There are two ways to make payments to suppliers:

Creating a payment batch for multiple suppliers:
Pay most or all suppliers at one time, generally in intervals (like once or twice a month).

Paying particular suppliers:
Pay one supplier at any time.

When making payments, you can apply any unapplied credits directly to the payment. You can also record preauthorized payments and supplier Prepayments. To record a preauthorized payment for a specific supplier, either pay the particular supplier or edit the supplier’s payment details while creating a payment batch.

agrē has an optional Payment Review Process that allows users to create payments but the cheque can't be printed (or the EFT file generated) until the payments are approved by someone with a higher level of security.

I want to see an example of the Earliest date of all invoices being paid on that payment (you'll need Adobe Acrobat to read it)

I want to see an example of Preauthorized Payments (you'll need Adobe Acrobat to read it)

I want to learn about the AP Cheque/EFT Batch Review process (also known as the AP Payment Approval Process)

 

There are at least two steps to making payments:

Determine the selection and payment criteria for your suppliers.
Enter your selection and payment criteria under the four sections on the Make Payments window: Selection Criteria, Payment Dates, Payment is made from, and Payment Type.

Process and record the payments.

If you are paying by cheque or by EFT, there's one more step:

Print the cheque, or generate and upload the EFT batch.

 

Making Payments to All Suppliers

While creating the payment batch, you can view and edit the payment details for specific suppliers (similar to paying particular suppliers). While editing, you can apply any unapplied credits directly to the payment and record preauthorized payments (prepayments).

To make payments to all suppliers

Navigate to Accounts Payable > Supplier Payments > Make Payments.
The Make Payments window opens.

In the Due Date On or Before box, optionally change the due date for outstanding purchase invoices that you want to pay.
Outstanding purchase invoices that are due on or before this date are selected.

In the Purchase Invoice Location box, select the location that owns the purchase invoices (i.e., where they are received).
If a location is not selected, agrē searches in all locations.

Under Payment Dates, you can choose a payment date based on today, or on the purchase invoice date(s); or you can specify a particular date.

Choose Set Date To to use today's date or to determine the payment date based on the purchase invoice date.
For both overdue purchase invoices and early payments, select whether to use today’s date or the earliest date of all invoices being paid on that payment.
If “earliest date of all invoices being paid on that payment” is selected, the earliest date within each batch of purchase invoices per supplier is used as the payment date for those purchase invoices. For example, if there are three outstanding purchase invoices for the same supplier dated March 1, April 1, and May 1, then agrē sets the payment date for all three purchase invoices to March 1 since it is the earliest date.

Choose Set Specific Date to make all payments on a particular date (past or future, but must be in an open period).

If you have selected a date in the future, a message appears reminding you that all payments will be created as future-dated payments.
Click OK to confirm.

In the Payment is made from box, enter the location that owns the payments (if no default location is specified).
This location is used for the GL postings.

In the Payment Type box, enter the method of payment (if no default AP payment type is specified) that you want to use for the majority of the purchase invoices.
If a payment type is selected, then it is used as the payment type for all the purchase invoices selected to be paid. However, the payment type can be changed for each purchase invoice as needed.

Click Prepare Payments.
The search results are shown in the Payment list and are ready to be processed for payment.

Optionally Edit Details of the payment.
If you realize you've forgotten to enter a Purchase Invoice you can go add it, come back here and click Refresh, and the new payment will be listed in the grid so it can be Included in the payment.

In the Make Payment column, check the boxes next to all the suppliers you want to process and record payments for.

In the Payment Type box, enter the method of payment that you want to use for selected payments (if no default AP payment type was specified).

Click Save.
The GL postings are made and the payments are processed and recorded.

Editing Payment Details

While making payments, use the Payment Details window to view and edit the payment details for specific suppliers (similar to paying particular suppliers) and apply any unapplied credits. While editing, you can record preauthorized payments.

To edit a payment’s details:
* indicates a required field (other fields are optional)

Ensure the information is completed on the Make Payments window.

In the Payment list, select the payment to edit and then click Edit Details.
The Payment for window opens.

If you had chosen to Automatically generate Reference Number but now want a specific Reference*, uncheck Generate Reference Automatically and type one in.

In the Payment Date box, optionally change the date the payment is made.
Today’s date is selected by default. You can future date payments so that funds are held until the specified date; however, postings to AP are made immediately. If you are recording a preauthorized payment, enter the date that the preauthorized payment was made (i.e., withdrawn from your bank account).

