still describe the wrong order. If the commercial invoice covers only part of the goods, identify that scope explicitly. The purchase-document checklist helps keep the contract, invoice and payment instruction connected without rewriting supplier-issued records.
Separate invoice value from the amount due
The total value of the goods is not necessarily the next payment. Compare the payment request with the deposit already credited, approved adjustments and the milestone in the purchase agreement. Ask the supplier for a statement showing how the proposed transfer will be allocated.
Record the credited deposit in the invoice currency. A stablecoin funding amount or a bank debit in another currency cannot simply be subtracted from the invoice total. Use the partial-payment guide to keep funding evidence separate from the supplier's acknowledgement of invoice credit.
If the revised invoice adds a charge, purchasing needs to approve it before finance updates the balance. Preserve the earlier version and explain the change. Paying whichever total appears in the most recent attachment hides a commercial decision inside a transfer.
Check what releases the payment
Find the written condition that makes the current instalment due. It might be order acceptance, an approved inspection result or specified shipping documents. Compare the evidence received with that condition and obtain the required internal release approval.
The deposit and inspection guide explains why an inspection report is not automatic authorisation. Likewise, a commercial invoice is not proof that the goods were inspected, shipped or delivered. Ask for the evidence required by your agreed terms rather than inferring progress from the document title.
Reconcile the receiving instruction
Compare the beneficiary on the payment instruction with the seller in the purchase file. Check account name, bank details, receipt currency and required reference against the source. Resolve a changed account or third-party recipient before asking treasury to fund the payment.
An invoice revision does not authenticate a new account. Confirm changes through an independently established contact and obtain provider review where required. The personal-account guide covers a company invoice paired with an individual's receiving account. Do not correct that discrepancy by editing the invoice yourself.
Give finance one approved instruction
Mark superseded versions clearly while retaining them. Attach the current invoice, reconciliation of the amount due, beneficiary check and release decision to the payment request. Someone covering finance should be able to explain the transfer without having to guess which email purchasing meant.
Use pay an invoice to ask A2vanta which documents it needs for the proposed payment. Customs, tax and accounting requirements should be checked with the relevant professionals for your transaction. After settlement, obtain the supplier's receipt and invoice allocation so the next payment starts from an agreed balance rather than an inbox search.