They also keep track of which payments have been received. To start, billing clerks gather purchase orders, bills of lading, sales tickets, hospital records, or charge slips. Clerks use these records to calculate the total amount a customer owes. In accounting, law, consulting, and similar firms, billing clerks calculate client fees. Fees are based on the actual time required to perform the task.
Clerks keep track of the hours and dollar amounts to charge to each job.
They also keep track of the type of job performed for a customer and how much of it is finished. In hospitals, billing clerks may need to write a letter to an insurance company to get the total. A clerk computing trucking rates for machine parts may use a rate book. After clerks gather all of the information, they compute the charges using calculators or computers. Then they prepare the statements, bills, or invoices that are used for billing and record-keeping.