Supplier bill approval for Xero and MYOB: duplicates flagged, a person approves
Supplier bills are checked for duplicates and mismatches before anyone approves them. The odd ones wait in a queue. A person approves or rejects each one. Scoped as a variant of Invoice Check, from A$3,900.
From A$3,900 an Invoice Check variant, quoted in your audit AUD, no GST charged
Works with MYOB or Xero. Suits job-based businesses, including those on Simpro, ServiceM8 or AroFlo. Credited in full to a build signed within 30 days.
- A supplier bill arrivesEmail or upload
- The bill is readBy Xero itself, or by Claude where your system does not
- Rules check itDuplicates, order, limits
- The approver signs off exceptionsEvery decision is recorded
- Ready in MYOB or XeroNothing is paid outside the rules
From A$3,900 · 2–3 weeks
Who approved this bill, and have we already paid it?
Supplier bills arrive by email, by post and through the supplier portals. They land in MYOB or Xero in different ways. Then someone has to answer the same questions for each one.
- Have we already entered this bill?
- Does it match the purchase order or the agreed price?
- Is it for a job we are running?
- Who has approved it?
If the answers live in someone's head or in an email thread, a duplicate or a wrong amount can slip through to payment.
These checks follow clear rules. A person should still make the decision to approve.
Accounts payable automation: check first, approve second, pay separately
A supplier bill arrives.
In your accounts or your inbox, in the way we agree. On Xero, its own Smart Document Capture reads the bill and gets it ready for review. The checks start from there.
The checks run.
Typical checks:
Duplicate: a bill from the same supplier with the same number or amount is already in MYOB or Xero.
Match: the bill agrees with the purchase order or the agreed price, where you have one.
Job: the bill points to a job or cost code you recognise, where that applies.
Odd bills go into a queue.
With the reason beside the numbers.
A person approves or rejects.
A mismatch needs a note explaining why it was approved. The approver and the time are recorded.
What happens next is agreed with you.
For example, marking the bill approved in MYOB or Xero.
The build does not pay bills. Paying stays a separate step for a person.
Not sure which steps to automate? Read what to automate first in accounts payable.
What a flagged bill looks like
Scene 7 of 7
The order you placed. Job 2102 ordered 40 LED downlight kits from Example Supplies (sample) at $41.00 each.
Then the bill arrives. Bill 7731, by email as a PDF. It looks routine.
MYOB · Purchase orderOpen
Example Supplies (sample)
Job 2102 · Ordered 24 Sep
- LED downlight kits, 40 × $41.00$1,640.00
- Total incl. GST
- $1,640.00
Email · Bill 7731PDF
Example Supplies (sample)
Job 2102 · Supplier invoice no 7731
- LED downlight kits, 40 × $46.00$1,840.00
- Total incl. GST
- $1,840.00
Arrived by email this morning.
Claude reads both. Claude, Anthropic's AI model, turns the order and the PDF into the same fields. It decides nothing.
Plain rules check it, line by line. The supplier, job and quantity match. The price does not, and bill 7731 is already in MYOB.
Read by Claude Order
Read by Claude Bill 7731
Supplier
SupplierOrder: Example Supplies
✓SupplierBill 7731: Example Supplies
Job
JobOrder: 2102, open
✓JobBill 7731: 2102
Quantity
QuantityOrder: 40 kits
✓QuantityBill 7731: 40 kits
Price a kit
Price a kitOrder: $41.00
✕Price a kitBill 7731: $46.00
Total incl. GST
Total incl. GSTOrder: $1,640.00
✕Total incl. GSTBill 7731: $1,840.00
- Job 2102 is open
- Duplicate: bill 7731 is already in MYOB
- Price above the order
The difference, in dollars. $5.00 more a kit than the order, on a bill that is already entered.
Bill 7731 against the order for Job 2102
Ordered, incl. GST$1,640.00
+12.2%Billed, incl. GST$1,840.00
- Over the order a kit: $46.00 less $41.00
- $5.00
- Kits billed
- × 40
- More than the order, incl. GST
- $200.00
And the whole $1,840.00 is already in MYOB: bill 7731 was entered on 3 October.
A person decides. You choose: approve it, query the supplier or reject it. Claude and the rules only bring it to you.
Approval queue · Bill 7731
- Claude, for the approverBill 7731 from Example Supplies is already in MYOB, entered on 3 October. It also charges $5.00 a kit more than the order for Job 2102.
Needs a decision Waiting for the approverApproved, with a noteQuery sentRejected by the approver
Approve bill 7731 for $1,840.00?
A duplicate of the bill entered on 3 October, and $200.00 above the order.
Approved with a note. The team is told.Claude drafts the query, with the order beside the bill.Rejected. The supplier is told why. Dana approves it at 10:12 am with a note. The bill entered on 3 October stays Open in MYOB, not paid, and the copy is not entered again. Paying stays a separate step.Dana sends Claude's email to Example Supplies at 10:14 am. The bill waits for their answer. Nothing is paid.Dana rejects it at 10:12 am: already entered on 3 October. Claude's email tells Example Supplies why, and the queue item is closed. Nothing is paid.
