Manual Invoice Entry
While uploading a file and using AI extraction is the fastest path, you can also create a purchase invoice entirely by hand. This is useful for invoices received verbally, invoices you want to record before the physical document arrives, or situations where the original file is not available.
Creating an Invoice Without a File
To create a manual invoice:
- Navigate to Purchases from the main menu.
- Click the New Invoice or Add button.
- Fill in the invoice fields in the form that appears.
- Save the invoice.
No file upload is required. The invoice record is created based on the data you enter.
Required Fields
At a minimum, a purchase invoice needs:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Supplier | The name of the company or individual who issued the invoice |
| Invoice number | The reference number from the supplier's invoice |
| Invoice date | The date the invoice was issued |
| Total amount | The total amount of the invoice including tax |
While only these fields are strictly required, filling in the tax amount, subtotal, and due date gives you better reporting and tracking capabilities.
Adding Line Items
Line items represent the individual products or services on the invoice. For each line item, you can enter:
- Description -- What was purchased.
- Quantity -- How many units.
- Unit price -- The price per unit.
- Amount -- The total for that line (calculated automatically from quantity and unit price, or entered directly).
- Tax -- Tax amount or rate for the line item, if applicable.
To add a line item:
- In the invoice form, find the line items section.
- Click Add Line Item or the add button.
- Fill in the details.
- Repeat for additional items.
Line items are optional. You can record an invoice with only the header-level totals if you do not need item-level detail.
Assigning Categories and Payment Types
While entering the invoice, you can assign:
- Category -- Select from your configured categories (e.g., Office Supplies, Utilities, Equipment). This helps you organize and filter invoices later. See Categories for details on managing categories.
- Payment type -- Select how the invoice was or will be paid (e.g., Cash, Bank Transfer, Credit Card). See Payment Types for details on managing payment types.
Both fields are optional but recommended for better organization and reporting.
Saving as Draft vs. Confirming
When you finish entering the invoice data, you have two options:
Save as Draft
Saves the invoice in Draft status. Use this when:
- You are not finished entering all the details.
- You want to come back and verify the data later.
- You are waiting for additional information from the supplier.
Draft invoices can be edited freely and do not appear in confirmed totals or reports.
Confirm
Moves the invoice to Confirmed status (or Needs Review if your workflow requires a review step). Use this when:
- All the data is entered and verified.
- You are ready for the invoice to be included in reports and analytics.
If you are unsure about any details, save as a draft. You can always confirm the invoice later after verifying the information. There is no penalty for using drafts.
You can also attach files to a manually created invoice at any time after creation. Open the invoice and use the attachment section to upload supporting documents. The AI extraction can then run on the attached files to suggest corrections or additions.