How to Create a Bill from a Delivered Purchase Order in CrmLeaf
Worksuite, Manufacturing CRM, Construction CRM and Solar CRM editions. Requires the Purchase add-on module to be enabled for your account by an Administrator.
Availability: Worksuite, Manufacturing CRM, Construction CRM and Solar CRM editions. Requires the Purchase add-on module to be enabled for your account by an Administrator.
Overview
A bill records what a vendor has invoiced you for goods you have received. In CrmLeaf a bill is created from a purchase order, so the amount you owe is always tied to an order you raised and a delivery you recorded.
Two rules govern this screen, and almost every support question about bills comes back to them: the purchase order must be delivered and still unbilled, and it must belong to the vendor you selected on the bill. Each purchase order can be billed only once.
How It Works
You choose the vendor, choose one of that vendor's delivered and unbilled purchase orders, and the bill form pulls the order's line items. Saving the bill marks the order as billed and opens the balance for payment.
Delivered PO → Select vendor → Select PO → Line items pulled → Save bill → Pay
- Only purchase orders with
delivery_statusdelivered andbilled_statusunbilled for the chosen vendor are available to bill. - The bill form pulls the purchase order's line items, so you do not re-enter what was ordered.
- Once the bill is created, the purchase order's
billed_statusbecomes billed and it can no longer be billed again. - A bill moves through
open→partially_paid→paidas vendor payments are allocated to it. - Bills can be emailed to the vendor and exported as a PDF.
Bill status values
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
open | The bill is recorded and nothing has been paid against it. |
partially_paid | Payments have been allocated but a balance remains. |
paid | The bill is fully settled. |
Who Can Use This Feature?
User
- Create a bill from a delivered, unbilled purchase order.
- Review the pulled line items and save the bill.
- Email the bill to the vendor and export it as a PDF.
- Track the bill through open, partially_paid and paid.
Access depends on the modules and role assigned by your Administrator.
Prerequisites
- The Purchase module is enabled for your account.
- A purchase order exists for the vendor with
delivery_statusdelivered. - That purchase order has
billed_statusunbilled. - You have access to the vendor and the purchase order under your permission scope.
For Users
Step 1: Open the bills list
Check that the vendor's invoice has not already been recorded, to avoid a duplicate bill.
Step 2: Start a new bill and select the vendor
Select Add and choose the vendor whose invoice you are recording. The vendor selection determines which purchase orders you can bill.
Step 3: Select the delivered purchase order
Choose the purchase order from the list offered. Only that vendor's delivered and unbilled orders appear. If the order you expect is missing, see Troubleshooting below before changing anything on the order.
Step 4: Check the pulled line items
The bill form pulls the purchase order's line items. Compare them against the vendor's invoice, including quantities, rates, tax and any discount. Where the vendor has invoiced more than was delivered, resolve the difference with the vendor or through a goods return before saving.
Step 5: Enter the bill details and save
Enter the bill dates and the vendor's own invoice reference where you keep one, then select Save. The bill is created with status open and the purchase order becomes billed.
Step 6: Send or export the bill
Email the bill to the vendor if your process requires confirmation, or Download it as a PDF for your records.
Expected Result
The bill is saved with status open and appears in Bills
with the purchase order's line items. The purchase order's billed_status is now billed and it no
longer appears in the list of orders available to bill.
Service Organisation Context
One bill per delivered purchase order is a firm rule, and it shapes how a service organisation records subcontractor cost. If an associate invoices monthly against a long engagement, raise a purchase order per billing period rather than one order for the whole engagement, because each order can be billed only once. Mark the order delivered when the work has been accepted, since no bill can be created before that. The bill records what the third party has charged you; it is the vendor payment against it that creates the expense entry. Product and site-based businesses apply the same rule to goods received.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- Bills belong to the Purchase add-on module. Confirm it is included in your plan.
- Each purchase order can be billed only once. If a vendor invoices one order in two parts, agree the handling with your finance team before you create the bill.
- Check the pulled line items before saving. After the bill exists, the order is marked billed and cannot be billed again.
Common Scenarios
Example: routine billing. A storekeeper marks a purchase order delivered. Accounts opens Bills, selects the vendor, picks the delivered order, checks the pulled lines against the vendor's invoice, and saves. The bill sits at open until the payment run.
Example: the order is missing from the list. A buyer says the
material arrived last week but accounts cannot find the order. The order is still
in_transaction because nobody updated the delivery. The storekeeper sets it to delivered and the
order appears.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| A delivered purchase order is not appearing in Create Bill | The order fails one of the three conditions: it is not delivered, its billed_status is already billed, or it belongs to a different vendor than the one selected on the bill | Open the order and check all three: set delivery_status to delivered, confirm no bill already exists for it, and select the order's own vendor on the bill |
| The order was billed by mistake | A bill already exists against that purchase order | Find the existing bill in Bills and correct or cancel it according to your finance process before raising another |
| The order does not appear even though it is delivered and unbilled | Your permission scope does not include that purchase order or vendor | Ask your Administrator to widen your scope on purchase orders and vendors |
| The bill total does not match the vendor's invoice | The purchase order line items, tax or discount differ from what the vendor invoiced | Reconcile with the vendor, and use a goods return or a vendor credit for the difference |
| The bill stays at open after payment | The payment was recorded but not allocated to this bill | Open the vendor payment and allocate the amount to the bill |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can I not bill an order that the vendor has already accepted?
Acceptance is on purchase_status. Billing depends on delivery_status and
billed_status, which are separate axes.
Can I create a bill without a purchase order?
A bill in CrmLeaf is created against a delivered, not-yet-billed purchase order for the chosen vendor.
Can I edit the line items pulled from the order?
Review them on the bill form before saving. Confirm which of them can be edited in your account with your Administrator.
How do I handle an overpaid bill?
Paying more than the bill balance creates a vendor credit for the excess automatically.
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