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Aavenir Atlas early access is open Contractflow on the ServiceNow Store since 2019 Runs on ServiceNow, or standalone ProcureTech100 2025/26 Pioneering Digital Solution ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified, SOC 2 Type 2 compliant

Glossary

What is invoice approval?

Invoice approval is reviewing and authorizing a supplier invoice before it is recorded and paid, to confirm the goods or services arrived at the agreed price.

Schedule a Demo All Glossary Terms

How the process works

  1. The supplier invoice arrives by email, post or portal.
  2. Its details are captured and checked for completeness.
  3. It is coded to the right category and cost center.
  4. It is matched to the purchase order and receipt.
  5. It goes to the right approver based on rules such as amount and department.
  6. Once approved, it is posted to the finance system and scheduled for payment.

Why it matters

Approval is the last control before money leaves the business. It catches duplicates, wrong prices, goods never received and invoices that should not be paid at all. A slow process, on the other hand, means late payments, missed discounts and frustrated suppliers. Digital approval shows the invoice data clearly, routes it automatically and keeps an audit trail of who approved what.

How Aavenir handles it

Invoiceflow matches each invoice to the purchase order and receipt, and checks rates, discounts and tax terms against the signed contract. Clean invoices move on, and exceptions go to a named person with the contract clause in view before anything is paid.

Common delays

  • Invoices sent to the wrong approver
  • Missing purchase order numbers
  • Goods receipts not recorded yet
  • Price differences with no easy way to check the contract

Keep reading

Accounts payable automation Accounts payable automation uses software to capture supplier invoices, extract their data, match them to orders and route approvals with little manual entry.Read more Invoice data extraction Invoice data extraction is capturing supplier invoice details, such as number, supplier, amounts and lines, as structured data that can be checked, matched and paid.Read more Accounts payable Accounts payable is the money a business owes suppliers for goods and services received but not yet paid, shown as a liability, and the team that pays it.Read more

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Common questions

Who approves supplier invoices?

Usually the budget owner or the person who ordered the goods or services, with higher amounts going to senior approvers under a delegation of authority. Read about accounts payable.

How can invoice approval be faster?

Automate capture and matching so approvers only see exceptions, route by clear rules and let approvers act from email or mobile. Clear rules mean fewer invoices need a person at all. Read about accounts payable automation.

What should an approver check on an invoice?

That the goods or services were received, the price matches the order and contract, the invoice is not a duplicate and it is coded correctly. Note any reason for rejection. See Invoiceflow.

Have a question we have not answered? Ask the Expert

Schedule a demo

See your contracts run on one record.

  • 1 A 30 minute walkthrough Built around your team, whether that is procurement, legal, IT or finance.
  • 2 Your contracts, not ours Bring a few sample agreements and watch Aavenir AI extract and review them.
  • 3 ServiceNow or standalone We show the deployment that fits the systems you already run.

Prefer to talk first? Contact the team.