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Find which invoices still qualify for early-payment discounts
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
Today is Nov 6 and you're deciding which invoices to pay early. Terms like 2/10 net 30 mean 2% off if paid within 10 days of the invoice date. Write exactly 3 numbered lines, one per invoice, each showing the discount deadline, OPEN or EXPIRED, and the discount in dollars ($0 if expired), then one unnumbered last line: Total discount if paid today: $X. Plain text, under 80 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not giving today's date. The AI can't tell which discounts expired, so it counts all three. Try: Add: "Today is Nov 6."
- Not explaining the terms. The AI may misread 1/15 net 45. Try: Add: "X/Y means X% off if paid within Y days of the invoice date."
- Not asking to see the work. AP will want the deadline next to each discount. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. Kessler: Oct 30 + 10 = Nov 9, OPEN, 2% x $5,000 = $100"
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 18 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in an AP email. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives today's date
- Explains the terms
- Asks to show the math
- Sets a word limit
- Asks for plain text
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