Settlements FAQs
The following are FAQs (frequently asked questions) related to Settlements.
What is the difference between a freight invoice and an accounting invoice?
A freight invoice is the standard invoicing or invoice receiving method within Shipwell. An accounting invoice is an invoice that is only created when seeking payment related to a shipment through your Shipwell marketplace integration of NetSuite or QuickBooks. Accounting invoicing process does not leverage Settlement First Pass Match at this time.
What is First Pass Match within Shipwell?
First Pass Match is the process of matching and comparing freight invoices received within Shipwell against the receiving company's settlement configurations. It is an automated "first pass" match of settlement and invoicing requirements that eases the administrative burden and saves both time and effort. Learn more about Settlement First Pass Match here.
Can I be invoiced more than once per shipment?
Yes, Shipwell supports receiving multiple invoices for the same shipment. However, there is a Settlement configuration to identify multiple invoices when more than one invoices are considered Active (Exception, Passed,Disputed, Approved, Scheduled, Paid).
Can an invoice number be duplicated?
Yes, Shipwell does not enforce unique invoice numbers.
Can a carrier edit an invoice or can I edit it on their behalf?
No, Shipwell does not support the editing of invoices currently. The suggestion is that the original invoice is marked as Rejected if the change or edit is initiated by a customer or Canceled / Voided if initiated by a carrier. Then the carrier may re-invoice (using the same invoice number or a new number).
Can I create an invoice on behalf of a customer?
Yes, customers can invoice on behalf of a customer. Simply go into the shipment's Shipment Details page and select the Financials tab and under the Carriers section, select + Create Carrier Invoice and fill out the relevant information. Alternatively, this can be automatically done if an invoice is not received after a period of days after a shipment has been delivered as a configuration within your Settlement configurations.
Are settlement documents different from shipment documents?
Yes, settlement documents are a separate repository of documents related to an invoice. Settlement documents are sometimes created based on settlement rules from documents on a shipment.
Can I delete settlement documents?
No, settlement documents are considered a record of the freight invoice and are maintained on the invoice.
Can I update settlement documents?
Yes, you may update the Document Type and Description of each settlement document. If a settlement document is updated then it will trigger a rerun of the Settlement First Pass Match to determine if an update on a settlement exception is warranted.
How do I identify a freight invoice`s identifier?
Leverage the GET List Freight Invoices endpoint and review where you may enter a number of different parameters to identify which invoices match that filtering or search criteria.
How do I identify the total on a freight invoice?
Leverage the GET List Freight Invoices or GET Freight Invoice endpoint and enter the appropriate parameters and in the response under total_amount object/property there are value and currency properties for determining the total on a freight invoice.
Do all freight invoices within Shipwell display charge line items?
No. Charge line item information is NOT present for invoices received via the uploaded PDF invoice method currently. However, for EDI 210 or in-app carrier generated invoices there generally is charge line item information for the invoice.
What are the potential freight invoice statuses and generally interpreted meaning of each status for a freight invoice received?
Does marking a freight invoice as APPROVED or PASSED automatically adjust my shipment financials to line up with the freight invoice that has been APPROVED or PASSED?
No. Customers can use the Shipwell API PUT Update the charge line items of a CarrierAssignment to update a shipment's financials to automatically identify if an invoice that has been APPROVED, SCHEDULED, or PAID and add any variance from a shipment's financials and the approved carrier invoice. Many customers first have users within the Shipwell web interface include any approved variance by updating the shipment's financials manually.
What are the potential freight invoice exception sub-statuses that occur if a freight invoice has an EXCEPTION status?
See freight invoice exceptions and sub-statuses.
How can I update the invoice status of a freight invoice?
In addition to the UI, a freight invoice's top-level or overall status may be updated via the PUT Update Freight Invoice Status route. It is recommended that customers leverage this route to update a freight invoice's status if integrating with their ERP or FMS to identify when a freight invoice is SCHEDULED and/or PAID.
Which freight invoice status should trigger an action to send back information into my ERP or FMS?
This depends on your workflow on what freight invoice status(es) trigger a write back into your ERP or FMS. One popular configuration for customers looking to be as efficient in their freight invoice process as possible is to send any freight invoice with a status update of PASSED (invoice that passed the First Pass Match process) or APPROVED (manual approval of invoices that were in an EXCEPTION status but overridden). For customers wanting a person to review all invoices received, a popular configuration is for customers to send any freight invoice with a status update of SCHEDULED into their ERP or FMS. Customers can subscribe to the freight_invoice.received.status_updated event to identify when any invoice that has been received has a status update and do the write back into their ERP or FMS based on their workflow preference.
How do I send back freight invoice status and payment information into my ERP or FMS?
Follow these best practices to the write back freight invoice data to your ERP or FMS.