In the Payment Type box, enter the method of payment that you want to use for this payment (if no default AP payment type was specified).
If you are recording a preauthorized payment, enter the payment type associated with preauthorized payments.

In the Tracking/Cheque Number box, enter the cheque number for manually produced cheques (agrē automatically updates the cheque numbers for printed cheques) or the confirmation or reference number from the bank to identify the payment.

Check the Prepay box if this is a supplier prepayment.
Enter the amount of the prepayment in the Include Additional Payment of this Amount box.

In the Payment Comments box, enter any comments for the printed Supplier Payments reports.

In the Include column, select the Include check boxes for the purchase invoices you want to process, apply credits to, and record payments for.

In the Amount Paying column, optionally change the payment or applied credit amount.
The amount owing or amount of unapplied credits is selected by default. The amount paying can be less than or equal to the amount owing.

If you are recording a preauthorized payment, enter the amount paid by the preauthorized payment (i.e., the total cost of the purchase invoice).
Enter 0 if you do not want to pay for an item.

In the Include Additional Payment of this Amount box, enter an additional payment amount if you want to pay more than the amount owing.
This where you  record the Prepayment amount, or if you're paying your supplier any extra (for example, to build up a credit on your account).

Click Update.
The Payment for window closes and the updated payment appears in the Payment list on the Make Payments window.

 

Paying Particular Suppliers

Sometimes you may want to pay a particular supplier instead of creating a payment batch for all suppliers, or you may need to record a preauthorized payment for a particular supplier and apply any unapplied credits.

Use the Supplier Accounts window to pay one or more outstanding purchase invoices for a particular supplier (similar to editing payment details).

Click the Documents button to attach a document (perhaps a copy of your receipt) when adding or editing a payment.

To pay a particular supplier:
* indicates a required field (other fields are optional)

Navigate to Accounts Payable> Supplier Accounts.
The Supplier Accounts window opens.

In the Supplier box, enter the supplier’s name.
Detailed account balance information for this supplier is displayed: outstanding purchase invoices, available credits, and current balance.

Click Pay this Supplier.
The Payment for window opens.

If you have chosen to Automatically generate Reference Number but now want a specific Reference*, uncheck Generate Reference Automatically and type one in.

In the Payment Date box, optionally change the date the payment is made.
Today’s date is selected by default. You can future date payments so that funds are held until the specified date (e.g., cheques); however, postings are made immediately. If you are recording a preauthorized payment, enter the date that the preauthorized payment was made (i.e., withdrawn from your bank account).

In the Payment made from* box, optionally change the location that owns the payments (if no default location is specified).
This location is used for the GL postings.

In the Payment Type* box, enter the method of payment that you want to use for this payment (if no default AP payment type is specified).
If you are recording a preauthorized payment, enter the payment type associated with preauthorized payments.

In the Tracking/Cheque Number box, enter the cheque number for manual cheques (agrē automatically updates the cheque numbers for printed cheques) or the confirmation or reference number from the bank to identify the payment.

Check the Prepay box if this is a supplier prepayment.

In the Payment Comments box, enter comments for the printed Supplier Payments reports.

In the Include column, select the Include check boxes for the purchase invoices you want to process, apply credits to, and record payments for.

In the Amount Paying column, optionally change the payment or unapplied credit amount for each invoice that you want to process.
The amount owing or unapplied credits is entered by default. For each transaction, the amount to pay can be less than or equal to the total amount. If you are recording a preauthorized payment, enter the amount paid by the preauthorized payment (i.e., the total cost of the purchase invoice).change the payment amount. Enter 0 if you do not want to pay for an item.

In the Include Additional Payment of this Amount box, enter an additional payment amount if you want to pay more than the total amount or you are making a prepayment.

Click Save.
The GL postings are made and the payments are recorded.

Recording Preauthorized Payments

You can record preauthorized payments, which are funds withdrawn automatically from specified bank accounts for suppliers.

The process for recording preauthorized payments involves three steps:

Set up an AP payment type for preauthorized payments.

When you receive the purchase invoice from the supplier, add the purchase invoice (as usual).

Record the payment made to the supplier by paying the particular supplier or while making payments to all suppliers.
When recording the payment, ensure you enter the amount paid by the preauthorized payment (i.e., the total cost of the purchase invoice), the date that the preauthorized payment was made (i.e., withdrawn from your bank account), and the associated AP payment type.

I want to see an example of Preauthorized Payments (you'll need Adobe Acrobat to read it)

Supplier Prepayment Process

When you prepay a supplier, you'll have prepay credits available to apply to the supplier’s account. You can apply some or all of the supplier prepayment credits to any purchase invoice on the supplier’s account at any time.

