Business writing (деловое письмо). Палагина С.С. - 71 стр.

end of the period a statement of account is sent to the customer, listing all the
transactions between the buyer and seller for that period. The statement includes the
balance on the account, which is brought forward from the previous period and listed
as Account Rendered Invoices and debit notes are added, while payments and credit
notes are deducted.
      Statements of account rarely have letters accompanying them unless there is a
particular point that the supplier wants to make, e.g. that the account is overdue, or
that some special concession is available for prompt payment. Note the expression as
at, which means up to this date.
      I enclose your statement as at 31 July. May I remind you that your June
statement isstill outstanding, and ask you to settle as soon as possible?
      Please find enclosed your statement of account as at 31 May this year. If the
balance of £161 is cleared within the next seven days, you can deduct a 3 per cent
cash discount.

      4.8 Settlement of accounts

      4.8.1 Methods of payment: home trade

      Here is a list of methods of payment which can be used in the home trade, which
refers in this case to trade in the UK.
        Postal Order
      Postal Order can be bought from the Post Office, usually to pay small amounts,
and sent to the supplier direct. They can be crossed or closed, i.e. only to be paid into
the supplier's account, or open for cash. Poundage, i.e. the cost of buying the Order
itself, is expensive, so they would only be used for small amounts.
        Stamps
      It is possible to pay someone with postage stamps, but unusual in business.
        Giro
      This postal cheque system is run by the Post Office and allows customers to
send payments to anyone whether they have a Giro account or not.
        C.O.D. (cash on delivery)
      The Post Office offers a service by which they will deliver goods and accept
payment on behalf of the supplier.
        Cheque
      You must have a current account, or certain types of savings accounts, to pay by
cheque. Cheques take three working days to clear through the commercial banks, and
can be open, to pay cash, or closed (crossed), to be paid into an account. Unlike in
most countries, UK cheques are valid up to six months.
        Bank transfer
      Banks will transfer money by order from one account to another.
        Credit transfer
      The payer fills out a Bank Giro slip and hands it in to a bank with a cheque. The
bank then transfers the money to the payee.
        Bank draft
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