Invoicing

When invoicing for jobs it's important to include back up receipts for proof of line items. Nowadays clients are scrutinizing every dollar spent and making sure line items add up. It's my responsibility, as an art buyer, to review the invoice submitted with a microscope to justify all costs to the clients. In advertising, photographers are normally asked to submit all backup receipts.

Keep your receipts no matter what the cost is... if it's for a postage stamp, if it's for a latte, if it's for crew, etc. Whatever the case may be keep all receipts pertaining to the job you're working on. I have always asked this for every job I've ever worked on, as part of client requests and how the agencies work.

The agencies are working for the clients and therefore are also audited to ensure spending dollars are what they should be and that the agency is working in the best interest of the client (and their money). I've even heard from other art buyers that some agency accounting departments will not pay an invoice without the backup production expense receipts. Every dollar needs to be accounted for.

I bring this up because I ran into a situation and posed the question to several other art buyers... all agreed that when receiving invoices they require this backup.

I know people have brought up markups here when I've posted about billing before, I suggest including it in your creative fee or having a wrap fee.
Either way when you do larger advertising jobs you will always be asked to account for each line item in your invoice with backup receipts as proof.