AR inbox
The shared mailbox where customers send remittances, invoice requests, disputes and questions to a company's accounts receivable team.
A busy AR inbox mixes routine requests, such as invoice copies, W-9s and statements, with messages that change what should happen next: a promise to pay, a dispute, a remittance or a new billing contact.
Triage matters because each message belongs to a different workflow. A remittance needs cash application, a dispute needs an owner, and a promise to pay should pause reminders.
Related terms
- Remittance adviceThe details a customer sends with or alongside a payment, saying which invoices it covers and explaining any deductions.
- Promise to payA customer's commitment to pay a specific amount by a specific date, recorded so collections can follow up if it's missed.
- Invoice disputeA customer's objection to an invoice, for example to its price, quantity, terms or delivery, that holds up payment until it's resolved.
- W-9 formA US IRS form a supplier gives its customers to confirm its legal name and taxpayer identification number. Many AP teams won't pay without one.