A duplicate invoice that hides in plain sight if you only ever check the totals, not the details.
Sports nutrition · Single 3PL · 3PL fixing a missed carrier charge
Original invoice; PDF and backup file agree
Missing charges
New invoice (new invoice number) with all charges: $42K original plus $3K missing
The original $42K, counted twice
$42K invoice paid
3PL re-bills the full month at $45K under a new invoice number
The original $42K is paid twice
Duplicate billings go unnoticed unless you are specifically checking for them. The 3PL re-billed the whole month instead of just the missing charges, so the original $42K got paid twice. The totals still add up, but a deeper look shows duplicates.
We catch duplicates by matching every charge, not just totals.
