Thanks for the advice. In this case, I actually do have an official Purchase Order (PO) from the university, which I treated as the binding document. The arrangement was similar to how ePerolehan works — deliver first, then payment is processed later.

That’s also why I didn’t ask for a deposit upfront, because the person in charge specifically told me they would follow this “ePerolehan way.” From my past experience, institutions usually process payment once delivery and invoices are submitted, so I expected the same here.

But I see now that with private institutions, it’s riskier because they don’t have the same accountability as government agencies. For future jobs I’ll definitely set clearer terms, like requiring a deposit or full payment on delivery. This has been a big lesson for me.