Foreign-Agent Deferred Invoicing on iphere: Tiers, NET, Engagement Letter

For foreign IP firms instructing Korean associates, the friction usually shows up at the timing gap between case progress and payment. Filing and renewal deadlines are immediate, but firm-side billing cycles run in 60- or 90-day cadences. iphere's deferred invoice feature is built specifically to bridge that gap.

A deferred invoice lets you start a Korean matter without paying upfront, settling on the due date instead. Because that creates receivables risk, access is gated by a trust tier that determines the maximum NET window. This article walks through iphere's tier system, the domain verification step, the engagement-letter review path, and the questions foreign associates ask most often.

Trust Tier System

iphere computes a tier from your office-info status and engagement-letter review result. Higher tiers expand the maximum NET days, with admin overrides available case by case. The default policy is below.

Tier 1 — Domain Verification

Tier 1 is gated on a single test: the host of your office website URL must match the domain after the @ in the manager email. If the firm site is example-ip.com, the manager email must be kim@example-ip.com for the check to pass. Generic addresses like gmail or outlook will not verify.

• Office website URL — official firm site
• Manager email — single B2B contact, must use the firm domain
• Manager name and title (optional, used on invoices)
• English office name (optional, for formal documents)
• VAT / Tax ID, settlement currency (USD/KRW/CNY/EUR) (optional)

Tier 2 — Engagement Letter Review

Firms expecting regular collaboration can move to NET 60 by clearing engagement-letter review. iphere supplies the standard letter as both PDF and DOCX. Sign with your firm seal or a digital signing tool (Adobe Acrobat, etc.) and re-upload. Digital signing is the fastest path because it avoids print/scan resolution issues.

1. Download the standard engagement letter from the iphere Office page (PDF or DOCX)
2. Review and sign at the firm (digital signature recommended)
3. Upload the signed PDF to the same page
4. Admin reviews (typically one to three business days)
5. Once approved, status flips to 'verified' and NET 60 unlocks

Quick Office Setup From the Payment Screen

If you reach the payment screen and find yourself at Tier 0, the 'Quick office setup' dialog lets you fill the essentials without leaving the page. Inputs are auto-saved as a draft, and closing the dialog returns you to checkout with Tier 1 already active if the domain check passes.

How a Deferred Invoice Issues

Click 'Proceed with deferred payment' on the case payment screen. iphere issues the invoice immediately and the case moves to in-progress. If we do not see the funds by the due date, the case auto-flags as a receivable and our admin team reaches out.

1. Open a case payment screen — deferred option appears for Tier 1 or higher
2. Pick NET 30 or NET 60 within your tier cap
3. Click 'Proceed with deferred payment' — invoice issues, case starts immediately
4. Invoice arrives on My Page and via email
5. Wire by the due date — once funds are confirmed, the case marks as paid

Bulk Issue for Multiple Matters

When several cases need the same NET treatment, bulk issue handles them in one shot. Multi-select cases on the list and click 'Bulk deferred issue'; iphere applies the same NET window to every selected case and skips any that already have invoices or are paid.

Currency, VAT and Tax ID for International Firms

Foreign firms can pick the settlement currency from USD, KRW, CNY, or EUR at office setup. VAT or Tax ID values (EIN, GST number, etc.) flow straight onto the English invoice. The output drops into firm-side accounting and tax workflows with little to no reformatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can a brand-new account use NET 30 right away?

Yes — fill in the office info and have the domain match, and you can use NET 30 starting with your very first matter. There is no separate review step. The fastest setup is to enter the office website URL and your firm-domain manager email on the Office page right after signup; if the domains line up, you'll see a 'Tier 1 active' confirmation immediately.

Q2. What if I register a generic email (gmail, outlook) as the manager email?

Registration works, but deferred payment stays off because we cannot verify firm identity from a generic provider. If you plan to collaborate regularly, switch the manager email to one on your firm's domain (e.g., name@firm.com) and re-run the verification — the change takes effect immediately.

Q3. Is the engagement letter a one-time exercise or an annual renewal?

Once approved, the same engagement letter stays valid for the firm's account. We may ask for a re-upload if the firm name, principal, settlement currency, or contact channel changes substantively, in which case admin will notify you. There is no fixed annual renewal — absent a meaningful change, the original approval continues to apply.

Q4. What happens if I miss the due date?

Past-due cases auto-flag as receivables and our admin team sends one or two follow-up emails to the manager. Repeated late payments can pause deferred-invoice access or downgrade your tier, so let us know in advance if a payment will slip — we can usually agree on a NET extension when there is a reason.