Bill to payment
Review supplier bills, approve spending within recorded authority, and track payments, currency differences and rejected-bank attempts through to reconciliation.
6 stages · 2 approvals
Roles and responsibilities
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Step 1Capture
Bill NumberDocument TypeVendorEntityVendor Credit
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Step 2Reference check
Bill NumberDocument TypeVendorEntityVendor Credit
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Step 3Approve
Journal Entry NumberEntityDateDescription
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Step 4Schedule
Pay Run NumberEntityBank AccountCurrency
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Step 5Release
Journal Entry NumberEntityDateDescription
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Step 6Clear
Journal Entry NumberEntityDateDescription
Process steps
Follow the process from start to finish. Select a step to see who acts and what changes.
Capture
AP Clerk records the supplier bill, currency, expense or asset account, cost centre and tax treatment. The bill identifies its preparer. Supplier credits link the bill they reduce; capitalised lines identify the asset. Connected capture or procurement sources require configured mappings and duplicate checks.
Reference check
AP Clerk verifies purchase-order and receipt references against procurement's match result. Missing or disputed evidence is resolved before approval. A permitted non-PO bill needs a reason, supporting evidence and a Controller other than the preparer to approve the exception; it is not treated as a matched purchase order.
Approval required
Approve
An authorised AP Clerk other than the preparer approves within limit; Controller decides above that limit. The bill amount is converted into the approver's limit currency, retaining the conversion and decision amount. Approval posts expense and input tax against payable at the approved accounting and tax rates.
Schedule
AP Clerk selects approved due bills and prepares a run for one entity, paying bank account and currency. Payments identify verified supplier accounts. Treasury Analyst reviews available cash and any required currency transfer. A bill in another currency retains both the document amount and the amount to pay.
Approval required
Release
A different authorised AP Clerk releases within limit; Controller releases above it. The preparer cannot release the run, including through delegation. Each application records bill-currency debt settled, payment-currency cash, conversion and withholding. AP settlement FX compares the bill's current carrying amount with payment-date cash value plus withholding. Bank disposal FX separately compares payment-date cash value with the bank carrying amount removed.
Clear
Treasury Analyst matches statement evidence and prepares reconciliation. An acknowledgement does not replace proof of clearance. A rejected posted payment needs a linked reversing journal and reversal of its applications before retry. The replacement retains the rejected attempt's reference; unaffected payments remain intact.
Approvals and exception handling
2 approvals required in this process
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Approve
AP Clerk or Controller signs · schedule waits
Bills, ApprovalDecisions, JournalEntries -
Release
AP Clerk or Controller signs · clear waits
PayRuns, PaymentsMade, BillPaymentApplications, Bills, RevaluationItems, RevaluationSettlements, ApprovalDecisions, JournalEntries - Approval currencyCompare the decision amount with the limit in that limit's currency. Functional currency is not a substitute unless it is the same currency or explicitly converted.
- Independent decisionsBill preparer and approver differ; run preparer and releaser differ. A delegated decision retains both the acting identity and the dated authority used.
- Verified bank detailsOnly authorised roles maintain or inspect supplier account details. Approval of a bill does not approve a bank-detail change.
- Partial and cross-currency paymentsCash amounts reconcile to the payment account; settled amounts reconcile to the bill. Record withholding separately, with its currency and functional value.
- No duplicate FXDelta settlement clears the allocated carried adjustment and recognises only the remaining exchange difference. A rejected payment also restores the affected carrying allocation.
- Safe retryA rejection does not simply reopen a bill while leaving the first posting active. Reversal evidence and unique posting references prevent duplicate settlement.
When the process needs attention
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duplicate
Capture
Connected capture or procurement sources require configured mappings and duplicate checks.
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exception
Reference check
Missing or disputed evidence is resolved before approval.
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reject
Clear
A rejected posted payment needs a linked reversing journal and reversal of its applications before retry.
Records and postings
| Stage | Records | Dr | Cr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Capture | BillsBillItemsContactsFixedAssets | none | none |
| 2 Reference check | Bills | none | none |
| 3 Approve | BillsApprovalDecisionsJournalEntries | none | expense and input tax debit; payable |
| 4 Schedule | PayRunsPaymentsMadeContactBankAccountsBankAccounts | none | none |
| 5 Release | PayRunsPaymentsMadeBillPaymentApplicationsBillsRevaluationItemsRevaluationSettlementsApprovalDecisionsJournalEntries | payable debit and bank credit at current carrying; withholding payable credit; AP settlement and bank disposal FX |
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| 6 Clear | PaymentsMadeBillPaymentApplicationsBillsBankStatementLinesBankReconciliationsJournalEntries | rejected posted payment reverses its journal and applications before retry |
Process reports
All reportsCash Flow Statement
Indirect method: operating, investing and financing activities derived from balance-sheet movement with non-cash items added back, including the effect of exchange rate changes on cash held in foreign currencies.
Budget vs Actual
Per account per cost center, budget, actual, variance and variance percent for period, quarter-to-date and year-to-date, in entity currency or translated at the budget rate for the group view.
Run by an agent
Agent support
An agent cannot approve a revaluation, authorise payment, confirm an intercompany transaction for the receiving entity or sign off a close. It cannot bypass limits, entity access or separation of duties. Preparation remains distinct from the human approval required to release or post the work. Test those restrictions during implementation and retain the agent identity in the audit trail.
# Example after configuration
$ curl -fsSL https://www.erp.ai/skill.md | paste into your agent
› bill to payment · capture on Bills, BillItems, Contacts, FixedAssets
✓ AP Clerk records the supplier bill, currency, expense or asset account, cost centre and tax treatment.
› bill to payment · reference check on Bills
✓ AP Clerk verifies purchase-order and receipt references against procurement's match result.
› bill to payment · approve on Bills, ApprovalDecisions, JournalEntries
⏸ approval · waiting for the ap clerk or controller
# 3 more stages after approval: schedule, release, clear
Other processes
5 moreMulti-currency period close
Approve reconciliations, revalue supported balances, review the close and consolidate each entity into the group reporting currency.
6 stages · 3 approvals
Invoice to cash in a foreign currency
Invoice customers in their currency, record cash when it arrives, and reconcile each application with the amount owed and its current carrying value.
6 stages · 2 approvals
Revaluation run
Restate foreign-currency balances with item-level workings, independent approval and a clear basis for later settlement.
6 stages · 1 approval
Intercompany to elimination
Agree intercompany transactions, post each entity in its own period, reconcile balances and review consolidation differences.
6 stages · 3 approvals
Consolidation and translation
Translate entity results into the group currency, review eliminations and adjustments, and approve a reproducible consolidation.
6 stages · 2 approvals