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Invoice Requested Before Release
Your supplier's bank is holding the funds and asking for an invoice.
The payment has probably not vanished. It has likely reached the receiving side, or is close enough to release, and the bank wants trade support before crediting the supplier.
For a UK business, the next move is not to resend the money. It is to provide the right document set and keep the case owned until the funds are credited.
This usually happens when the beneficiary bank wants to understand the commercial reason for the incoming payment. An invoice request is a release condition. It means the receiving side is checking whether the payment matches a real trade transaction before it applies the funds to your supplier.
01What the receiving bank usually wantsExpect a clean supplier invoice, buyer and seller names that match the payment record, goods or services description, amount and currency, and sometimes shipment or contract support. The document must explain the payment, not simply exist as an attachment.
02Why this is a release issueThe bank may be satisfied that money arrived, but not yet satisfied that it should be credited onward. That is different from a lost wire. The case turns on documentation, matching references, and whether the supplier can respond on its side.
03What to do nextSend the invoice and any requested trade support in one clear response, with the payment reference and supplier account details tied together. Ask your provider or bank to confirm whether the request came from the beneficiary bank, an intermediary, or their own review team before you chase the wrong party.
04When this becomes escalationIf the documents are complete and the funds are still not credited, the issue has moved beyond a simple invoice request. At that point you need an owner to push for a release update, trace status, or a clear rejection reason through the payment chain.
An invoice request is usually a release condition. Treat it as a documentation case, not a mystery.