Bill vs Invoice ?

[Maf. King]

On Wednesday 13 January 2010 17:04:42 Geert Janssens wrote:
> As a non-native English speaker, I am wondering about the difference
> between the terms "Bill" and "Invoice".
>
> Gnucash uses a "Bill" to indicate a document provided by a vendor and
> "Invoice" for a document provided by a customer.
>
> But in my native language (Dutch, being from Belgium) the literal
> translations of these words have a subtle difference in meaning. Only the
> Dutch word for "Invoice" (being "Factuur") is used in a business context.
> So we have Customer Invoices and Vendor Invoices if we want to
> differentiate between these two.
>
> The Dutch word for "Bill" ("Rekening") is mostly used more informally, or
> outside of business contexts. I would ask for the bill in a restaurant for
> example.
>
> So how is this in English ? And is it different or the same in the various
> English speaking countries (UK, USA, Canada, Australia,...) ?
>
> Feedback is appreciated, it may help me improve the wording in the Gnucash
> business functions.
>


Hi Geert,

IMHO, British English pretty much follows the use pattern you have in Dutch.  

Bill and Invoice are somewhat interchangeable words, but "bill" is certainly 
less formal (both in an accounting sense, and language sense) than "invoice".

My wife and I might talk about "paying the electricity bill" for example, even 
though it is effectively an "account payable vendor invoice", but equally, in 
a restaurant I would ask for the bill, too.  I can't think of a case 
where "invoice" would be used domestically in preference to "bill"

My business definitely [sends/receives] invoices [to/from] our 
[customers/suppliers] though, but I would be perfectly clearly understood if 
I asked my bookeeper "if the bill from supplier X" had been paid yet (or "has 
Customer Y paid their bill?")! 

Did that clear anything up?!!

Maf.