Payment Batches

Payment batches organize multiple vendor payments into a single, controlled transmission to your bank. Instead of paying vendors one at a time, you group payments by method, currency, and timing -- then route the entire batch through approval before transmission. This approach reduces bank fees, improves cash management, and gives your finance team full visibility and control over outgoing payments.

Batch Lifecycle#

A payment batch moves through a defined lifecycle: draft, pending approval, approved, transmitted, and completed. During the draft phase, you add payment lines for each vendor invoice you want to pay. Each line references a vendor, their bank account, and the payment amount. You can add, remove, and edit lines freely while the batch is in draft.

When the batch is ready, you submit it for approval. The system evaluates the total batch amount and routes it to the appropriate approvers based on your organization's authorization matrix. Small batches may be auto-approved, while large batches require multi-level sign-off. Rejected batches return to draft status for correction.

Payment Methods#

The system supports multiple payment methods within and across batches. ACH payments for domestic US transfers, wire payments for urgent or international transfers, SEPA for European payments, and check payments for vendors that require them. Each payment method has its own bank transmission format, and the system generates the appropriate file when you transmit the batch.

Bank Confirmation#

After a batch is transmitted to the bank, the system tracks confirmation at the individual line level. As bank statement lines arrive showing successful payments, you can confirm each payment line -- either manually or through the automatic bank reconciliation process. This closes the loop between payment initiation and bank execution.

If a payment fails at the bank (insufficient funds, invalid account, etc.), the line is marked as failed. Partially completed batches show exactly which payments went through and which did not, giving you clear visibility into exception handling.

Payment Proposals#

The payment proposal agent can automatically suggest payment batches based on your outstanding payables. It reviews due dates, vendor payment terms, early payment discount opportunities, and available cash balances to recommend which invoices to pay and when. You review the proposal, adjust as needed, and approve -- turning what used to be a manual weekly process into a guided, optimized workflow.