

Getting approvals from someone with the authority to authorize payments or from various people can prolong the whole process, especially if it’s done manually and includes back-and-forward email communication.

Making sure that invoices are approved quickly and don’t get stuck in lengthy approval processes is essential for paying suppliers on time.
#Define invoice approval verification#
If the invoice doesn’t pass verification because of any missing information or inconsistency, it should be sent back to the supplier to fix the mistakes, and after discrepancies are resolved the approval process starts again from the beginning. In this step, invoices are matched with purchase orders (PO) or delivery receipts (DS) in a 3-way matching. Validating or verifying the accuracy of the invoice means checking that the goods or services listed on the invoice were received or provided and that the prices are correct. 5 Steps In The Invoice Approval WorkflowĪ supplier usually delivers an invoice electronically via email or in the form of a physical document. Setting up the right processes around invoice approvals is important to avoid those issues while ensuring that payments are made on time. Without proper workflows in place, invoices can get lost in the shuffle, and payments could end up delayed or forgotten entirely. The invoice approval workflow ensures that all involved parties review the requested payments or expenditures before processing them. In that case, marketing staff will be responsible to check the invoice before sending it to the AP department to process the payment. This involves several stakeholders, including financial departments like accounts payable, budgeting and finance managers, as well as managers of other departments who need access to information about payments or expenditures.įor example, a marketing department can order a specific marketing service for the company and collect the invoice from a supplier. From there, it is checked further to ensure accuracy and then moved on to payment. The process typically begins with the initial review and approval of an invoice by the relevant financial stakeholder before being passed onto an authorized signer or accounts payable team. The invoice approval is a part of the larger invoice processing workflow and focuses on clearing invoices before they are paid. Simply put, it’s a process of receiving, validating, and approving invoices for payment.

#Define invoice approval manual#
One way to do it is by addressing the things that make it slow and inefficient, like manual processing and approval workflows. So how can you improve your accounts payable workflow to ensure that invoices are paid on time? If you’re frequently making late payments, it could hurt your credit rating and make other forms of financing harder and more expensive to obtain in the future.įinally, a good reputation goes a long way, and paying on time is the only way to ensure that you have a prominent partnership with your suppliers and a reliable source of the goods and services you need to run the business. If you pay your invoices on time, you can get early discounts and avoid late payment fees and other charges that can increase your costs. Paying your suppliers on time is crucial for several reasons.

And how you manage those expenses can make a huge difference in your balance sheet and your relationship with suppliers. Any business, whether it’s big or small, has expenses.
