Agency & Publication Guidelines

Publication Obligation to Agencies


Agreement Document.


  1. The publications generally should accept advertising only at their published card rates but where the Publication and Agency have decided to operate outside the publications rate card, the publication must have a signed Document covering all aspects of the agreement, duly signed by the agency.
  2.  
  3. The Agreement Document must contain all aspects of the agreement with regard to:
  4.  
    • Rates
    • Premia for special positions, if to be charged or to be waived.
    • Supplement rates to be mentioned, if different from Card Rates.
    • Black & White/Colour.
    • Volume commitment and
    • Applicable rate in case of non-fulfillment of committed volume.
  5. Agreement Document should also specify the billing rate, i.e., whether the discount is to be parted in the rate itself or if it is to be passed on through a credit note at regular intervals or at the end of the agreement period after assessing the volume consumed.
  6.  
  7. Publications Marketing & Sales Team must give a copy of the Agreement Document to the publication Finance/Commercial department and Publications One Point Contact Representative (OPCR) to keep them abreast.
  8.  

    Release Order

  9. Publications should carry out any special instructions given in the Release Order. If these instructions are not acceptable to publications then the advertisement should not be carried and the Agency should be informed.

    Agencies have been told that any special position cannot be demanded, unless it is paid for or specially agreed to as recorded in Agreement Document.

  10.  

    Bills

  11. All bills should be strictly dispatched along with complete tear sheets (1 for each edition) within 15 days of the month in which the ad was carried.
  12.  
  13. Each bill must be accompanied by the complete tear sheet (not cutting) showing the proof of the appearance of the advertisement. In case of any specified, paid for special position, the tear sheet should be in a position to demonstrate the appearance of the ad in the special position.
  14.  
  15. Bills should specify the name of the advertiser/client, Release Order Number, Date of Insertion and Agreed Rate.
  16.  

    Outstanding Statement

  17. The Outstanding Statement should be sent regularly by the publication to the Agency Finance Department and the Agencys OPCR. The Publications Outstanding Statement should clearly show the bill number, amount and the advertisers name. A soft copy with additional details of Release Order Number, Date of Insertion(s), Edition(s), etc. should be sent.
  18.  
  19. The Outstanding Statement should be sent on the same day, that the publication reports the figure in MRV to INS. INS will consider MRVs only if a declaration is received that the agencies have been supplied the list of bills not paid or partly paid by the agency and the total of such statement should tally with the figure shown in the MRV
  20.  
  21. The total of the Outstanding Statement should exactly match the total unpaid outstanding reported by the publication to INS for inclusion in MRV.
  22.  
  23. Where an agency has deducted an amount on a bill and the publication reports the unpaid amount in the Outstanding Statement, a legend should appear against the bill number saying, "PARTLY PAID" or the statement should have 3 columns : Bill Amount/Amount Paid/Balance.
  24.  

    Credit Note

  25. If a publications system does not permit billing at a negotiated rate; then the same system must be modified, but pending modification, the bill must be accompanied by a credit note
  26.  
  27. If a publication sends the bill at a rate that is different from that which has been agreed to and recorded in the Agreement Document and the bill is not accompanied with a credit note, the agency is within its right to return the bill unpaid and ask for a correct bill.
  28.  
  29. Where the agency points out a legitimate mistake in the bill, in terms of rate or size, publication should respond within 15 days of the discrepancy being pointed out, with a refutal or a revised bill.
  30.  
  31. Where a deduction is correctly made by an agency and as confirmed by the publication, such short paid amount should not be reflected in the MRV.
  32.  
  33. Publications must issue a credit note within 15 days of a dispute being resolved.
  34.  

    Payment

  35. Agencies are obliged to give publications complete details of bills that are being settled along with payments, and are requested not to encourage On-Account lump sum payment without the list of bills for which the payment is being made.
  36.  
  37. Publications must issue a NO-DUE CERTIFICATE at least once a year to agencies after reconciling/clearing the account. For each financial year ending 31 st March a NO-DUE CERTIFICATE should be given to the Agency by 30th September of that year