Bill 00000318 Open
- Supplier
- Example Supplies Pty Ltd (sample)
- Supplier invoice no
- 7731
- Issue date
- 3 Oct
- Job
- 2102
| Description | Job | Amount ($) |
|---|---|---|
| LED downlight kits, 40 × $46.00 | 2102 | 1,840.00 |
- Subtotal
- 1,672.73
- GST
- 167.27
- Total amount
- 1,840.00
NotesApproved by Dana (sample), 10:12 am: ‘Approved as billed.’ $200.00 above the order for Job 2102. The copy emailed today was not entered again.
Note drafted by ClaudeApproved by Dana (sample)Not paid
#accountsSupplier bills and approvals
Claude App 10:12 am
Dana approved bill 7731 from Example Supplies (sample) with a note. It is $200.00 above the order for Job 2102. The copy that came by email today was not entered again. Paying stays a separate step.
Bill 7731 · $1,840.00 Approved
- Approved by
- Dana (sample)
- Note
- Approved as billed.
- In MYOB
- Bill 00000318, Open
Drafted by ClaudePosted when Dana approved
Bill 7731, Job 2102: a copy, and a price to check Sent
- From
- Dana (sample), accounts@example.org
- To
- Example Supplies (sample), accounts@example.net
- Sent
- 10:14 am
Hi, bill 7731 for Job 2102 arrived by email today. We entered bill 7731 on 3 October, so we think this is a copy. Please confirm.
The price also differs from our order of 24 September:
| LED downlight kits | Kits | A kit | Incl. GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our order, 24 Sep | 40 | $41.00 | $1,640.00 |
| Your bill 7731 | 40 | $46.00 | $1,840.00 |
| Difference | $5.00 | $200.00 |
Could you confirm the price a kit, or send a credit note for the difference? We will hold the bill until we hear from you. Thanks, Dana
Drafted by ClaudeSent by Dana (sample)The bill waits. Nothing is paid
Bill 7731: not entered again Sent
- From
- Dana (sample), accounts@example.org
- To
- Example Supplies (sample), accounts@example.net
- Sent
- 10:15 am
Hi, we have not entered the copy of bill 7731 that arrived today. The same bill, $1,840.00 for Job 2102, was entered on 3 October.
If this is a new charge, please send it with a new invoice number. Thanks, Dana
Drafted by ClaudeRejected and sent by Dana (sample)
Bill 7731 Closed · Rejected
- Supplier
- Example Supplies Pty Ltd (sample)
- Amount
- $1,840.00
- Job
- 2102
- Arrived
- By email, PDF
- Duplicate: bill 7731 is already in MYOB, entered 3 October.
- Price: $200.00 above the order for Job 2102.
Rejected by Dana (sample) at 10:12 am. Note: ‘Already entered on 3 October. Duplicate.’ Supplier told by email at 10:15 am. Nothing is paid.
End of the day Every supplier bill is checked against your order and the bills already entered before anyone approves it. Only the odd ones wait for a person, with the reason beside the numbers. The build never pays a bill.
Bills
- Status
- All
- Supplier
- Example Supplies Pty Ltd
| Issue date | Bill number | Supplier invoice no | Amount ($) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct | 00000318 | 7731 | 1,840.00 | Open |
| 12 Sep | 00000296 | 7702 | 960.00 | Closed |
| 20 Aug | 00000271 | 7658 | 1,215.50 | Closed |
The highlighted bill is the one the duplicate check found.
Sample data. Nothing connects to your accounts, approves a bill or moves money.
See the same pattern run on sales invoices in Simpro to Xero invoice checks.
Check a bill’s GST, and triage the odd ones
Two tools you can use today, whatever you run. Sample data throughout: nothing connects to your accounts, approves a bill or moves money.
Sample figures Change them to the bill in front of you. Nothing you type leaves this page.
- GST at one-eleventh of the total
- A$100.00
- Amount excluding GST
- A$1,000.00
- Printed GST less one-eleventh
- A$0.00
Within 5 cents: the printed GST matches one-eleventh of the total.
The ATO’s small business pages say to divide the total price by 11 to find the GST in a price that includes it. This checks arithmetic only. It does not decide whether a bill is taxable or whether GST can be claimed: that is for you and your accountant. General information, not tax advice.
The checker divides the bill total by 11 and compares the result with the GST printed on the bill, within a few cents. The ATO’s small business page says to divide the total price by 11 to find the GST in a price that includes it (ATO, last modified 28 June 2024, read 3 November 2026). It checks arithmetic only. Whether a bill is taxable, or whether GST can be claimed, is for you and your accountant. General information, not tax advice.
Download the supplier-bill exception triage pack (Excel)
The pack is a queue for the bills that need a person to look. Each one gets a reason, an owner, a decision and the evidence kept. It has a sample of six invented bills, with two approved, one rejected, one resubmitted and two still open, and a blank sheet. A flag holds a bill. A person approves or rejects it, and the pack pays nothing.
