Accounts Payable Ageing Report: What it is and How to Make One
Learn how to create and read an AP ageing report. Our guide covers buckets, AP invoice checks, cash-flow actions and payment workflows for UK finance teams.
How to Automate Invoice Processing: A Quick Guide
Invoice volumes invariably increase as the business grows - and there comes a point when manual data entry, even with the help of software, simply doesn't work. At that point, automation becomes the primary way forward.
This guide explains how to automate invoice processing and how Wise Business can help due to its ability to sync with popular accounting software.
| 💡 Pay approved supplier bills with Wise Business |
|---|
| Already manage supplier bills in Xero or QuickBooks? You can sync these accounting software with Wise Business. Wise Business will show eligible unpaid bills, let you pay them, and update their paid status in your accounting software thanks to the integration. |
Note: Wise Business offers a free Essential plan for basic spending and transferring. If you need to receive money, set up direct debits, or generate invoices, you'll pay a one-time £50 setup fee to unlock the Advanced features.
How to automate invoice processing: Summary
| Stage | What you can automate | What still needs a decision |
|---|---|---|
| Receive and capture | Route supplier invoices to one inbox or system and extract their details. | Is this a real invoice from an approved supplier? |
| Check and approve | Flag duplicates, compare purchase orders and send bills to the right approver. | Was the item received and is the charge correct? |
| Pay | Import eligible unpaid Xero or QuickBooks bills into Wise and pay from the Pay Invoices page.1,2 | Is the beneficiary correct, and should this bill be paid now? |
| Record | For supported setups, the bill can be marked paid in the accounting software after payment through Wise.1,2 | Are exceptions, fees and currency conversion recorded correctly? |
1. Put incoming invoices in one place
Write down every way invoices arrive today. Include email inboxes, paper post, supplier portals, PDFs, marketplace invoices, recurring software bills and contractor invoices. Then choose one controlled route, such as a dedicated invoice inbox linked to accounting software.
Ask suppliers to include a purchase-order number where your business uses one. If an invoice reaches an employee's personal inbox, have them forward it promptly to the agreed route. This reduces the chance of losing it when someone is away.
2. Capture the details and check the bill
Invoice-capture software can read a PDF or digital invoice and suggest fields such as supplier, invoice number, date, amount, VAT and due date. A person should review anything unclear, especially a new supplier or changed bank details. Wise's bill-payment connection is not an invoice-reading or OCR tool.
If you use purchase orders, compare the bill with the order and, where relevant, the record showing the goods or service were received. That check can catch the wrong price, an unexpected quantity or a bill for work that is not complete.
Keep the original invoice with the accounting record where possible. UK VAT rules require relevant records to support VAT accounts and returns, so check what your business needs to retain.1
3. Route the bill to the right person for approval
Set simple rules based on amount, supplier or department. For example, the budget owner could approve routine small bills, while a first payment to a new overseas supplier also needs finance to check the beneficiary details. Set a separate process for a changed bank account: confirm the change using a trusted contact route, not only the email that requested it.
Keep an exception list for bills awaiting approval, missing an order number, potentially duplicated or disputed. Automation should show the team what is stuck. It should not silently approve a risky payment.
4. Add approved unpaid bills to Xero or QuickBooks
Once checked and approved, enter or import the supplier bill into Xero or QuickBooks with the right supplier, invoice reference, amount, currency and due date. The earlier capture and approval tools you choose need to connect to this accounting step.
💡 Wise Business integrates with popular accounting software such as Xero and Quickbooks.
For Xero, follow our Help Centre instructions - open Settings → Accounting integrations → Xero → Manage, then turn on Bills. Eligible unpaid bills appear on Wise's Pay Invoices page. Bills already marked paid in Xero do not appear.
For QuickBooks, connect the integration from Wise Business and turn on Bills under Settings → Accounting integrations → QuickBooks → Manage as per the Help Centre guide.
Unpaid bills then appear on the Pay Invoices page. To have Wise mark bills paid in QuickBooks, the QuickBooks plan must have its multicurrency feature enabled.
5. Review and pay bills (you can do this through Wise Business)
If you use one of these supported connections, open Pay Invoices in Wise, find the approved unpaid bill and review the supplier, payment details, amount and currency before confirming. You can then pay it as you would send money through Wise. For an overseas supplier, check the exchange rate, fee and estimated arrival shown for that particular transfer before you confirm.
