Developers
Collect a project deposit or build milestone directly into the account used for that currency.
Keep the money path direct
Direct bank-transfer invoices with clear payment instructions
Give the client the exact account, currency, reference, and confirmation process needed to pay you directly.
All commercial controls
The commercial problem
A direct transfer avoids routing the invoice value through a card processor, but an unclear invoice creates a different kind of friction: the wrong currency, missing reference, incomplete bank details, or a payment claim that has not been verified.
CHECK
Signs the current process is too loose
- 01Bank details are being copied into separate chat messages.
- 02The invoice does not say which currency the account accepts.
- 03The client cannot identify the transfer reference to use.
- 04A client payment claim is treated as proof that funds arrived.
Operating method
Put the decision into a visible sequence.
- 01
Invoice in the agreed currency
Use the currency in the engagement and show bank details that can receive that currency.
- 02
Publish complete transfer instructions
Include the account name, bank, account or IBAN details, routing information where required, and the reference the client should use.
- 03
Let the client report the transfer
Give the client one clear way to say they have paid so you know which invoice to verify.
- 04
Confirm against your bank record
Only mark the invoice paid after you verify receipt. The confirmed invoice can then produce the client receipt.
Applied to real client work
One control, adapted to three kinds of engagement.
Product designers
Keep discovery and design-delivery payments attached to the correct project and client reference.
Product consultants
Invoice workshops, audits, and retainers without sending bank details in a separate thread.
Copy-ready commercial template
Direct bank-transfer instructions template
Copy-ready invoice instructions for local account, IBAN, SWIFT, reference, and confirmation details.
Censiq is not a bank, escrow service, or payment processor. Bank and intermediary fees may apply.
Clear answers
Common questions
- Does Censiq hold money sent by bank transfer?
- No. The client transfers money from their bank to the independent professional’s bank account. Censiq records the invoice and confirmation workflow but does not hold the funds.
- Does direct bank transfer always cost nothing?
- Censiq does not charge a payment-processor percentage on the direct transfer. The sending or receiving bank may still apply its own transfer, intermediary, conversion, or account fees.
- Is clicking “I’ve paid” proof of payment?
- No. It is a payment report from the client. The professional should verify that cleared funds reached the correct bank account before confirming the invoice as paid.
Related commercial controls
General commercial information only. Adapt every term to the engagement and obtain professional advice where required.