MYOB supplier invoice approval, or Xero bill approval
- Supplier bills, by email or upload
Supplier Bill Approval
- MYOB
Xero
- MYOB. MYOB builds cost the same as Xero builds. There are different MYOB products, and what can connect depends on which one you run. The audit confirms yours before we agree a scope.
- Xero. Xero now reads supplier bills itself. Its Smart Document Capture gets each bill ready for you to review and flags possible duplicates. Xero lists it on all small business plans, in beta in Australia and New Zealand (Xero, updated 28 October 2026). Use it, and check your approval settings in Xero. If they give you the control you need, you do not need a build. This build starts after capture, for what Xero cannot see: the job or purchase order in Simpro, ServiceM8 or AroFlo, your approval limits by amount, supplier or job, a queue for the odd bills, and one approval record you can show someone.
I have done MYOB client work, including a Tanda to MYOB link, MYOB charts of accounts, KPI reporting, and month-end and year-end. My published case studies so far are on Xero, and I am Xero certified. I also have the accounting background to define the checks properly.
Scoped from Invoice Check, quoted in your audit
Scoped from Invoice Check
From A$3,900
AUD, no GST charged
- Acceptance criteriaAgreed before I start
- 50% depositOf the fixed price
- 2–3 weeksUsual build time
- 50% on hand-overOf the fixed price
- Days of fixesAfter delivery
Not included: Software subscriptions and AI usage costs (paid by you directly and listed in the written scope). Running costs (software and AI usage) are estimated in your audit, before you commit to a build.
Supplier Bill Approval is a variant of Invoice Check (a fixed A$3,900). It starts at A$3,900, with 2–3 weeks as the usual time. Your audit gives you the fixed quote for your own setup.
If your approval chain is more involved (for example several approvers or approval levels by amount), the audit may recommend a custom build instead. Custom builds start from A$9,500 and take 4–8 weeks, with a fixed quote in your audit.
Start with a free fit check by email. The next step is the A$990 Workflow Audit, credited in full to a build signed within 30 days. How the audit works · All prices
When it breaks
- Who is alerted
- The alerts, who receives them and who is accountable are agreed before release. A failed step and a failed connection are in the test plan, with a manual fallback so the team can carry on the current way.
- Who fixes it, first 30 days
- I do. For 30 days after delivery I fix problems against the written acceptance criteria. It is part of every build.
- After 30 days
- The optional Care plan (A$350 a month) covers monitoring and fixes, with 30 days' notice to cancel. Improve and Partner include Care monitoring.
- Without a plan
- The workflow runs in accounts in your name, with a written hand-over another developer can follow.
Chartered Accountant (CA ANZ) · MBA · Xero certified · 16 years in finance, operations and systems · Canberra, working across AU and NZ
About RenzoThe same approach runs an agentic finance system I built: 30 agents, about 10,000 automated tests, and a person approves every money decision.
Built by a Chartered Accountant
Renzo Demartini: Chartered Accountant (CA ANZ), MBA, Xero certified, 16 years across finance, operations and systems. Based in Canberra, working remotely across Australia and New Zealand. Approval controls are an accountant's problem before they are a software problem.
Questions before you build
Does this replace my approval process?
No. It makes your process consistent. The people who approve stay the same. The checks happen before the bill reaches them.
Will AI approve bills?
No. A person approves or rejects every bill that is flagged. Rules do the duplicate and match checks. AI is optional, for example reading a supplier PDF your accounting system has not read, and only where it helps.
Can it pay the bill?
No. The build checks and records approval. Payment stays a separate step for a person.
Does it work with MYOB?
Yes, the build is offered for MYOB at the same price as Xero, and I have done MYOB client work. I confirm your MYOB product and file in the audit.
Doesn't Xero read bills now?
Yes. Xero's Smart Document Capture reads bills, gets them ready for you to review and flags possible duplicates. Xero lists it on all small business plans, in beta in Australia and New Zealand, and says automatic GST extraction is still to come (Xero, updated 28 October 2026). Use it. This build does not replace it: it adds the checks Xero cannot make, against your jobs, purchase orders and approval limits.
What about Xero's own approval features?
Check them first. If they already do what you need, the audit will tell you so.
How long does it take?
Like Invoice Check, it usually takes 2–3 weeks. Your audit confirms the time for your setup.
What access do you need?
The audit is a read-only review, and we agree the access before work starts. Please do not send passwords or confidential records through the enquiry form. How enquiries are handled
Know who approved every bill
A free fit check by email first. The A$990 Workflow Audit is the next step, credited to your build.
Get a free fit check by email The next step after the fit check: the A$990 Workflow Audit
Get a free fit check by email
Send the form with your software, the workflow, your team size and your timing. I reply by email, usually with a question or two, and tell you whether it's a fit. No call needed. If it is, the next step is the A$990 Workflow Audit.
Thanks, it's with me.
I read every enquiry myself and reply by email to the address you gave, .
Next, I reply by email, usually with a question or two, and tell you whether it is a fit. No call needed.
If it is a fit, the step after that is the A$990 Workflow Audit.
In the meantime, see how each build runs: worksbetter.ai/#builds
Sending saves your details in HubSpot so I can reply. No mailing list. No payment is taken. How your enquiry is handled.