Don't treat an imported bill as proof it was properly approved. Keep your own approval record, particularly for a new supplier, a changed bank account or a high-value payment. If the bill is disputed, resolve it in the accounting process before paying.
6. Check that the payment is recorded correctly
When you pay a synced bill from Wise's Pay Invoices page, Wise says it will mark the bill paid in Xero or QuickBooks where the supported setup and plan requirements are met. Wise fees are recorded separately in the accounting software.
Still review exceptions: a bill that did not sync, a failed payment, a fee, a currency conversion or a payment made outside the Pay Invoices flow. Match the final payment to the supplier invoice rather than assuming that initiating it completed the job.
Simplify invoice processing with Wise Business
Wise Business can connect the payment and accounting parts of your supplier-bill process. With a supported Xero or QuickBooks integration, eligible unpaid bills can be brought into Wise, paid there and marked paid in your accounts.
If your business pays suppliers in other currencies, Wise Business also shows the applicable exchange rate and fees before you confirm an eligible payment. You can keep the earlier invoice checks in your accounting and approval tools while using Wise for the international payment.
Wise Business offers a free Essential plan for basic spending and transferring. If you need to receive money, set up direct debits, or generate invoices, you'll pay a one-time £50 setup fee to unlock the Advanced features.
With Wise Business, you can:
- 🌍 Send money to 70+ countries and pay overseas invoices at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees and no hidden exchange rate markups (product availability varies by region)
- 📥 Receive payments in 24 currencies and counting
- 💵 Get local account details for 8+ currencies, including USD and EUR, to let your customers pay in a currency they know and trust - convenience for them and peace of mind for you
- 💰 Hold money in 40+ currencies
- 🔁 Convert currencies anytime at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees
- ⚡ Use the batch payments tool to create and send up to 1,000 payments in a single transfer
- 👥 Run payroll and make international payments for up to 1,000 employees all over the world - including paying suppliers using local payment methods like ACH, SEPA, and Faster Payments
- 💳 Get business debit cards with 0.5% cashback for you and your team to keep track of team expenses and spend all over the world, with real-time visibility and categorisation. See full cashback terms and conditions
- 🏢 Manage cash in 55+ currencies across international offices from a single business account and move money between business accounts in seconds (exact speeds can vary depending on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions)
- 🧾 Connect and sync every business transaction to your favourite accounting software, including Xero, Quickbooks, and more
- 🔐 Create your own payment approvals process to manage your team better with customised access for different team members, roles and permissions
- 📑 Create custom professional invoices and schedule invoice payments for future dates
- 📈 Earn variable returns on GBP, USD and EUR with Wise Interest (Growth not guaranteed. Your balance will go down in the event of a government default or interest rates going negative.)
- 🔗 Create payment links and QR codes to get paid easily (Card payment acceptance for new Wise Business customers is currently unavailable. Payment methods subject to eligibility and availability.)
- ⚙️ Automate payouts with the Wise API (comes with 24/7 customer support, a sandbox account to test integrations, API tokens, and clear documents on how to implement and make the most of our API)
Make the wise choice when selecting a business account for your domestic and global needs.
Be Smart, Get Wise.
Wise Interest disclaimer: Growth not guaranteed. Your balance will go down in the event of a government default or interest rates going negative. Taxes may apply. 3.32% variable rate on GBP is based on 7 day performance as of 05 Aug 2026. For full 5-year past performance and fund information, visit https://wise.com/interest. Investments are offered by Wise Assets UK Ltd. (FRN 839689)
FAQs
What is automated invoice processing?
It is the use of software to move supplier invoices from receipt through data capture, checks, approval, payment and record keeping with less repetitive manual work. People still need to review exceptions and authorise payments.
Can Wise Business read and approve supplier invoices automatically?
The Wise features described here import eligible unpaid bills already in Xero or QuickBooks for payment. Use your accounting or invoice-capture software, along with your team's controls, to read the original invoice and approve it first.
Can AI process invoices?
AI-based tools can extract details from invoices and suggest coding or exceptions. Check the result against the original invoice, supplier record and purchase information before approving payment. A tool's ability to read a document does not confirm the goods were received or the bank details are genuine.
Can I automate invoices in Excel?
Excel can track invoice fields or send reminders with extra setup, but a spreadsheet alone will not give you a complete controlled route for receiving, approving, paying and recording bills. If your invoice volume is growing, test an accounting workflow against the steps above.
Sources:
Sources last checked on 6th October 2026
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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