Accounts Payable - Payment Methods

Article Index:
What is this feature?
Why is this important?
How does this feature work?
Who uses it?
Configuration
Feature Overview Video

What is this feature?

The A/P Payment Processing feature in VUE allows users to manage accounts payable (AP) invoices efficiently and process them in a single, centralized location. This feature provides new tools to reconcile vendor invoices, queue payments and handle a variety of payment methods, including electronic funds transfer (EFT), credit card, cash, and traditional checks.

Why is this important?

This feature simplifies and streamlines the accounts payable workflow, enhancing operational efficiency and accuracy. Key benefits include:

Improved collaboration: Multiple users can work simultaneously, with real-time updates thanks to signalR technology.
Expanded payment options: Users can process EFT, credit card, and cash payments directly within VUE.
Time-saving automation: Automatic saving ensures changes are captured without manual intervention, reducing errors.
Flexible customization: The ability to set default payment methods and select bank accounts per vendor improves user convenience.

How does this feature work?

Posting Payments

When paying invoices, you’ll use the [Post Payments] button in the Payment Queue. For each vendor, you can select a Payment Method from the dropdown. If the vendor or system has a default payment method set, it will automatically populate. You can override the selection at any time before posting.

After selecting the payments to process, a Payment Summary screen appears. This summary breaks down payments by method, showing totals for each one. If a payment method requires a reference number, it will be displayed in the summary.

For check payments, the system will prompt you to print checks after posting. Payments made using EFT, Credit Card, or Cash do not generate a printed report.

Check Register and Journals

The Check Register displays all payment records, including those made by EFT, Credit Card, and Cash. The Payment Number column shows which method was used.

You can void payments regardless of the method used. However, the Print and Print & Void options are only available for check payments. These options are disabled for EFT, Credit Card, and Cash.

In the Journals screen, the [Go to Payment] button opens the related payment record in the Check Register, regardless of the method used.

Manual Checks and Reporting

The Manual Checks screen only displays accounts that have an active Accounting Check payment method. If an account includes both check and additional payment methods (like EFT or Credit Card), the system uses the accounting check method when processing manual checks.

Reports and exports continue to support check payments. Other payment methods, such as EFT and Credit Card, are not included in Positive Pay or similar reports at this time.

Who uses it?

Accounts Payable Teams: To manage and reconcile vendor invoices.
Finance Departments: To ensure accurate payment methods and maintain proper financial records.
Dealership Staff: Authorized users in organizations utilizing the VUE system to streamline their payment workflows.

Permissions Required:

Accounts Payable permissions determine who can access the Post Payments screen:
- Users need Read permission to view the screen.
- Users need Create permission to post payments.
Bank and Checking Maintenance permissions control who can create, view, or edit banks and accounts.
- The ability to edit the Next Check Number still requires a specific permission.
Vendor permissions apply to the new Default Payment Method field on vendor records.

Configuration

Navigate to Accounting > Maintenance > Bank and Checking Maintenance to get started. Each account supports multiple payment types. You’ll see tabs for EFT, Credit Card, and Cash—a green dot indicates when a method is already set up.

When adding a new method:

Enter a Description that’s unique for that account.
Choose whether to make it Active.
Decide if this should be the Default Payment Method. The dropdown will include the account name and payment method name.

Set options for auto-generating reference numbers, requiring comments or void reasons.

You can deactivate a method later by marking it as inactive.