Know your customer

If you are providing your customers with an account, make sure you know who your customer is. With some simple internet searches, you could save yourself a lot of money in the longer term.

Invoicing the correct entity is very important. It ensures there are no disputes as to who owes you the money. Before you provide an account to your customer, conduct these simple and FREE searches to reduce the risk of non payment by ensuring you have the correct customer details.

Google
Search for your customer on Google. Google the business name (and the business owner's name) to see what search results are returned. This could bring up positive or negative information about the business or its owner which can determine whether you want to provide an account for the business. A Google search could also provide you with the customers own website - check their 'Contact Us' page and ensure the contact details provided are the same as the details the customer has provided you with.

Telstra - EWP & YP
Make sure the customers contact details are correct. Search Telstra's Electronic White Pages (EWP) to confirm the customers name, address and contact phone numbers. Additionally, search Telstra's Electronic Yellow Pages (EYP) in the same fashion.

ASIC
If they are a company or they have a registered business name, search for the customer on the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) website. This will also confirm their exact entity name.

ABR
If the customer has an ABN, search the Australian Business Register (ABR) for their ABN or their business name to obtain their ABN. This will also confirm their business name or their trading name. 

JPAP Bookkeeping also conducts debtor verification for large and small ledgers and provides reports on the findings for you. Request a quote today to ensure your debtors ledger is up to date and accurate.