Summary
If a big client runs on Tungsten Network, that's where your invoice has to go. The first 52 Web Form invoices a year are free, then each costs £2.09. Tungsten can show paid while your books still say awaiting payment.
- The cost: Web Form: 52 free invoices a year, then £2.09 each with a minimum purchase of 25. Integrated: £1,200 a year plus £0.97 to £0.32 per invoice. All ex VAT.
- The routes: Web Form, PO Convert, Email In or Integrated; your buyer's campaign page says which ones you can use.
- Paidnice: Paidnice uses AI to put the PO on the invoice, sends it, and records the payment date AP gives.
A large customer writes to say suppliers must now send invoices through Tungsten Network. Your first 52 invoices a year are free, then each one costs £2.09. And once you are on it, Tungsten can show an invoice as paid while Xero or QuickBooks still lists it as awaiting payment.
The customer portals guide compares Tungsten with Coupa, SAP Ariba and Tipalti.
Why do large customers send you to Tungsten Network?
Large buyers use Tungsten so every supplier invoice arrives in one format, checked against the purchase order before anyone in accounts payable sees it. Suppliers join because the customer says so.
The buyer's AP team wants the purchase order, the goods receipt and the invoice to agree before it pays, and a portal pushes that matching onto the supplier. Tungsten's rules engine checks VAT details and the buyer's own requirements before delivery (Tungsten Email In overview).
Each buyer runs its own Tungsten onboarding page, called a customer campaign. Nestlé's gives suppliers 52 free Web Form invoices a year (Tungsten Network, Nestlé campaign); Kerry's runs the free Invoice Status Service (Tungsten Network, Kerry campaign). The page your customer sent you sets your rules, routes and free allowance.
What does Tungsten Network need from you?
A registered supplier account, a route for sending invoices, and an invoice that carries the fields your buyer checks. Web Form is free for the first 52 invoices a year; Integrated is a paid subscription.
| Route | How it works | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Web Form | You key each invoice into the Tungsten portal by hand | Low volume; Tungsten describes it as built for businesses sending few invoices a year |
| PO Convert | Where the buyer offers it, you convert its purchase order into an invoice inside the portal | Suppliers whose invoice matches the PO line for line |
| Email In | You email a PDF, Tungsten extracts the data, you review it beside the original, then submit | Suppliers without a PO, or whose invoice details often differ from it (Tungsten's own comparison) |
| Integrated | Your billing system sends a data file to Tungsten | High volume, with a billing system Tungsten can map |
No Xero or QuickBooks connector appears on Tungsten's product or enrolment pages. A small UK supplier on either ledger usually uses Web Form, PO Convert or Email In; Web Form costs nothing for the first 52 invoices a year.
What Tungsten costs a UK supplier
Tungsten publishes UK prices on its enrolment pages, effective 1 January 2023, ex VAT (Web Form enrolment, Integrated Solution enrolment). Web Form: invoices 1 to 52 in a year cost £0.00; extra invoices cost £2.09 each with a minimum purchase of 25.
Integrated Solution: £1,200 a year, plus a per-invoice charge set by monthly volume: 1 to 20 a month £0.97, 21 to 250 £0.84, 251 to 1,000 £0.68, 1,001 to 5,000 £0.53, 5,001 and above £0.32. Buyer connection is free; a remap after a change of billing system is £1,200.
Tungsten cost calculator (UK, ex VAT)
Enter how many invoices a year you send to customers on Tungsten. Change the free allowance if you want to test a different figure.
Estimate only, from Tungsten's published UK prices effective 1 January 2023, ex VAT. Extra Web Form invoices: a minimum purchase of 25, then one per invoice. Integrated is an estimate: every invoice is charged at the tier rate for your average month. Your buyer's campaign page is the final word.
At 120 invoices a year with the standard 52 free, Web Form costs £142.12 (68 extra invoices at £2.09) and Integrated an estimated £1,316.40 (£1,200 plus 120 at £0.97). The two routes meet at around 1,050 invoices a year; above that, Integrated is cheaper.
| What Tungsten or your buyer checks | Where it sits on your Xero or QuickBooks invoice |
|---|---|
| Purchase order number | Xero has no customer-PO field, so it goes in Reference. QuickBooks Online uses a custom field with Print on form switched on. Details on the PO number page |
| Buyer entity and amounts | The contact record and the lines. Both must match the PO. If the price differs from the PO, ask the buyer to amend the PO first |
How do you send an invoice through Tungsten Network?
Register from the link your buyer or Tungsten emails you, pick a route from your buyer's campaign page, then key, convert or email the invoice in. Tungsten checks it and the buyer's status appears in the Invoice Status Service.
- Raise the invoice in Xero or QuickBooks first, with the PO number on it before you approve it. Its number, PO, amounts and buyer entity are what you enter in Tungsten.
- Register. Your buyer, or Tungsten on its behalf, emails a unique registration link. Follow it and create your supplier account at tungsten-network.com.
- Choose the route from the options your buyer's campaign page allows.
