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Configure bill structure and coding

Set up how bills are categorized, coded, and prepared for accounting. This ensures consistent data for approvals, reporting, and ERP sync.

Required user role: Technical admin
Required permissions: Payer administrator

Every AP team divides invoice processing work differently — some teams have approvers complete the GL coding, others want only processors to touch it. These settings let you match Tipalti to your internal process: which fields are required, who fills them in, and whether approvers can change them. You can also control whether specific fields can be corrected after approval, so minor mistakes don't require sending the whole bill back to the start.

Configure bill field settings

Bill coding preferences help you decide which coding fields are required and who fills them in as bills move through review and approval. You can set these preferences in Bill field settings.

What you can configure

Only expense account (GL) and list-type custom fields can be configured in coding preferences. Other fields (such as free text or date fields) are configured during field creation.

Available options

Option Description
Mandatory / Optional Determines whether the field must be completed
Who it's mandatory for Processor (review) or approver (approval)
Editable by approvers Whether approvers can update the field
Post-approval editing Whether the field can be edited after approval

Choose coding preferences

Use these steps to choose which coding fields are required and if approvers can update them during approval.

  1. Go to Administration → Bill settings
  2. Click the Bill field settings tab.
  3. Select Edit.

  4. In Mandatory/Optional, select:

    • Mandatory (required)
    • Optional

    Note: Expense account is always set to Mandatory.

  5. If you set a field as mandatory, select who completes it:
    • Bill processors during review, or
    • Bill approvers during approval
  6. In Editable by approvers, select:
    • Yes
    • No

  7. In Allow post-approval editing, select:

    • Yes
    • No
    • Post-approval editing allows updates after approval but before payment (Pending Payment status). Use with caution, as changes may impact accounting accuracy and audit controls.
    • For post-approval editing, you must have the Edit bills Post Approval permission (set in Administration → User Management).
    • If you don't see post-approval editing settings, contact Tipalti Support to enable this feature for your account.
  8. Select Save.
  9. Review the summary, then select Confirm.
    Edit is in the top right of the table and each field has dropdowns where you can change their settings.

Changes apply only to non-PO backed bills created after you confirm the update. Existing bills keep the same setup they had before.

If you use Mass Payments (self-billing) flows, coding preferences apply at bill creation rather than during review. See how coding preferences work in self-billing flows.

How coding affects bill processing

  • Coding during AP review
    • If a field is required for the bill processor, the bill cannot be submitted until the field is completed
  • Coding during approval
    • If a field is required for approvers, the bill cannot be approved until the field is completed
    • If approvers cannot edit a field, it appears as read-only
  • Completing fields
    • Optional and read-only fields:
      If a bill processor leaves an optional field blank and approvers cannot edit it, the empty field does not display to approvers
  • Multiple approvers
    • If a field is required for approvers, it remains required throughout the approval flow
    • In some cases, earlier approvers can select Leave blank to continue
    • The final approver must complete the field

Define coding responsibilities

Bill coding is the accounting and classification data required for approvals, reporting, and ERP sync.

Configure:

  • which fields are used
  • who is responsible for completing them

What bill coding includes

Bill coding is made up of:

  • Expense account (GL) - Can be set at header or line level
  • AI may suggest values for GL accounts, custom coding fields, and other coding fields at both the line and header level. Suggestions are based on historical patterns from previous bills for the same supplier and are especially effective for recurring invoices. Review each suggestion and update it as needed before submitting.
  • Custom fields (e.g., department, cost center, project)
  • Can be set at header or line level
  • Used for consistent classification and reporting

Common custom fields

Field Description Limitations / Considerations
Department Identifies the team or function responsible for the expense (e.g., Marketing, Finance) Best configured as a list field to ensure consistency; values should align with your ERP structure
Location Tracks where the expense is incurred (e.g., country, office, region) Use standardized values to avoid duplicates (e.g., "US" vs "USA"); may be required for reporting
Job code Links expenses to specific roles, positions, or functions Typically requires predefined values; may not apply to all bills
Cost center Maps expenses to internal accounting units for budgeting and reporting Should match ERP cost centers; often set as required to ensure accurate financial reporting
Project / Class Tracks expenses by project, initiative, or accounting class May be optional depending on use case; ensure values are maintained to avoid outdated selections

Who completes coding

Role When they act Responsibility
AP processor During bill review Enter initial coding (GL and custom fields)
Approver During approval Review and update coding (if editable)

Required fields must be completed before the bill can be approved and synced to your ERP.

Required fields and behavior

  • Required fields must be completed before a bill can be submitted or approved
  • If a required field is missing:
  • During review → bill cannot be submitted
  • During approval → bill cannot be approved
  • If a field is read-only:
  • Approvers cannot edit it

Best practices for maintaining coding consistency

  • Use required fields to enforce consistent coding
  • Assign responsibility clearly (processor vs approver)
  • Use list-type custom fields to standardize values
  • Keep coding aligned with your ERP structure
  • Review and update coding preferences as processes evolve

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