Answers to the questions people ask most about bills and vendors. For the full walkthroughs, see Enter Bills, Pay Bills and Enter Vendor Credits.
Entering bills
"Pick the vendor first."
Choose the vendor in the Vendor field before saving. See Entering data.
"Add a line on the Expenses or Items tab."
A bill needs at least one line: an item on the Items tab (stock or a service you buy), or an account on the Expenses tab (rent, a phone bill, fuel). See Bill lines.
"Every Expenses line needs an account."
An Expenses line has an amount but no account. Choose the expense account in the line's Account field, or remove the line.
"This bill is dated …, which falls in a period closed on …"
The bill's date is on or before the closing date. Date it in the current period, or ask an administrator to move the closing date. If a closing date password is set, SeroBooks asks for it; type it and save again. See Set Closing Date and Year-End.
Should I use Enter Bills, Write Cheques or Enter Expenses?
| When | Use |
|---|---|
| The vendor has sent a bill you will pay later | Vendors ▸ Enter Bills, then Pay Bills |
| You are paying by cheque on the spot, with no bill to track | Banking ▸ Write Cheques |
| You paid by company credit card | Banking ▸ Enter Credit Card Charges |
| A cost already paid (a receipt) | Vendors ▸ Enter Expenses |
See Enter Expenses and Write Cheques.
Changing, voiding and deleting bills
Can I edit a bill after it has been paid?
Yes. The bill tells you what editing will do:
- "Unpaid — edit freely. Stock and the amount owed to this supplier follow what you save."
- "Paid amount of total — edits adjust the balance owed; stock follows the quantities you save."
- "Paid in full (amount) — a change here reopens the balance on this supplier account."
If you lower a paid bill below what was paid, SeroBooks explains that the difference "stays on vendor's account as a credit", offered under supplier credits when you next pay them, or recorded as a refund with Record their refund on the bill if they pay it back. To send goods back after paying, use a vendor credit (return) rather than deleting lines, so the vendor gets a debit note.
Void or delete — which should I use?
- Void keeps the bill in the books with its number, at zero, marked VOID. Use it when a bill was entered but should not count.
- Delete removes it. SeroBooks asks Delete bill number? — "The stock this bill booked in is taken back out of inventory, and the amount owed to the supplier is removed along with its journal entries. This cannot be undone." Deleting needs the delete permission for bills.
See The Bills list: edit, copy, void or delete a bill.
Why will SeroBooks not void this bill?
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| This bill has payments applied to it. Void or delete the bill payment first, then void the bill. | Remove the bill payment first (from the vendor's ledger or All Payments). |
| … has a return raised against it. Delete the return first. | Remove the vendor credit first. |
| … has been cleared in a bank reconciliation. Undo the reconciliation first. | See Previous Reconciliation and undoing a reconciliation. |
| … is dated …, which falls in a period closed on … | See the closed-period question above. |
| Cannot be deleted, Some lots from this purchase are already sold | Lot-tracked stock from this bill has already been sold, so it cannot be taken back. Record a vendor credit for anything going back instead. |
Paying bills
"Tick the bills this payment is for."
In Pay Bills, tick at least one bill before paying.
"bill is ticked with no amount." / "bill only owes amount."
Type the amount to pay on each ticked bill, and no more than it owes. To pay part of a bill, type the part; the rest stays owing.
"Choose the account the discounts go to."
You are taking an early-payment discount. Choose the account discounts taken are posted to.
Some bills were paid and some were not
SeroBooks pays each bill in turn. If one fails, it says "amount paid on n bill(s). NOT paid —" followed by the reason for each one that did not go. Fix the reason and pay those again.
Pay Bills says "Nothing is owed to vendor."
Every bill for that vendor is paid. Check Vendors ▸ Bills if you expected one to be open; it may be dated after today or entered under another vendor.
Vendor credits
How do I record a credit or refund from a vendor?
Vendors ▸ Enter Vendor Credits. Add the items going back, or an Expenses line the credit comes out of. The credit is then offered in Pay Bills against the vendor's next bill. See Enter Vendor Credits.
"Add the items going back, or an Expenses line the credit comes out of."
A credit needs at least one line. "Every item needs a quantity going back." and "The credit has to be more than zero." mean what they say.
"… has been set against a bill or refunded."
A vendor credit that has been used cannot be voided until the application or refund is removed.
Receiving stock
Receive Items or Enter Bills?
Use Vendors ▸ Receive Items when the goods arrive before the vendor's bill; it puts the stock on hand. When the bill arrives, Vendors ▸ Enter Bill for Received Items turns the receipt into a bill. If the bill comes with the goods, enter the bill directly. See Receive Items and Enter Bill for Received Items.
Balances
What do "Dr" and "Cr" mean beside a vendor's balance?
Cr in red is what you owe the vendor. An amount in green is a credit in your favour (Dr): the vendor owes you. See Vendor Balances.