The payment run is nearly ready. Most invoices have been approved, one supplier has sent new bank details and a credit note is sitting in somebody’s inbox.
At this point, speed can feel like the priority. Yet a rushed payment run can create duplicate payments, missed credits, avoidable queries and hours of reconciliation work. The practical answer is not more last-minute checking. It is a repeatable pre-payment routine with clear ownership.
This checklist gives accounts teams a structured way to prepare, review and close a supplier payment run before funds leave the business.
1. Define the payment run cut-off
Start with a clear cut-off date and time. State which invoices are eligible, which payment dates are being covered and who can approve an exception after the cut-off.
This prevents the payment batch from changing quietly while it is being checked. An urgent invoice may still need attention, but it should enter through an agreed exception route rather than being slipped into the batch without review.
2. Confirm each invoice is authorised
Every invoice in the proposed batch should have the approval required by your organisation. The evidence might include an authorised purchase, confirmation that goods or services were received, and approval from the correct budget owner.
If supporting information is incomplete, hold the item and assign an owner to resolve it. “We normally pay this supplier” is not a substitute for the approval that applies to the invoice in front of you.
3. Check the supplier and invoice details
Compare the supplier name, invoice number, invoice date, amount and payment reference with the accounts record. Check that the invoice belongs to the correct supplier and business entity, and that the description makes sense for the purchase.
Use the organisation’s normal process to check required invoice and tax information. If something is unclear, resolve it before payment rather than allowing the reconciliation process to uncover the problem later.
4. Search for duplicates
Duplicate invoices do not always look identical. A supplier may resend the same invoice with a slightly different reference, or a copy may be entered after the original was already approved.
Check invoice numbers, dates, values, purchase references and supplier names. Also review recent payments and open items. A warning should lead to investigation, not an automatic assumption that either record is correct.
5. Apply credits and agreed adjustments
Before paying the gross invoice total, check for credit notes, deposits, returns, disputed amounts and agreed deductions. Confirm how each adjustment should be applied and keep the supporting record with the payment decision.
A credit note that remains in an email inbox is easy to miss. Bring it into the same review as the invoice so the amount due is visible to both the preparer and approver.
6. Review due dates and cash priorities
Arrange the proposed payments by due date and agreed terms. Identify overdue items, invoices approaching deadline and payments being made earlier than necessary.
If cash availability requires choices, record who made the decision and which suppliers are affected. The accounts team should not have to infer business priorities from an incomplete bank balance or a late message.
7. Verify bank-detail changes independently
Treat any change to supplier banking details as a separate review point. Do not rely only on the message that requested the change or use the contact information contained in that message to verify it.
Follow the organisation’s approved verification process, using established supplier contact details and an authorised second check where required. Keep a record of who verified the change, when and through which trusted channel.
8. Build a controlled payment batch
The batch should show the supplier, invoice or account reference, amount, payment date and payment reference. The batch total should agree with the supporting payment schedule before it reaches final approval.
Where practical, separate preparation from approval. One person prepares the batch; another reviews the evidence and authorises release. Define who can edit the batch after approval and what happens if a change is required.
A practical example
An accounts clerk prepares payments for a facilities supplier. Two invoices have the same value, one credit note has not been applied and the supplier has emailed new bank details the day before the run.
Using the checklist, the clerk finds that one invoice is a duplicate copy, links the credit note to the correct account and pauses the bank-detail change for independent verification. The approver receives a clean batch with the corrected amount, the supporting documents and a clear note explaining the held item.
The supplier is not paid late because of extra bureaucracy. The team simply resolves three exceptions before they become three separate payment problems.
9. Complete the final approval
The approver should review the batch total, selected suppliers, exception notes, bank-detail changes, unusual amounts and supporting evidence. Approval should relate to the exact batch that will be released.
If the batch changes afterwards, repeat the relevant review. An approval attached to an earlier version does not control a later set of payments.
10. Close and reconcile the run
After release, record the payment outcome, send remittance information through the agreed channel and note any rejected or held transactions. Reconcile the released batch to the bank outcome and the supplier accounts.
Keep exceptions visible until they are resolved. A failed payment, missing remittance or balance difference needs a named owner and next action rather than a note that disappears after the run.
Make the checklist part of the workflow
A dependable payment run should show what was included, who prepared it, who approved it, what changed, which exceptions were held and whether the final batch reconciled.
MyTalent MT Accounts focuses on business accounts, financial overview and daily workflows. Explore MT Accounts or talk to our team about the capabilities available for your operation.
The aim is simple: when payment is released, the team should know that every item has a reason, an approval and a reliable record.