A bill sits in Submitted, but the department manager says it never reached their queue. Before sending a reminder, check where the transaction was created, which rule applies, and whether an eligible approver can see the bill. A reminder only helps once the bill has somewhere to go.
Find where the bill was entered
Sage Intacct uses Accounts Payable bill approvals for bills and recurring bills created in AP. Transactions created in Purchasing use Purchasing approvals. Check the origin of the stalled transaction before changing an AP rule. For an imported bill, run a sample and confirm which approval path it actually enters. Sage’s bill approval documentation.
Check the rule and the people it can reach
Trace the bill against the configured vendor, value, and department rules. Sage documents that when a vendor rule is combined with the transaction-department value rule, a designated vendor approver takes precedence. Test that combination if the department owner expected to review the bill. Sage also documents that the transaction-department value rule allows only one department on the bill. Use a split-department test to confirm how your policy and setup handle shared costs. Sage’s approval policy and rule types.
Then check the approver’s permissions. Sage warns that if an approver later receives department or entity restrictions, a bill outside those restrictions may fail to reach the approver’s queue. With nobody else eligible under the rule, it can remain Submitted. Have an administrator review the intended approver and authorized backup. Avoid widening someone’s access just to clear one bill. Sage’s approver requirements.
Give AP a short list of checks
| What AP sees | What to check |
|---|---|
| Manager never received the bill | Transaction origin, applicable rule, and approver access |
| A vendor approver received a department bill | The vendor record and rule precedence |
| A bill has lines for several departments | How the controller wants the split approved and whether the configured rule can handle it |
| Approver has the bill but needs more information | Original invoice, coding, and the PO or agreement behind the charge |
In a sandbox, submit one routine bill and one with a restricted approver. Add a Purchasing transaction and a bill split across departments. For each case, record the expected reviewer and confirm who can actually see it. If coding needs correction, check the approval status after the change. Keep approval and payment release as separate steps.
Measure how long bills wait for routing separately from how long they sit with an approver. If bills never reach a queue, fix the rule or access. If they arrive without enough information, put the source documents and coding in front of the reviewer. The AP rollout checklist can help you record the cases that must pass before expanding.