Accounts payable (AP) represents the amount that a company owes to its creditors and suppliers (also referred to as a current liability account). Accounts payable is recorded on the balance sheet under current liabilities.
When a business purchases goods or services from a supplier on credit, payment isn’t made straight away, but is due within 30 days, 60 days, or in some cases even longer. In the first instance, the company will send the supplier a purchase order, after which the supplier will provide the goods purchased together with an invoice requesting payment by a certain date.
When the amounts owed to suppliers and other third parties are not paid within the agreed terms, late payments or defaults occur. This could be due to inefficient invoice processing or challenges within the supply chain.
A key metric when talking about accounts payable is Days Payable Outstanding (DPO). This is used to describe the number of days that a company takes to pay its suppliers.
The higher a company’s DPO, the longer it is able to make use of its available cash. Consequently, some companies may choose to extend the payment terms offered to their suppliers in order to improve their working capital position.
Accounts receivable (AR) is the total amount that a company owes its customers for services or products purchased on credit. It is recorded as a current asset on the balance sheet.
The two accounts are closely related and are often managed by the same team within a finance department.
The main difference between AR and AP is that AR represents amounts owed by customers, whereas AP represents amounts owed by suppliers.
In order to increase their working capital and improve the company’s cash flow, some businesses may choose to extend the payment terms offered to their customers.
When a company receives an order from a customer, they could choose to pay the supplier upfront. Alternatively, they could take the order on credit, which means that payment is due once the customer has paid the invoice.
If the business pays cash upfront, it will record the payment in its AR account. This will be a positive transaction, as the company has received cash.
If the company chooses to take the order on credit, it will record the payment in its AP account. This will be a negative transaction, as the company has to pay cash at a later date.
In order to calculate a company’s accounts payable (AP), you will need to know the total amount that a company owes its suppliers and third parties such as contractors, utilities providers, and landlords.
This will be shown in the AP account on the company’s balance sheet and will be equal to the total amount of the company’s current liabilities. If you want to calculate the AP for a specific vendor, you will need to look up that vendor on the AP list.
Once you have their vendor ID, you can enter it into the formula below to calculate the value of the AP account.
AP Calculation = Total Amount Owed ÷ 365 ÷ Number of Days Since Last Invoice Was Received
Three-way matching in accounts payable is a process that is used to verify the accuracy of an invoice before it is paid. The process involves comparing the information on the invoice with the corresponding purchase order and receiving report to ensure that the goods or services that were delivered match the original purchase order and that they were received in good condition.
The three-way matching process typically involves the following steps:
Once the three-way matching process has been completed, the invoice can be paid if all of the information matches and there are no discrepancies. This process helps to ensure that organizations are only paying for goods and services that were actually received, and that they are paying the correct amount for those goods and services.
Nowadays, most businesses use computerized systems to keep track of their AP. The AP process is particularly important for businesses that extend payment terms to their suppliers.
It is therefore crucial that AP is managed effectively in order to minimize the risk of supplier defaults.
Accounts payable is a crucial part of running a business, and it’s important to keep track of it. With the right AP system in place, you can keep track of all your purchases and make sure you have enough money to pay them on time.
