A supplier receipt showing a batch total should be reconciled to the individual invoices and payments it covers. Agreement with a bank debit is a useful control, but it does not identify which creditor items were settled.

Accounting records, calculator and glasses on a desk
Illustrative photograph by Cht Gsml.

Obtain the allocation

Keep the receipt, payment reference, remittance and supplier statement. Request the invoice numbers and amounts applied. Check for earlier credits, deposits or payments by another group entity that could affect the supplier's allocation.

Compare your ledger

Use the same supplier entity and currency. List each invoice balance, payment allocation and remaining amount. Do not spread the payment across the oldest invoices automatically if the actual instruction or supplier record says something different.

Example: an advance is included

The batch total combines payment of two invoices and funding for a future order. Clear the supported invoices and give the accountant the advance terms for review. Treating the whole batch as settled expense could hide the outstanding prepayment.

Keep differences open

Document any disagreement between the company's remittance and supplier allocation, with an owner to resolve it. Retain the confirmed outcome and any corrected statement. Another bookkeeper should be able to trace each cleared invoice to the relevant payment without guessing from the batch total.

Related practical guidance

For the surrounding records and responsibilities, see bookkeeping basics, company records to keep, bookkeeping and accounting.

Official guidance: IRAS official guidance.

Help with your company records

For accounting, bookkeeping and related compliance support, contact Raffles Corporate Services at [email protected] or WhatsApp +65 8501 7133. Tell us which records or process need attention so we can discuss the relevant next steps.