In short: What is remittance advice? It is a notice that a payer sends to a supplier to say a payment was made. A full advice lists 8 details, including the invoice number, the amount, the currency and the date. The supplier uses it to match the payment to the right invoice. It is not proof that the money arrived.
Author: Admin EzyRemit · Last updated: 06/10/2026
What is remittance advice, and why do businesses still send it? A bank transfer can arrive with a short or unclear reference. The supplier then has to guess which invoice the money pays. Australian businesses must also keep clear records. business.gov.au says to keep business records for at least 5 years (checked 6 October 2026). The ATO says a GST-registered business must give a tax invoice for a taxable sale of more than AUD 82.50 including GST (checked 6 October 2026). A remittance advice links the payment to that invoice.
This guide explains what a remittance advice contains, who sends it, how to read one and how to send one. It also shows how it differs from a receipt, an invoice and an MT103 copy, and what changes for international payments.
What is remittance advice?
Remittance advice is a document or message from the person who pays to the person who is paid. It says which invoices a payment covers. Other names are remittance notice, remittance slip and payment advice.
The word "remit" means to send money. In the days of cheques, a payer put a slip in the envelope with the cheque. The slip told the supplier which invoice the cheque paid. Today the same job is done by email, by an accounting tool or by a note in the bank transfer.
What does a remittance advice contain?
A good remittance advice has eight details. Table 1 lists them and shows why the supplier needs each one.
Table 1. Details in a remittance advice.
| Detail | What it shows | Why the supplier needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Payer name and contact | Who paid | To know which customer paid |
| Supplier name | Who is paid | To make sure the advice reached the right business |
| Invoice number and order reference | Which invoice the payment covers | To match the payment to one invoice |
| Amount and currency | How much was paid, and in which currency | To compare with the invoice amount |
| Payment date | When the payer sent the payment | To know when to look for the money |
| Payment method | For example bank transfer or cheque | To know where to look for the money |
| Payment reference | The reference on the transfer | To find the line on the bank statement |
| Contact for questions | A name, a phone number and an email | To ask about a difference quickly |
One remittance advice can cover more than one invoice. In that case, it lists each invoice with its own amount, and a total.
Who issues remittance advice?
The payer sends remittance advice. The supplier receives it. The supplier issues the invoice, and later a receipt if the payer asks for one.
Payers use one of these ways to send it:
- An accounting tool emails it when the payer marks a bill as paid.
- A staff member writes an email with the payment details.
- A bank or payment platform shows a confirmation, and the payer forwards it.
- The payer fills in the slip at the bottom of the invoice, then posts or scans it back.
Ask your bank which payment documents it gives you. Banks differ.
How do you read a remittance advice?
Read a remittance advice from the invoice number down. Table 2 shows a sample layout. All names and amounts are fictional.
Table 2. Sample remittance advice (fictional data).
| Field | Example entry | What the supplier checks |
|---|---|---|
| Payer | Example Pty Ltd | The name matches a customer account |
| Supplier | Sample Supplies Pty Ltd | The advice is addressed to the right business |
| Invoice number | INV-1042 | An open invoice has this number |
| Invoice amount | AUD 1,250.00 | The amount matches the invoice |
| Amount paid | AUD 1,250.00 | The amount paid matches the invoice amount |
| Payment date | 17 September 2026 | The date to look for on the bank statement |
| Payment method | Bank transfer | The account where the money should appear |
| Payment reference | INV-1042 | The reference to search for on the bank statement |
| Contact | Accounts team, Example Pty Ltd | Who to ask about a difference |
To read a remittance advice, follow these steps:
- Find the invoice number.
- Open the matching invoice in your accounts.
- Compare the amount and the currency with the invoice.
- Check the payment date and the payment method.
- Search your bank statement for the payment reference.
- Wait until the money appears in your account.
- Mark the invoice as paid. File the advice with the invoice.
How do businesses use remittance advice to reconcile payments?
Reconciliation means matching the money in your bank account to your invoices. That is what remittance advice is used for. It makes the job fast, because it names the invoice. Without it, one bank line can fit several open invoices.
Table 3. What to do in common situations.
| Situation | What the advice tells you | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Payment equals the invoice | One invoice, full amount | Mark the invoice as paid when the money arrives |
| Payment is lower than the invoice | Amount paid is below the invoice amount | Check for a part payment, a bank fee or an exchange rate difference |
| One payment covers several invoices | A list of invoices with amounts | Match each line, then check that the total equals the bank line |
| Payment has no advice | Nothing | Ask the payer for the invoice number and the payment date |
| Advice arrives, no money | A payment is claimed | Do not mark the invoice as paid. See the section below |
Look at the size of the gap. For example, on an invoice of AUD 1,250.00, a 1% gap is AUD 12.50 and a 5% gap is AUD 62.50. A small gap can come from a bank fee or an exchange rate difference. A large gap can point to a part payment.
A bookkeeper can keep three things together for each invoice: the invoice, the remittance advice and the bank statement line.
How is remittance advice different from a receipt, an invoice or an MT103 copy?
An invoice asks for payment. A remittance advice says a payment was made. A receipt confirms that the supplier got the money. An MT103 copy is a bank message about one transfer.
MT103 is a SWIFT message type for a single customer credit transfer between banks (SWIFT Standards MT, Category 1, November 2022 edition, checked 6 October 2026). The message has a field for remittance information, where the sender can add text such as an invoice number. Your bank can tell you if it gives copies of these messages.
