Does approving an invoice pay the vendor?

No. An approved invoice sits in the Approved tab until someone sends a payment for it. The payment then has its own approval.

When do invoices show up in the Cost Report?

The Cost Report includes invoice lines once the invoice is paid, dated by the day it was paid, and only lines that are coded to an account. Purchase orders are commitments and do not appear in the Cost Report.

Can crew upload invoices?

Yes. Crew can submit invoices and purchase orders for approval, but they can never send payments.

Why can only I make payments?

Sending a payment needs admin access to the production. Give the other person admin access on Crew & Departments, or add them as a payment approver in Settings → Approvals if they only need to approve.

For Approver & Admin & Accounting

How Accounts Payable Works in Dolly

Dolly CardOctober 21, 20265 min read

The short answer

Accounts payable in Dolly follows one path: add a vendor, optionally raise a purchase order, upload the vendor’s invoice, get it approved, then send a payment. Approving an invoice does not pay it. A payment is a separate step with its own approval. Everything lives in the sidebar under Accounts Payable: Vendors, Purchase Orders, Invoices and Payments.

The flow

Vendor. Add the company or person you pay, with their payment details and W-9. See Adding a Vendor.
Purchase order (optional). Commit spend before the work happens. See Purchase Orders.
Invoice. Upload the vendor’s bill, code each line, and send it for approval. See Uploading and Coding Invoices.
Approval. Approvers sign off on the invoice in Dolly or from the email. See Approving Invoices, POs and Payments.
Payment. Pick approved invoices, choose a date and send the payment for approval. See Paying Invoices.
Paid. The money leaves on the scheduled date and Dolly marks the invoice paid. See When Vendors Get Paid.

Invoice tabs

Tab	What is in it
Draft	Saved but not sent for approval.
Pending Approval	Waiting on an approver.
Approved	Fully approved and ready to pay. Also holds invoices on a draft payment or a payment waiting for approval.
Scheduled	On an approved payment that has not left yet.
Pending	The payment is on its way to the vendor.
Paid	The payment arrived.
Failed	The payment failed or was returned by the vendor’s bank.
Closed	Rejected or canceled.

The Invoices page: totals by status across the top, the status tabs, and invoices in Draft, Pending Approval, Pending Payment Approval, Rejected and Paid. — The Invoices page. Each tab counts the invoices in that status.

Payment tabs

Tab	What is in it
Drafts	Saved but not sent for approval.
Pending Approval	Waiting on an approver.
Scheduled	Approved, waiting for its send date. A payment funded from your bank shows Transferring from External Bank while that money comes in.
Pending	Money is on its way to the vendor, or a single-use card is waiting to be used.
Paid	Arrived.
Failed	Failed or returned. You can retry it.
Closed	Rejected or canceled.
Recurring	Recurring payments and their schedules.

The Payments page with its status tabs, the Recurring tab, Send Payment, and three payments. — The Payments page. Recurring payments have their own tab.

Who can do what

Task	Who
See Vendors	Admins who manage the workspace, and anyone who approves vendors.
Add and edit vendors	Admins. If vendor approval is on, a new vendor or a change waits for approval before it can be used.
Upload invoices and POs	Admins. Crew too, when Dolly has turned that on for your production.
Approve invoices, POs and payments	Whoever is in that step of the approval chain in Settings → Approvals.
Send, cancel and retry payments	Admins only.
Reopen an invoice or PO	Admins, the person who created it, or a current approver.
Unlock an approved invoice or PO	Admins only.

“Admin” here means anyone with manage access to the production, project or studio. You set people’s access on Crew & Departments (the Team page at a studio).

Frequently asked questions

Does approving an invoice pay the vendor?: No. An approved invoice sits in the Approved tab until someone sends a payment for it. The payment then has its own approval.
When do invoices show up in the Cost Report?: The Cost Report includes invoice lines once the invoice is paid, dated by the day it was paid, and only lines that are coded to an account. Purchase orders are commitments and do not appear in the Cost Report.
Can crew upload invoices?: Yes. Crew can submit invoices and purchase orders for approval, but they can never send payments.
Why can only I make payments?: Sending a payment needs admin access to the production. Give the other person admin access on Crew & Departments, or add them as a payment approver in Settings → Approvals if they only need to approve.

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