> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Review and pay vendor invoices > Review invoices submitted by outside providers, update their status, and record vendor payments. ## What you will accomplish When a detailer, transport company, or other outside provider sends your facility a bill, you will find it in Payments, review the uploaded file, update the review status for your team, and record that the vendor was paid (after your facility pays them using your normal bank or check process). **Vendor vs customer invoice** A **customer invoice** is money your facility **collects**. A **vendor invoice** is money your facility may need to **pay out**. This guide is for bills **from** outside providers—not bills you send to customers. ## How vendor invoices arrive Most vendor bills follow this path: 1. Your team adds the vendor in [Contacts > Vendors](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/vendors). 2. You send a **portal invitation** so the vendor can sign in and upload their invoice. 3. The vendor submits the file through the vendor invoice portal. 4. Your team reviews the submission in Car Storage Software and records payment after paying the vendor outside the app. If you have not set up the public vendor link yet, see [Set up vendor invoice portal](/docs/facility-web-pages/set-up-vendor-invoice-portal). ## Before you start * The vendor should already exist in [Contacts > Vendors](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/vendors), or the submission should include enough details to identify who sent it. * Open the uploaded invoice file and confirm the work was completed before approving payment. * Know who on your team is allowed to approve vendor bills. * Know how your facility pays vendors (ACH, check, Zelle, or another method). **Important: paying vendors happens outside the app for now** The vendor invoice page records that a vendor was paid. It does **not** move money automatically. Pay the vendor using your facility's normal payment method first, then record the payment in Car Storage Software. ## Open vendor invoices on the Invoices page Customer bills and vendor bills both appear on [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices). Use the **Type** filter to focus on vendor submissions. In the sidebar, open **Payments**, then **Invoices**. Or go to [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices) directly. **Expected result:** The page title is **Invoices** with the subtitle **Customer and vendor invoices**. Click **Filters** on the toolbar (you may see a badge if filters are already active). In the **Type** section, click **Vendor**. You can also open [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices?type=vendor) to start with the vendor filter applied. **Expected result:** The list shows only vendor submissions. Customer invoices are hidden. Invoices page filtered to Vendor type showing a vendor invoice row with invoice number, amount, and Submitted status *Use **Filters → Type → Vendor** to see bills outside providers sent to your facility.* Invoices filter panel showing Type options All Customer and Vendor plus status checkboxes *The **Type** filter lives inside **Filters**—there are no separate Customer and Vendor tabs at the top of the page.* ## Find the invoice to review Use the search box to search by vendor name, vendor email, invoice number, or invoice ID. Look at the **Status** column. Start with **Submitted** or **Under review**. Click the invoice row. **Expected result:** The vendor invoice detail page opens (URL like `/dashboard/payments/vendor-invoices/...`) with the uploaded file, review controls, and payment section. ## Review the vendor invoice details The vendor invoice detail page shows the uploaded invoice, who submitted it, the linked vendor record, review notes, and payment fields. Vendor invoice detail page showing invoice amount, attached PDF, vendor card, review status dropdown, internal notes, and payment section *Review the file on the left, then update **Status** and **Internal notes** on the right before you record payment.* Review **Invoice #**, **Amount**, **Invoice date**, and **Description**. Make sure these details match the work your team expected. Click the attached file name to open the invoice the vendor uploaded. Check the vendor name, service date, amount, and service details. **Why this matters:** Approving without reading the file is a common source of overpayment mistakes. Review the **Submitter** and **Vendor** cards. If the vendor is linked, you can open the vendor record from this page. ## Update the review status Use the **Review** section to tell your team where the invoice stands. Open the **Status** dropdown and choose the best option. Use **Internal notes** for details your team should know, such as "Confirmed detail service was completed" or "Waiting for manager approval." These notes are for your team. They are not shown to the vendor. Click **Save review**. **Expected result:** The status badge on the invoice updates. Your team can see which vendor bills still need attention. Vendor invoice detail page showing invoice amount, attached PDF, vendor card, review status dropdown, internal notes, and payment section *On the vendor invoice detail page, review the file on the left, then update **Status** and **Internal notes** on the right before you record payment.* ## What vendor invoice statuses mean **Submitted** — the vendor sent the invoice, but your team has not finished reviewing it. **Under review** — someone on your team is checking the invoice. **Approved** — the invoice looks correct and is ready for payment. **Rejected** — your team is not approving the invoice as submitted. **Paid** — your team paid the vendor and recorded the payment in the app. ## Reject a vendor invoice (when work or amount is wrong) Use **Rejected** when the bill does not match what your team expected—for example, wrong amount, wrong vehicle, or service not completed. From [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices) (**Filters → Type → Vendor**), click the invoice row. Open the attachment and compare the vendor's amount and description to your team's records (schedule event, work order, or email approval). **Why this matters:** Rejecting without reading the file can damage vendor relationships. In the **Review** section, choose **Rejected** from the **Status** dropdown. Write a short note your team will understand, such as "Detail was for wrong vehicle—asked vendor to resubmit" or "Amount does not match approved quote." **Expected result:** Other staff see why the bill was rejected and what to do next. Click **Save review**, then contact the vendor outside the app (phone or email) so they know to send a corrected invoice. **Expected result:** Status shows **Rejected**. Do not click **Mark as paid** on a rejected bill. **No vendor invoices yet?