Invoices & payments in Chinese 发票和付款
fāpiào hé fùkuǎn
Invoice in Chinese is 发票 (fā piào).
Also searched for as: invoice, payment terms, deposit, fapiao, bank transfer, letter of credit.
Deposits, balances and getting paid on time. 15 essential invoices & payments words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
In Chinese business, 发票 (fā piào) means more than an invoice: it's an official tax receipt, and companies often can't claim costs without one. Trade deals usually run on a 定金 (dìng jīn), deposit, followed by a 尾款 (wěi kuǎn), the balance, and the moment everyone is waiting for is 到账 (dào zhàng), when the money actually lands in the account. These words cover most payment conversations.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 发票 | fā piào | invoice; official receipt |
| 增值税发票 | zēng zhí shuì fā piào | VAT invoice |
| 开票 | kāi piào | to issue an invoice |
| 形式发票 | xíng shì fā piào | proforma invoice (PI) |
| 付款方式 | fù kuǎn fāng shì | payment terms; payment method |
| 定金 | dìng jīn | deposit |
| 尾款 | wěi kuǎn | balance payment |
| 预付款 | yù fù kuǎn | advance payment |
| 电汇 | diàn huì | telegraphic transfer (T/T) |
| 信用证 | xìn yòng zhèng | letter of credit (L/C) |
| 水单 | shuǐ dān | bank transfer slip |
| 到账 | dào zhàng | to arrive in an account |
| 账期 | zhàng qī | credit period; payment terms |
| 催款 | cuī kuǎn | to chase payment |
| 对公账户 | duì gōng zhàng hù | company bank account |
Usage tips
- When a supplier asks for your 开票信息 (kāi piào xìn xī), they need your company name, tax number and bank details to issue a 发票; Chinese companies often need a 增值税发票 (zēng zhí shuì fā piào), VAT invoice.
- A 水单 (shuǐ dān), bank transfer slip, is routinely requested as proof of payment, and sending one straight after paying saves a round of 催款 (cuī kuǎn), payment-chasing messages.
- Terms are usually stated in percentages, such as 百分之三十定金，百分之七十尾款 (bǎi fēn zhī sān shí dìng jīn, bǎi fēn zhī qī shí wěi kuǎn), 30% deposit and 70% balance.
Common mistakes
- Treating 定金 (dìng jīn) and 订金 (dìng jīn) as the same: they sound identical, but a 定金 is a binding deposit the payer can lose by backing out, while 订金 is just an advance payment, so check which one the contract says.
- Using 收据 (shōu jù) and 发票 (fā piào) interchangeably: a 收据 is a simple receipt, while a 发票 is the official tax document finance departments need.
Mini dialogue
- A李经理，我们还没收到尾款。Lǐ jīng lǐ, wǒ men hái méi shōu dào wěi kuǎn.Mr Li, we haven't received the balance payment yet.
- B我们昨天已经电汇了，可能还没到账。Wǒ men zuó tiān yǐ jīng diàn huì le, kě néng hái méi dào zhàng.We sent it by T/T yesterday, it probably hasn't arrived yet.
- A那麻烦您把水单发给我，我让财务查一下。Nà má fan nín bǎ shuǐ dān fā gěi wǒ, wǒ ràng cái wù chá yī xià.Could you send me the bank slip, then? I'll get finance to check.
- B好的，马上发。另外，发票什么时候能开？Hǎo de, mǎ shàng fā. Lìng wài, fā piào shén me shí hou néng kāi?Sure, sending it now. Also, when can you issue the invoice?
- A收到款以后我们马上开票。Shōu dào kuǎn yǐ hòu wǒ men mǎ shàng kāi piào.We'll issue it as soon as the payment arrives.
Example sentences
- 请开一张发票给我们。Please issue us an invoice.
- 我们需要开增值税发票。We need a VAT invoice.
- 麻烦把开票信息发给我。Please send me your invoicing details.
- 收到形式发票后我们就付款。We'll pay as soon as we get the PI.
- 你们接受什么付款方式？What payment terms do you accept?
- 先付百分之三十定金。Pay a 30% deposit first.
- 尾款发货前付清。The balance is due before shipment.
- 预付款我们今天已经打了。We transferred the advance payment today.
- 我们一般用电汇付款。We usually pay by T/T.
- 金额大的订单可以用信用证。Large orders can be paid by L/C.
- 付完款请把水单发给我。Please send me the bank slip once you've paid.
- 您的货款还没到账。Your payment hasn't come through yet.
- 能给我们六十天账期吗？Could you give us 60 days' credit?
- 财务又在催款了。Finance is chasing payment again.
- 请付到我们的对公账户。Please pay into our company account.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Invoices & payments speaking island has 8 everyday questions about invoices & payments to prepare your own answers to.