A
bill is a document requesting payment for an order previously supplied. Presentation of a bill is common practice on the part of
restaurantA restaurant prepares and serves food and drink to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s,
credit cardA credit card is part of a system of payments named after the small plastic card issued to users of the system. It is a card entitling its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
companies,
utilitiesA public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
, and other service providers. The bill for something is the total price of all services and goods received but not paid for, and is presented in the expectation of immediate payment by the due date.
When a bill is paid for, as a part of the transaction, the company will usually provide a bill confirmation.
If a bill is not paid on time, various sanctions against the debtor may be taken, including
late feeA late fee, also known as a late fine or a past due fee, is a charge levied against a client by a company or organization for not paying a bill or returning a rented or borrowed item by its due date. Its use is most commonly associated with businesses like creditors, video rental outlets and...
s being added to the bill, negative credit reporting, suspension of the services being provided, employment of a
collection agencyA collection agency is a business that pursues payments on debts owed by individuals or businesses. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed...
to collect the amount due, or in the most extreme cases,
legal actionA lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have received damages from a defendant's actions, seeks a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
.
A
bill is a document requesting payment for an order previously supplied. Presentation of a bill is common practice on the part of
restaurantA restaurant prepares and serves food and drink to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s,
credit cardA credit card is part of a system of payments named after the small plastic card issued to users of the system. It is a card entitling its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
companies,
utilitiesA public utility is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service . Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and regulation ranging from local community-based groups to state-wide government monopolies...
, and other service providers. The bill for something is the total price of all services and goods received but not paid for, and is presented in the expectation of immediate payment by the due date.
When a bill is paid for, as a part of the transaction, the company will usually provide a bill confirmation.
Unpaid bills
If a bill is not paid on time, various sanctions against the debtor may be taken, including
late feeA late fee, also known as a late fine or a past due fee, is a charge levied against a client by a company or organization for not paying a bill or returning a rented or borrowed item by its due date. Its use is most commonly associated with businesses like creditors, video rental outlets and...
s being added to the bill, negative credit reporting, suspension of the services being provided, employment of a
collection agencyA collection agency is a business that pursues payments on debts owed by individuals or businesses. Most collection agencies operate as agents of creditors and collect debts for a fee or percentage of the total amount owed...
to collect the amount due, or in the most extreme cases,
legal actionA lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have received damages from a defendant's actions, seeks a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
. The total amount of the bill is usually called the balance due.
Under
English lawEnglish law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countriesand the United States...
, a person who makes off without paying the bill, or who
dishonestlyDishonesty is a word which in common usage may be defined as the act or to act without honesty; a lack of probity, to cheat, lying or being deliberately deceptive; lacking in integrity; to be knavish, perfidious, corrupt or treacherous; charlatanism or quackery.Dishonesty is the fundamental...
secures a remission in the amount payable, commits a criminal offence under the
Theft Act 1978The Theft Act 1978 supplemented the earlier deception offences in English law contained in sections 15 and 16 of the Theft Act 1968 by reforming some aspects of those offences and adding new provisions. Sections 1 and 2 were repealed on 15 January 2007 with the implementation of the Fraud Act 2006...
.
In the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and most other
democraciesDemocracy is a system of government in which either the actual governing is carried out by the people governed , or the power to do so is granted by them...
, a person who does not pay a bill cannot be held criminally liable. Debt is strictly a civil matter, and the creditor is limited to taking civil action against the debtor.
Common reasons for failure to pay a bill on time or at all include disorganization, forgetfulness, health problems that leave the customer out of commission to make payment, dispute of the charges on the bill, or difficulty in affording the bill.
See also
- Invoice
An invoice or bill is a commercial document issued by a seller to the buyer, indicating the products, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services the seller has provided the buyer...
- Arrears
Arrears is a legal term for a type of debt which is overdue after missing an expected payment. It is also used for payments that occur at the end of a period....
- Grace period
A grace period is a period of time past the deadline for fulfilling an obligation during which a penalty that would be imposed for being late is waived...
- Late fee
A late fee, also known as a late fine or a past due fee, is a charge levied against a client by a company or organization for not paying a bill or returning a rented or borrowed item by its due date. Its use is most commonly associated with businesses like creditors, video rental outlets and...
- Turn-off notice
A turn-off notice, cut-off notice, or shut-off notice is a warning letter sent out by the provider of a service for a residence or other building, such as utility, phone service, or cable television, that if payment is not sent by the date indicated in the notice, the service will be interrupted...
- Debt evasion
Debt evasion is the intentional act of trying to avoid attempts by creditors to collect or pursue one's debt. At an elementary level, this includes the refusal to answer one's phone by screening one's calls or by ignoring mailed notices informing the debtor of the debt...