** If **Filters → Type → Vendor** shows no rows, your facility may not have the vendor portal turned on yet. See [Set up the vendor invoice portal](/docs/facility-web-pages/set-up-vendor-invoice-portal), then ask vendors to submit bills through their link. ## Send the vendor onboarding invite if needed Some vendors need to finish setup before your team can record payment details clearly. On the vendor invoice detail page, find the **Vendor** card. If the vendor shows **Onboarding incomplete**, click **Send onboarding invite** or **Resend onboarding invite**. Tell the vendor to open the email and finish the steps. **If the vendor is already active** If the Vendor card shows the vendor is active and connected, you do not need to send an onboarding invite from this invoice. ## Pay by ACH (when Vendor ACH Payments is enabled) If your team has Vendor ACH Payments enabled, and both your facility bank and the vendor bank are connected, you can send payment from the invoice page. On the vendor invoice detail page, scroll to **Payment**. You should see **Pay from your connected bank account**. Check the invoice amount, processing fee, and **Total debit**. Your bank is charged the total; the vendor receives the full invoice amount. Click **Confirm ACH payment**, review the debit total in the confirmation dialog, then click **Confirm and send**. **Expected result:** The payment is submitted. When Straddle reports it paid, the invoice status becomes **Paid**. If ACH is unavailable, connect your bank under Settings → Billing → Vendor Payments, or ask the vendor to finish bank setup. **ACH cannot be cancelled after processing starts** Confirm once. After the payout enters processing, it cannot be cancelled from the app. Use **Mark as paid** only for off-platform payments (check, Zelle, wire, etc.). ## Record an off-platform payment (Mark as paid) If you paid the vendor outside the app, record the payment so your team has a clear history. Make sure the payment was actually sent by ACH, check, Zelle, wire, or your facility's normal method. On the vendor invoice detail page, scroll to **Payment**. In **Amount**, enter the amount your facility paid. In **Payment date**, choose the date the payment was sent. Use **Check / transaction number** for a check number, ACH trace number, Zelle confirmation, or other payment reference. Use **Internal notes** for accounting context, such as "Paid from operating account." Click **Mark as paid**. **Expected result:** Status changes to **Paid**. The amount, date, and reference you entered are saved for your records. **Vendor payment is recorded, not sent** **Mark as paid** tells your team the bill was handled. It does not send money to the vendor. Pay the vendor through your bank, check, or other normal process first, then record it here — or use **Confirm ACH payment** above when ACH is enabled. ### What success looks like * Vendor invoice status changes to **Paid**. * Payment amount, date, reference, and notes are saved. * Your team can see that this invoice has already been handled. ## Common mistakes to avoid * Do not mark a vendor invoice as paid before your facility actually sends payment. * Do not approve an invoice without opening the uploaded file. * Do not pay if the amount or service details do not match what your team expected. * Do not put private customer information in vendor invoice notes unless your facility policy allows it. * Do not look for a **Vendor tab** at the top of Invoices—use **Filters → Type → Vendor** instead. ## Troubleshooting **I do not see vendor invoices** Open [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices), click **Filters**, and choose **Vendor** under **Type**. If the list is still empty, no vendor has submitted a bill yet. Confirm the vendor received a portal invitation from [Manage vendors](/docs/payments/manage-vendors). **The attached file will not open** Try opening the file in a new browser tab. If it still does not open, ask the vendor to send a new copy of the invoice. **The wrong vendor is linked** Stop before marking the invoice paid. Compare the email and company name on the vendor record. Ask a manager to help correct the invoice or vendor record. **Mark as paid or ACH is not available** The vendor may need to finish onboarding or bank setup, your facility bank may not be connected under Settings → Billing → Vendor Payments, or your account may not have permission. Ask a team admin to review Vendor ACH Payments, bank setup, and your role. ## What to do next After recording payment, return to [Payments > Invoices](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/payments/invoices?type=vendor) and continue reviewing any vendor invoices still marked **Submitted** or **Under review**. If you need to update the vendor's contact or setup details, open [Contacts > Vendors](https://www.carstoragesoftware.com/dashboard/contacts/vendors). For a date-range summary of vendor and customer billing activity, open [Review the invoices report](/docs/payments/review-the-invoices-report). ## Related topics - [Manage vendors](/docs/payments/manage-vendors.md) - [Set up the vendor invoice portal](/docs/facility-web-pages/set-up-vendor-invoice-portal.md) - [Review a customer invoice](/docs/payments/review-a-customer-invoice.md) - [Work with vendor contacts](/docs/contacts/work-with-vendor-contacts.md) - [Payments overview](/docs/payments/overview.md) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.