Pleo Invoices: how to upload, approve, and pay supplier invoices

In addition to paying for in-store and subscription charges, we know that a huge chunk of our customers' spending involves paying invoices. Enter Pleo Invoices (formerly Pleo Bills).

This article explains:


Which customers have access to Pleo Invoices

Check out our pricing page to see how many invoices are included in your plan at no additional cost. The Invoices page in the Pleo web app is enabled by default, visible to all admins and bookkeepers. That said, if you're connected to an accounting system that does not sync with Pleo Invoices, then you won't be able to see the Invoices page.


 Note: Invoices are not available in the US.



What counts as an invoice

Sometimes our customers accidentally submit non-invoice documents as invoices. To ensure that everything goes smoothly with your invoice payments, please double-check that invoices include:

  • Supplier name

  • Amount and currency

  • A description of services rendered (specific marketing services, accounting, etc.)

  • Your company name

  • The full name when paying an individual freelancer/contractor

Learn more.


How to upload an invoice

There are three ways to upload an invoice to Pleo.

  • Forward an invoice by email

Anyone can forward an invoice to Pleo. An admin or bookkeeper just needs to generate an email address on the Invoices page (in the bottom right corner). Once done, share the email address (example in the below image) with your colleagues.

Keep in mind: Once the email address has been generated it can no longer be changed.


  • Upload an invoice manually

Bookkeepers and admins can click the "Add invoices" button or drag & drop directly into the Invoices page.

  • Upload an invoice with Pleo's mobile app

Admins and employees can use this option. Click the plus icon in the top right corner of the mobile app, then follow the on-screen instructions:



Invoice access depending on user role

Bookkeepers (external and partner) can:

  • View invoices, including the activity history

  • Update invoice details (add a tag, change the due date, etc.)

  • Mark an invoice as "ready"

  • Void an invoice

  • Export an invoice

Admins can:

  • Do the same things as bookkeepers, plus:

  • Approve or reject invoices in the Pleo web app

  • Pay invoices in bulk

  • Mark invoices as paid outside of Pleo

  • Add approvers to invoices

Partner bookkeepers who have been granted special permission can do the same things as admins.

Extra approvers can:

  • Be admins, employees, and partner bookkeepers (with special permission)

  • Approve or reject invoices via email only 


The approval process

  • If you don't need extra approvers (in addition to the standard admin approval)

Then an admin (or partner bookkeeper with access) can approve the invoice by:

  1. Going to the "Inbox" tab.

  2. Clicking "Approve".

  3. Clicking "Pay now" or scheduling the payment for a later date. An invoice that is scheduled for a specific date will get paid at 1 PM (UK time) on the day. If an invoice is set up to be "paid now," it will be paid immediately.

  • If you do need extra approvers (in addition to the standard admin approval)

Then an admin (or partner bookkeeper with access) can:

  1. Go to the "Inbox" tab.

  2. Add approvers to the invoice.
    Note: If the wrong approver has been added or the approver is unavailable, you can remove the approver by clicking on "Add approvers" and unchecking their box.



  3. Wait for a decision from all approvers. The approval email will expire after one month. This is what the approver(s) will get via email:



    You'll be able to see who's approved based on the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" icons. You can also click on the activity tab for a full run-down of invoice activity, including past approvals/rejections:


    If an invoice is rejected by any of the approvers, in cannot be paid. It's also not possible to go back to the email and change the decision. If rejected, it might be a good idea to void the rejected invoice, so that it's moved to the archive section.

  4. Once all approvers have approved the invoice, click "Pay now" or schedule the payment for a later date. See the next section to learn how to pay invoices in bulk.

  5. When the invoice is paid, the funds are taken from your Pleo Wallet and sent to the supplier.


How to pay invoices in bulk

If a lot of invoices are approved but not yet paid, you might want to set this up in bulk:

  1. Go to the Inbox.

  2. Select the relevant invoices (it won't be possible to select invoices that aren't ready for payment).

  3. Choose whether you want to schedule the selected invoices to be paid now, on their due date, or on a different date.


Rejecting versus voiding an invoice

Voiding essentially does the same thing as rejecting; it cancels the invoice, along with any pending payment, and sends the invoice to the archived section. That said, these two options come up in different contexts. “Rejecting” is part of the approval flow, whereas voiding could happen if an invoice was accidentally uploaded twice, the details on the invoice were incorrect, etc.

  • You can see what the "reject" options look like in the screenshots further up in this article. As mentioned, rejecting an invoice can be done by an admin, an approver, and/or a partner bookkeeper with special permission.

  • An admin or bookkeeper can void an invoice by:

    1. Clicking on the invoice.

    2. Clicking the three dots in the top right corner.

    3. Clicking "Mark as void".

All voided and rejected invoices can be found in the archive:


How to mark an invoice as paid outside of Pleo

What if an invoice is uploaded to Pleo, but ends up being paid elsewhere (e.g., from your company bank account)? In such a case, an admin (or partner bookkeeper with access) can:

  1. Click on the invoice.

  2. Click on the three dots.

  3. Click "Mark as paid". This action automatically cancels any scheduled payment and moves the invoice to the archive.



In the future, we might also give external (i.e., non-partner) bookkeepers access to marking an invoice as paid. Please get in touch if you'd like to see this change!


How invoices work with your accounting integration

  • Invoice payments can be synced with Xero, Quickbooks, and DATEV Unternehmen Online. Invoices are also compatible with Pleo's Sage 50 integration as well as our custom and generic export format.

  • If your chosen accounting setup is 1) a CSV/Excel file (i.e., custom or generic format) or 2) DATEV Unternehmen Online, then please remember to fill out the "Default Supplier Account for Invoices" field on the Settings page. What's the benefit of having a default supplier account? If any of your invoices in Pleo are missing a supplier account, they will be sent to a single place in your accounting system, making it easier for you to then book them to the correct supplier later on.

  • If you're using the custom export format, please make sure to also add a supplier account field when setting up your file format. This will ensure that the invoice supplier code (whether specific or default) is included in your export.


Here's how the export process works for invoices:

  1. Once an invoice has been uploaded, it will automatically end up in the Unexported queue.

  2. Once you move an invoice to the Export queue, it will be locked.

  3. Once Exported, the invoice will be fully synced with the aforementioned accounting systems. You can export an invoice even if it's not been paid yet. The payment itself can be exported at a later date.


How to get in touch

If you have any questions, or if you would like to disable invoice payments for your organisation's account, please get in touch with our support team.

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