The process for recording supplier prepayments involves three steps:

Record a prepayment for the supplier, check the Prepay box, and enter the amount of the prepayment in the Include Additional Payment of this Amount box
You won't associate the payment with any particular purchase invoice since you haven't received a bill for it - yet.

When you receive a bill from the supplier, add a purchase invoice (as usual).

Apply prepayment credits (flagged as a prepayment) from the supplier’s account to pay for the purchase invoices.

Viewing Payments

Use the View Payments window to view payments made to suppliers. While viewing supplier payments, you can also edit them.

To view a payment:

Navigate to Accounts Payable > Supplier Payments > View Payments.
The Supplier Payments Search window opens.

Enter your search criteria.
The Payment Type drop-down list is limited to active payment types.
If you want to see payments made with inactive payment types, select <All Payment Types> or use the Supplier Payments Report.

Click Search.
The Supplier Payments Search window closes and the search results are shown in the View Payments window. If no results are found, the list is blank and the message “No Supplier Payments found” appears in the bottom left corner.

In the Payment list, select the payment to view and then click Preview Item.
The Payment Document report (different than the Print Cheque report) opens for your review.

Editing Payments

If a payment is dated in an open accounting period it can be edited (some fields may not be editable if the payment is future-dated).

You can modify the following supplier payment information:

reference number

payment date

payment made from

payment type

tracking/cheque number (if the tracking/cheque number was not automatically generated by agrē)

comments

prepay flag

If you need to change any other information, you'll need to delete or cancel the payment and re-enter it.

To edit supplier payments:

Navigate to Accounts Payable> Supplier Accounts.
The Supplier Accounts window opens.

In the Supplier box, enter the supplier’s name.
Detailed account balance information for this supplier is displayed.

Select the payment you want to edit and click Edit.
The Payment Details window opens.

Make your changes.

Click Save.
The Payment Details window closes.

Deleting Payments

AP Payments can be deleted if an error was made. Deleted payments do not appear on the supplier account, nor on reports (like Supplier Account Activity or Summary Statement).

Deleting a payment is only allowed if the following criteria are met:

payment is in an open period

supplier is active

payment is not included in an EFT batch (for EFT payments)

cheque has not been printed (for cheque payments)

payment is not included in a review batch (if following batch approval process)

payment is not cancelled

A payment deleted cannot be undone, but the payment can be re-entered. The Deleted AP Payments/Prepayments data export lists payments that have been deleted.

To delete a payment

Navigate to Accounts Payable> Supplier Accounts.
The Supplier Accounts window opens.

In the Supplier box, enter the supplier’s name.
Detailed account balance information for this supplier is displayed.

Select the payment you want to cancel and click Delete.
The Delete Payment window opens.

Enter a reason for deleting the payment and click OK.
The payment is cancelled, the postings are immediately reversed, credits generated are unapplied, and any associated purchase invoices and supplier account balances are updated.

Cancelling Payments

Supplier payments can be cancelled from the Cancel Payments window or from the Supplier Account. Payments belonging to deactivated suppliers cannot be cancelled.

Cancelled payments do appear on the supplier account, and on reports (like Supplier Account Activity) but since they were cancelled instead of deleted they are not listed on the Deleted AP Payments/Prepayments data export.

To cancel a payment
* indicates a required field

Navigate to Accounts Payable> Supplier Accounts
The Supplier Accounts window opens.

In the Supplier box, enter the supplier’s name.
Detailed account balance information for this supplier is displayed.

On the Account History tab, select the payment you want to cancel and click Cancel.
The Cancel Payment window opens.

Type the reason* for the cancellation.
Click Yes to confirm the cancellation.
The payment is cancelled, the postings are immediately reversed, credits generated are unapplied, and any associated purchase invoices and supplier account balances are updated.

or Navigate to Account Payable > Supplier Payments > Cancel Payments.
Search for Payments using the criteria.
The Cancel Payments window opens.

In the Comments*, enter the reason for the payment cancellation.

Check Cancel next to the payment to be cancelled.

Select Save.

The payment is cancelled, the postings are immediately reversed, credits generated are unapplied, and any associated purchase invoices and supplier account balances are updated.

Cancelled payments can be Undone (from the Supplier Account only) as long as:

supplier is active

if payment date is in the future: transaction date must be in an open accounting period (future dated payments)

if payment date is today or in the past: payment date must be in an open accounting period