- Web Form: sign in at tungsten-network.com and enter the invoice header and lines from your ledger copy.
- PO Convert: open the purchase order the buyer sent through Tungsten and convert it, changing only what the PO allows.
- Email In: email the Xero invoice PDF or the QuickBooks invoice PDF as your buyer's instructions say, review the extracted fields beside the original, then submit.
- Watch the status. Tungsten checks and delivers the invoice; the Invoice Status Service shows what the buyer does with it.
Why does a Tungsten invoice stall or come back rejected?
A Tungsten invoice stalls when it has no PO number, carries a PO that does not match the lines, or waits on a buyer approval. The Invoice Status Service shows which.
The Invoice Status Service is a free self-service screen in the Tungsten portal, switched on by each buyer. Kerry's campaign page promises to say what is wrong when it rejects an invoice (Tungsten Network, Kerry campaign). The full set of statuses across buyers:
- Received: the buyer has the invoice. Nothing to do yet.
- Approved: accepted for payment, with a payment due date shown. Not paid yet.
- On Hold: the invoice is waiting on a standard approval task at the buyer. Ask its AP team who holds it.
- Exception: the invoice needs an extra approval inside the buyer. Ask its AP team what the exception is and who must approve it.
- Paid: paid, with a payment reference shown. Your ledger still says awaiting payment until someone reconciles it.
- Rejected: the buyer refused it and the reason is on the screen.
For a missing or wrong PO, get the correct number from the buyer, put it on the Xero or QuickBooks invoice, and ask your buyer's AP team whether to resubmit under the same number or a new one. For an amount mismatch, ask for a PO change rather than invoicing above the PO.
What can you automate in Tungsten invoicing?
Today you can automate what happens before and after the upload: getting the PO, putting it on the invoice, sending, reminding ahead of the due date, and saving the payment date. The upload itself is still manual.
| Task | By hand | Paidnice today | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get the PO number | Email the buyer, wait, chase | Paidnice uses AI to notice the customer needs a PO and writes to whoever raised the order, then reads the PO from the buyer system's email or the reply | Live |
| Put the PO on the invoice | Open the invoice in Xero or QuickBooks and type it in | Paidnice puts the PO on the invoice, then approves and sends it. Smart rules format the PO; anything that looks odd goes to a person first | Live |
| Upload to Tungsten | Key, convert or email it in | Not yet | Coming soon |
| Remind ahead of the due date | Diary note | Pre-due reminders go out from your business email address | Live |
| Record the payment date | Read the status screen, note it somewhere | When AP gives a payment date, Paidnice records it on that invoice in Paidnice and drafts a reply for you to approve | Live |
| Chase after the due date | Email and phone | Reminders and statements on your own schedule, part of accounts receivable automation | Live |
Paidnice does not log in to Tungsten. It works on the invoice in Xero or QuickBooks, so the PO is on the ledger copy before anyone keys, converts or emails the invoice into Tungsten.
Which Tungsten jobs still need a person?
Registering, choosing a route, keying or converting the invoice, answering an On Hold query and resolving a rejection all need a person. No Xero or QuickBooks connector appears on Tungsten's pages, so the upload is manual.
- The upload. Web Form keying, PO Convert and the Email In review each need someone at your desk.
- On Hold and Rejected. Someone reads the reason, talks to the buyer's AP team and decides: fix and resubmit, or credit and reissue.
- Odd POs. Several POs on one invoice, a closed PO, or an unfamiliar format go to a person before Paidnice uses them.
Where does Paidnice fit on a Tungsten invoice?
Paidnice works on the ledger copy: it puts the PO on the invoice, sends a reminder ahead of the due date from your business email address, and records the date AP says it will pay. Tungsten holds the buyer's copy.
"Paid" in Tungsten and "Awaiting payment" in Xero or QuickBooks can sit side by side. The portal shows the buyer's view and updates nothing in your books.
The payer can also enter or update the PO in the Paidnice customer portal. Pre-due reminders go out from your business email address, so the buyer's AP team sees a message from you. When AP gives a payment date, Paidnice records it on that invoice in Paidnice and drafts a reply for you to approve. A person approves every AI draft before it goes.
Portal uploads are coming soon. We are starting with the portals our customers ask about most, so list yours when you book a call.
Common questions
What is Tungsten invoicing?
Tungsten invoicing is sending an invoice to a customer through the Tungsten e-Invoice Network instead of by post or email. The supplier keys, converts or emails the invoice in, Tungsten checks it against VAT rules and the buyer's requirements, and the buyer's AP team receives it. The buyer chooses Tungsten.
Are Kofax and Tungsten the same company?
Yes. Kofax acquired Tungsten Network in June 2022 and renamed itself Tungsten Automation on 16 January 2024. Tungsten Network, the e-invoicing portal, sits inside it.
How do I view my e-invoice?
Log in to the Tungsten portal at tungsten-network.com and open the Invoice Status Service, if your buyer has switched it on. It lists each invoice with its status: Received, Approved, On Hold, Exception, Paid or Rejected. If the service is off, ask your buyer's AP team.
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