Expenses and payables overview
Vendors, expenses versus bills, bill payments, purchase orders, vendor credits, receipts, and recurring expenses.
- Plans
- Core and above
- Availability
- Available
- For
- Owners, Bookkeepers
- In KontoCore
Purchases
What this does
Use an expense when payment happens at purchase. Use a bill when a vendor gives you terms and you pay later.
Attach receipts and invoices as evidence; Financial Truth flags material transactions without evidence where your policy requires it.
Recurring templates create repeating expenses or bills on a schedule.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Expense | Something already paid — a card swipe or check written today. |
| Bill | Something you owe and will pay later. It sits in accounts payable until paid. |
More plain-language help in KontoGuide and the Glossary.
Vendors, bills, and bill paymentsAdd vendors, enter bills with due dates, pay them, and apply vendor credits.Expenses and purchase ordersRecord immediate expenses with receipts and use purchase orders to commit spending before a bill arrives.Matching vendor bills to purchase orders (partial billing and receiving)Enter a vendor invoice, optionally link it to a purchase order, match bill lines to PO lines, and track each line as open, partially received, partially billed, or closed.Paying vendor billsSelect open vendor bills, apply vendor credits, choose how and when to pay, and record full or partial payments that clear accounts payable.Vendor payment batchesGroup several bill payments into a batch for review, approval, and release, so payment runs are controlled and traceable as one unit.Checks and check printingWrite checks for bills or direct expenses, print them on supported check stock, track check numbers, and void checks correctly.Vendor creditsRecord credits from vendors for returns, rebates, or billing errors and apply them to open bills or record a vendor refund.Recurring bills and expensesSchedule repeating vendor bills and expenses such as rent, subscriptions, and insurance, created as drafts or posted on each date.Vendor refundsRecord money a vendor pays back from unused vendor credit, an overpayment, or another refundable balance, into the bank or cash account you choose — never as revenue.Putting vendor bills on holdPlace a vendor bill on hold with a recorded reason so it cannot be selected for payment, batches, or check/ACH preparation until an authorized user releases it.Three-way match: PO, receipt, and bill exceptionsCompare ordered, received, and billed quantities and prices, set an Off, Warn, or Block policy with tolerances, and resolve or override exceptions with an audited reason.
Related articles
Vendors, bills, and bill paymentsAdd vendors, enter bills with due dates, pay them, and apply vendor credits.Expenses and purchase ordersRecord immediate expenses with receipts and use purchase orders to commit spending before a bill arrives.Documents and evidenceUpload receipts and documents, organize the library, link evidence to transactions, and use Intelligent Document Intake where available.Mileage trackingRecord vehicles and trips, classify them, apply the correct effective-date rate, and keep deduction and reimbursement separate.
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Last reviewed September 25, 2026