Overview
Purchase Invoices and Pay Bills are related, but they do different jobs. One records what you owe a vendor. The other records how you pay that amount.
Purchase InvoiceRecords the vendor bill or purchase cost
Pay BillsAllocates payment against open vendor bills
Shared focusAccuracy, references, VAT, and good vendor history
Which One To Use
| Document | Use It When | Typical Example |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase Invoice | You need to record a vendor bill, purchase invoice, or received-items bill. | Supplier sends an invoice for stock or expenses. |
| Pay Bills | You are now paying one or more open vendor bills. | Cheque run, bank transfer to supplier, settling overdue invoices. |
Purchase Invoice Workflow
Tab Path: Vendors > Purchase Invoice
- Select the vendor and review address and terms.
- Enter the invoice date, reference, and vendor document number.
- Add lines manually, or bring in lines from purchase quotes, purchase orders, or received items where your workflow uses them.
- Review item, description, location, quantity, unit, cost, line discount, and VAT code.
- Review document discount, VAT, and total.
- Save the bill, then print or send it through your normal approval process if required.
- When ready to pay, use Pay Bills from the bill or open the Pay Bills screen separately.
Tip: QBM can also support received-items style billing. In those workflows, the final bill may be built from already received items.
Pay Bills Workflow
Tab Path: Vendors > Pay Bills
- Select the vendor so QBM can load open bills.
- Review the payment date and enter a useful reference.
- Select the bills to pay and enter the payment allocation on each one.
- Apply discounts or credits where appropriate.
- Use Apply All Credits when you want QBM to apply available unused credits automatically.
- If the payment is made in more than one part or method, use Split Payments when your workflow requires it.
- Save the payment and print the payment voucher if needed.
Important: Pay Bills does not create the vendor bill. It settles bills that already exist.
Important Fields And Controls
| Area | What To Check |
|---|---|
| Vendor | Select the correct vendor so QBM loads the right address, terms, expense rules, and open bills. |
| Reference | Use a meaningful supplier invoice or payment reference so later searches are easier. |
| Terms | Important for bill tracking and due-date management. |
| Item Lines | Review quantity, cost, location, VAT, and discount before saving. |
| Discounts | Use line discounts, bill discounts, or payment discounts only when that matches the supplier agreement. |
| Credits | Pay Bills allows you to apply unused credits against open vendor bills. |
| Split Payments | Useful when one bill payment is made using more than one method or split into several payment entries. |
| Unused Credits / Unused Payments | Review these totals carefully so vendor balances stay correct. |
Printing And Labels
Purchase documents can support more than standard document printing.
- Print: print the full purchase document.
- Print Items: select which received or billed items should be printed when item-level output is needed.
- Product labels: if your process uses label printing, QBM can use selected item details for batch label output.
- Print lots or serials: use when product lot or serial information should appear.
Best Practice
- Record the vendor bill first, then pay it through Pay Bills.
- Use references consistently so supplier documents are easy to trace later.
- Apply credits and discounts carefully and review the remaining balance before saving.
- Use received-items billing only when your purchasing process separates receiving from supplier billing.
- Print or preview payment vouchers after saving when the supplier or internal finance team needs them.