Home For Garages Payment Process
Partner administrationHow the payment process works
From authorisation through to a settled invoice, with the documentation requirements stated up front so nothing is held up for a missing report.
The process, end to end
Each step depends on the one before it. Invoices raised ahead of authorisation are the single most common cause of delay.
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1
Case allocated and instructed
You receive the instruction with the vehicle details, accident circumstances and customer contact details. Nothing is chargeable at this point.
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2
Estimate submitted
You submit an itemised estimate stating the intended method, in line with the repair standards.
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3
Authorisation confirmed in writing
We confirm the authorised position, including any amendments. This document is what the eventual invoice is reconciled against — keep it with the job file.
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4
Variations, where needed
Additional damage found at strip-down is submitted as a variation with photographic evidence and re-authorised. Unauthorised additional work is at risk of being disputed.
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5
Repair completed and documented
Work is finished, checks and calibrations are completed and the quality record and handover documentation are produced.
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6
Invoice submitted with supporting documents
You invoice against the authorised position, attaching the documentation listed below. Send it to the accounts route confirmed at onboarding.
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7
Reconciliation and settlement
We reconcile the invoice against the authorised position and any variations, then process it under the terms in your partner agreement. Where something does not match, we raise it rather than paying a different figure without explanation.
What an invoice must be supported by
Sending everything the first time is the fastest route to settlement.
| Document | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice | Always | Must quote the Sterling reference and the vehicle registration, and match the authorised position. |
| Authorised estimate | Always | The version we confirmed in writing, not a later revision. |
| Variation authorisations | Where applicable | One per variation, with the evidence originally submitted. |
| Strip-down photographs | Where applicable | Needed for any additional damage claimed. |
| Completion photographs | Always | Taken before handover preparation. |
| Pre- and post-repair diagnostic reports | Where systems affected | Including subcontractor reports where calibration was outsourced. |
| Calibration certificates | Where carried out | A note that calibration was completed is not sufficient. |
| Parts invoices | On request | Requested where a part type or price is queried. |
| Quality check record | Always | Signed, and dated before release of the vehicle. |
| Customer handover confirmation | Always | Evidence the vehicle was collected or delivered. |
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
Payment terms are agreed with you, not published as a blanket figure Your payment terms, the invoicing route and your named accounts contact are all set out in your partner agreement and confirmed at onboarding. We deliberately do not advertise a turnaround figure on a public page: settlement depends on the authorised position and on the supporting documentation arriving complete, and a headline number that we could not honour in every case would be worse than none.
The rules that keep invoices clean
Almost every payment dispute we see traces back to work that was carried out before it was authorised, or a variation that was never submitted. These four rules prevent most of them.
If you are unsure whether something is covered by the existing authorisation, ask before you do it. A five-minute call is cheaper than a disputed line.
Written authorisation before chargeable work
Verbal indications, including from an engineer on site, are not authorisation. Wait for the written confirmation.
Variations before the work, not after
Submit the variation with evidence and hold that element of the repair until it is re-authorised.
Invoice the authorised figure
If your position has changed, submit a variation. Do not resolve the difference by adjusting the invoice.
One invoice per case
Unless a split has been agreed in advance, invoice once, complete, with all supporting documentation attached.
Query resolution
Queries are normal on accident work. What matters is that they are raised with evidence and resolved rather than absorbed silently by either side.
- We raise it, or you do. Whoever spots the discrepancy sets it out in writing with the relevant document attached.
- We compare against the authorised position. The written authorisation and any variations are the reference point.
- Missing evidence is requested once, clearly. We tell you exactly what is needed rather than returning the whole invoice.
- An outcome is confirmed in writing. Either the invoice is processed, or the adjusted position and the reason for it are set out.
- Unresolved matters escalate. If we cannot agree, it goes to the escalation route in your partner agreement.
Chasing a payment status
Have the vehicle registration, the Sterling reference and the invoice number to hand and we can tell you where it sits.
Your named accounts contact is confirmed at onboarding. If you cannot find it, email us and we will point you to the right person.
Common causes of delay
- Invoice raised before written authorisation
- Additional work with no variation on file
- Missing post-repair diagnostic report
- No Sterling reference on the invoice
- Invoice sent to a general inbox rather than the accounts route
Questions about a specific invoice or the process itself?
The network team handles both. Quote the registration and the Sterling reference and we can look straight at the file.