Purchase Invoices — User Guide

Module: Purchase
Audience: Accounts payable, procurement staff, finance managers
Version: 1.0.0
Last updated: 2026-07-22

Overview

Purchase invoices are vendor bills recorded in Synergy Purchase. Use them to track what you owe suppliers, link bills to purchase orders and contracts, record payments, apply debit notes, and export PDF copies for your records.

Prerequisites

• Permission: Purchase Invoices → View (or View own with creator/vendor-admin access).
• Create / edit: Purchase Invoices → Create / Edit.
• Record payments: typically Edit on the invoice preview (Payment button); some organisations require payment approval first.
• Delete: Purchase Invoices → Delete.

Step-by-step: View the invoice list

1. Go to Purchase → Invoices.
2. Use filters if needed: date range, contract, purchase order, vendor.
3. Click an invoice number to open the preview.

Columns include: invoice number, vendor, contract, PO, dates, amounts, tax, payment request status, payment status, transaction ID, tags, service entry / work certificate numbers, and any custom fields configured for the table.

Step-by-step: Create a purchase invoice

1. Go to Purchase → Invoices and click New.
2. Fill required fields:
   • Invoice number — auto-generated from your organisation prefix (read-only).
   • Vendor — required.
   • Invoice date — required.
3. Optionally link:
   • Contract
   • Purchase order — choosing an approved PO can copy its line items, discounts, and currency into the form.
4. Add line items (description, quantity, unit price, tax, discount).
5. Add tags, transaction reference, due date, notes, attachments, or custom fields as needed.
6. Click Save.

Expected result: The invoice appears on the list with status Unpaid. If the invoice is linked to an already approved purchase order, it may show as Approved immediately.

Recurring invoices

On standalone invoices (not linked to a PO), you can set Recurring (monthly interval) and cycle limits. The system generates follow-up invoices automatically on a schedule configured by your administrator.

Step-by-step: Edit a purchase invoice

1. Open the invoice from the list (or use Edit in the row menu).
2. Change header fields or line items.
3. Save the form.

Payment status is recalculated after save when payments or debits exist.

Step-by-step: Preview, PDF, and attachments

1. Open Purchase → Invoices and click the invoice number.
2. Review tabs:
   • Invoice — header, lines, totals, approval badge
   • Payment record — recorded payments
   • Applied debits — if debit notes were applied
   • Reminders, Tasks, Notes, Discuss, Attachments
3. Use the PDF menu to view, download, or print.
4. Upload more attachments from the edit form or attachment tab.

Step-by-step: Record a payment

1. Open the invoice preview.
2. If a balance remains, click Payment.
3. Enter amount, date, payment mode, and notes.
4. Submit.

Expected result:

• If your organisation has no payment approval rules, the payment is recorded and the invoice status becomes Partially paid or Paid.
• If payment approval is enabled, the payment may stay pending until approvers sign off. For invoices linked to a purchase order, the payment may appear on the PO Approvals tab instead of posting immediately — follow your internal approval process.

Open a payment from the Payment record tab to view the payment receipt and any required approvals.

Step-by-step: Apply debit notes

When the vendor has unused debit notes and the invoice is not fully paid:

1. Open the invoice preview.
2. Click the Apply debits link in the warning banner.
3. Enter amounts to apply and confirm.

Applied debits reduce the balance due. Removing an applied debit requires debit-note delete permission.

Important business rules

Linking to purchase orders

• Only approved purchase orders appear when creating a new invoice.
• Selecting a PO can pre-fill lines, shipping, and discounts.
• Changing a PO after invoices exist may require re-approval and invoice review — coordinate with procurement.

Payment status

Approval badges

Invoices may show Pending approval or Approved depending on whether they are linked to an approved PO or your approval settings.

View own access

Staff with View own only see invoices they created or invoices for vendors where they are a vendor admin.

Field reference (common header fields)

Common issues

Related topics

• Purchase orders — edit — PO changes affecting linked invoices
• Vendors — vendor tab lists invoices per supplier
• Debit notes — separate Purchase → Debit note feature (apply from invoice preview)