Expense Payments

What an expense payment is

Recording an expense captures what you owe a vendor. An expense payment captures that you've paid it. When you record a payment, you apply it to one or more outstanding expenses, which reduces the balance you owe. Once an expense is paid in full, it moves to Paid.

A single payment can settle several expenses at once, even across more than one vendor, so a cheque run or a batch of e-transfers can be recorded in one place.

Recording a payment

Pay vendors from Accounting → Expense Payments and choose to record a new payment:

1. Set the date. Record the date the money actually went out.
2. Choose the bank account. Pick the cash or bank account the payment is drawn from, so the money leaves the right place in your books.
3. Pick the expenses to pay. Select one or more posted expenses, across one or more vendors. Each line shows what's still payable on that expense.
4. Enter the amount per expense. Pay an expense in full or in part; TenantBuddy tracks whatever remains.
5. Choose the payment method and, for cheques or wires, add a reference number per vendor so you can match it back later.
6. Save or post. Save it as a draft to finish later, or post it to record the payment against your books.

Screenshot coming soon

The expense payment screen showing a bank account, several outstanding expenses selected across vendors, amounts, and a payment method.

Payment methods & references

Record how you paid using the payment methods you've set up for your account, such as cheque, e-transfer, or wire. For cheques and wires you can store a reference number against each vendor on the payment, which keeps your records easy to reconcile against your bank statement. You can also group related payments under a batch so a single cheque run stays together.

Draft vs. posted

Like other accounting records, an expense payment is either a draft or posted:

• Draft — saved but not yet recorded in your books. It has no accounting impact and can still be edited.
• Posted — recorded in full. It reduces what you owe, draws the money from the bank account you chose, and applies to the expenses you selected.

Only draft payments can be edited. Once a payment is posted, correct it by voiding it rather than editing in place, so your books always reflect what actually happened.

How a payment flows into your accounting

Posting a payment does the bookkeeping for you. It reduces your accounts payable (what you owe), records the money leaving your chosen bank account, and applies the amount to the expense. When an expense's payable balance reaches zero, it's automatically marked Paid, so your payables and vendor history stay accurate without any manual journal entries. These movements feed straight into your reports.

Voiding a payment

If a payment was recorded in error or needs to be reversed, you can void it. Voiding undoes the accounting and restores the balance on the affected expense, so it shows as owing again and can be paid correctly. The voided payment stays on record for a complete audit trail rather than disappearing.