Table 4. Documents compared.
| Document | Who sends it | What it says | Does it show the money arrived? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice | Supplier | Please pay this amount | No |
| Remittance advice | Payer | I have paid, or will pay, these invoices | No |
| Receipt | Supplier | We received the money | Yes, as the supplier states it |
| Bank statement line | Bank | Money moved in or out of the account | Yes, for that account |
| MT103 copy | Bank, on request | Details of one transfer sent between banks | No, it describes the transfer. Check the account |
Is remittance advice proof of payment?
No. A remittance advice is a notice from the payer. It says a payment was made or planned. Mistakes still happen: a wrong account number, a wrong amount or a delay.
Only the arrival of the money, shown on your bank statement, or a receipt from the supplier proves payment. Keep the advice together with the bank entry.
What should you do if remittance advice arrives but the payment does not?
Do not mark the invoice as paid until the money is in your account. To follow up, take these steps:
- Check all your bank accounts, including pending items.
- Check the payment date and the payment method in the advice.
- Allow time for the transfer, especially for international payments.
- Email the payer with the invoice number, the amount and the date.
- Ask the payer for the transfer confirmation from the bank or the money transfer service.
- Check that the payer used your correct account details.
Do you have to send remittance advice?
There is no single rule for every case. Check your contract and the supplier's payment terms. business.gov.au suggests that an invoice says when and how the customer should pay (checked 6 October 2026). Many suppliers ask for remittance advice with each payment.
Send it even when nobody asks. One short message prevents several follow-up emails.
How do you send remittance advice?
You can send a remittance advice by email in a few minutes. To send one, follow these steps:
- Open the invoice you paid.
- Copy the invoice number, the amount and the currency.
- Add the payment date, the payment method and the payment reference.
- Add a contact for questions.
- Put the invoice number and the amount in the subject line.
- Send the email to the supplier's accounts email address.
- Save a copy with the invoice.
Example subject line: Payment made: invoice INV-1042, AUD 1,250.00, 17 September 2026.
Use this template for the email body:
"Hi [Supplier name], we paid invoice [INV-XXXX] for [amount and currency] on [date] by [payment method]. Reference: [reference]. Contact [name, phone, email] if anything does not match. Thanks, [Your name, business]."
How do you ask for remittance advice?
If you are the supplier, ask the payer for it. To ask for a remittance advice, follow these steps:
- Check your bank statement for the amount and the name of the payer.
- Email the payer's accounts team. Give the invoice number.
- Ask for the payment date, the amount, the currency, the method and the reference.
- Add your bank account details, so the payer can check them.
- Add a line to the payment terms on your next invoice: "Please email remittance advice to [your accounts email]."
How does remittance advice work for international payments?
The same details apply, but more can differ. The amount sent, the amount received, the fees, the exchange rate and the dates can differ between the payer's bank and the supplier's bank. A bank can also limit the length of the payment reference, so a long reference can be shortened.
For an overseas supplier, take these steps:
- Check the currency on the invoice.
- Keep the transfer confirmation from the service you use.
- Send a remittance advice with the invoice number, the amount sent, the currency and the date.
- Attach the transfer confirmation to the same email.
- Tell the supplier if a fee reduces the amount they receive.
- Save both documents with the invoice.
EzyRemit is an Australian international money transfer service that helps people and businesses send money from Australia to Vietnam, the Philippines and other destinations. EzyRemit Worldwide Pty Ltd is registered with AUSTRAC as an independent remittance dealer (IND100838372). You pay EzyRemit in Australian dollars by bank transfer or PayID, and EzyRemit pays your recipient.
This guide explains remittance advice in general. It does not describe a document issued by EzyRemit. For help with a transfer, contact EzyRemit on +61 2 7204 8448 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or use the EzyRemit contact page. Check the rate, the fee and the amount your recipient gets on ezyremit.com before you confirm. For fees and payment methods, read Send Money from Australia: Fees and Payment Methods. To compare ways to send, read how to send money from Australia to Vietnam. For safe habits when you send money abroad, read our guide to international money transfer scams.
Key takeaways
- What is remittance advice? It is a notice from the payer to the supplier. It names the invoice, the amount, the currency, the date and a reference.
- It is not proof of payment. The money on your bank statement, or a receipt, is proof.
- Read it from the invoice number down, then match it to your bank statement.
- For an overseas payment, send the advice and the transfer confirmation together.
- If the advice arrives and the money does not, do not mark the invoice as paid.
FAQ
Does remittance advice replace an invoice?
No. The invoice asks for payment. The remittance advice says a payment was made. Keep both.
Is a remittance slip the same as remittance advice?
Yes, in most cases. A remittance slip is the paper form of a remittance advice. It often sits at the bottom of an invoice, or comes with a cheque.
What is a remittance advice check?
It is a cheque (spelled "check" in some countries) with a remittance advice slip attached. The slip lists the invoices the cheque pays. Keep the slip with the invoice.
Can I automate remittance advice?
Yes. Many accounting tools email a remittance advice when you mark a bill as paid. Check that the email shows the invoice number, the amount, the currency, the date and a contact.
Is remittance advice a receipt?
No. A receipt comes from the supplier and confirms the money arrived. A remittance advice comes from the payer.
This article gives general information only. It is not financial, legal or tax advice. Requirements, fees and bank processes change, so check the current details with your bank, your accountant and the provider you use. Last updated: 06/10/2026.
