What is Accounts Payable? Definition, Job Description & Software

Three major elements are typically required for execution within the accounts payable process – the purchase order , receiving report , and vendor invoice. However, PO and receipts are optional and are dependent on how the company runs its business. When using the indirect method to prepare the cash flow statement, the net increase or decrease in AP from the prior period appears in the top section, the cash flow from operating activities. Management can use AP to manipulate the company’s cash flow to a certain extent.

This is a cash conversion cycle, or a period of time during which the supplier has already paid for raw materials but hasn’t been paid in return by the final customer. In some companies, one specific accountant may be responsible for all accounts payable. In other cases, one accountant is responsible for all of the company’s accounting, AP included. Accounts Payable is sometimes referred to as a current liability account.

Notations for Discounts

These invoices are recorded as accounts payable in the company’s accounting system. At any given point of time, accounts payable is a snapshot of the amount that the company owes its creditors. A company’s cash and assets must be safeguarded, which is why internal controls within the accounts payable process are critical. The department what accounts payable means must manage contact information for various vendors, Form W-9, payment terms, and more. In accordance with the company’s internal policies, the AP department either oversees pre-approved purchases or verifies the procurement after it has been made. Managing a liability account is vital for positive cash flow throughout the year.

For example, if you’ve bought goods or services worth $5,000 from five different suppliers in a 30 day period, total accounts payable for that period is $25,000. However, there are two main other ways of looking at accounts payable that are both more commonly used as a performance metric. An important part of accounts payable’s role is to ensure that robust internal controls are in place to avoid errors, such as duplicated payments or incorrect sums being paid. Once payment has been received, the sum will be debited from accounts payable, with a credit made to cash.

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Companies began to appear offering more robust user interface web applications with functions that catered to both supplier and customer. These new web-based applications allowed for online submission of individual invoices as well as EDI file uploads. These services allow suppliers to present invoices to their customers for matching and approval via a user-friendly web application. Suppliers can also see a history of all the invoices they submitted to their customer without having direct access to the customers’ systems. This is because all the transactional information is stored in the data centers of the third-party company that provides the invoicing web app.

The accounting process is highly subject to human error, especially during manual data entry. Paper invoices also cause problems because documents can get lost or duplicated. That’s why companies are turning to accounts payable automation to streamline AP business processes. Keep a detailed accounts payable record in case of payment disputes, to remind the business of current or outstanding invoices, or as proof of spending at tax time.

Accounts Payable Video

The goal of automating the accounts payable department is to streamline this invoicing process, eliminate potential human error, and lower the cost per invoice. Accounts payable are considered a source of cash, since they represent funds being borrowed from suppliers. Given these cash flow considerations, suppliers have a natural inclination to push for shorter payment terms, while creditors want to lengthen the payment terms. When a business is short on cash, management frequently mandates that the payment of accounts payable be delayed, since this represents a no-interest loan from suppliers. For any purchasing organization, accounts payable is recorded as a short-term liability in the balance sheet.