5-11.2 Verify Invoice Amount

Invoice amounts should always match the purchase order amount. When the amount to be paid by the Postal Service to the supplier is correct, the specified office can approve the invoice and the activities associated with the Make Payment topic of the Make Payment task of USPS Supplying Practices Process Step 5: Measure and Manage Supply. The accuracy of the purchase order amount and, contingently, of the invoice is verified by reviewing the prices established for products and/or services in the contract.

When the amount on the invoice does not match the purchase order amount, the specified office is responsible for giving notice to the supplier within 7 days and for resolving the issue. Problems with invoices arise when the amounts charged are different from the amounts documented in the purchase order, which are usually based on prices established and referenced in the actual contract. In such cases, the supplier resolves these problems by resubmitting a new invoice with the correct amount, or the supplier submits a credit memo to be applied to the original invoice. A credit memo is the document issued by the supplier to record an adjustment against, and applied to, an invoice.