Accounts Payable

I'm starting a new A/P job where the company has many issues within their A/P records/accounts. In regards to paying an invoice, in QB what is the best way to search for duplicate payments and duplicate vendor accounts which have simallar names. Second question, can you explain the differences in entering an invoice and then paying, and using write checks to issue a check for an invoice? Thank you.

Hello,

If you enter a bill and put the invoice number in the Ref. field (under the date) it will notify you of duplicate #'s IF it is set up in preferences to do so.

If you enter a bill then just write a check to pay it INSTEAD of going to the Pay Bills window, the bill will not be shown as paid, but you will have a credit for that vendor which you can apply to in the Pay Bills window.

You can pay bills just by writing a check but then you will not be able to use the "warn when using duplicate bills" feature.

Entering bills, then paying bills is the best way to handle A/P. However, if you have a small operation, then it’s ok to take the shortcut as I have in the past for some companies, and others I went detailed all the way.