The Billing and Posting Clerk compile records of charges for services rendered or goods sold, calculate and record the amounts of these services and goods, and prepare invoices to be mailed to customers.
Activities:
The Billing and Posting Clerk reviews purchase orders, sales tickets, hospital records, or charge slips to calculate the total amount due from a customer. The Billing and Posting Clerk must take into account any applicable discounts, special rates, or credit terms. The Billing and Posting Clerk that works for trucking companies often need to consult a rate book to determine shipping costs or machine parts, for example.
The Billing and Posting Clerk that works in hospitals need to contact an insurance company to determine what items will be reimbursed and for how much. Billing and Posting Clerk that work in accounting, law, consulting, and similar firms must calculate client fees based on the actual time required to perform the task. Often in these firms a certain amount of time is allotted and if more time is necessary then the client gets an overtime charge. The Billing and Posting Clerk keeps track of the accumulated hours and dollar amounts to charge to each job, the type of job performed for a customer, and the percentage of work completed. All these things are very important to the Billing and Posting Clerk when they are calculating the total amount owed by the customer.
The Billing and Posting Clerk reviews all necessary information, they compute the charges, using calculators or computers. The Billing and Posting Clerk will then prepare itemized statements, bills, or invoices used for billing and recordkeeping purposes. In one organization, the clerk might prepare a bill containing the amount due and the date and type of service; in another, the clerk would produce a detailed invoice with codes for all goods and services provided. The Billing and Posting Clerk may like to use an invoice so that they can list all the items sold, the terms of credit, the date of shipment or the dates services were provided. Often the Billing and Posting Clerk likes to include the salesperson’s or doctor’s identification, if necessary, and the sales total. All these facts are important in billing in order to get a speedy payment without any complications.
The Billing and Posting Clerks use computers and billing software in order to calculate charges and prepare bills in one step. When the Billing and Posting Clerk use specialized software packages then their work time is cut in half as the templates make it very easy to fill in all the information. Most of the time the Billing and Posting Clerk must enter the information from handwritten forms. They must have knowledge to manipulate the necessary entries of quantities, labor, and rates to be charged. The Billing and Posting Clerk must be able to recognize all types of writing. They must be able to explain what they are doing in written format. They must be able to understand people and the different dialects that are spoken. They also must be able to explain to others what they are doing and the reasons for the charges that are being made. The Billing and Posting Clerk must be able to use computers and software programs. They must be able to write programs if necessary that will explain what they are doing for the different clients. The Billing and Posting Clerk must be able to understand the English language, words, paragraphs, and grammar. The Billing and Posting Clerk must have knowledge in mathematics including algebra, calculus, and recording keeping.
The Billing and Posting Clerk needs the ability to see things up close since they are working with numbers and they also need to be able to see things at a distance. The Billing and Posting Clerk must be able to deal with clients, co-workers, and superiors. They must have the ability to understand what the client is expecting before they can set up a proper format. In addition to producing invoices, billing clerks may be asked to handle follow-up questions from customers and resolve any discrepancies or errors. The Billing and Posting Clerk in the final procedure must make changes in the accounting records.