The Vendor Payments screen is used to select a vendor, review payment history, record vendor payments, apply vendor credit, and add vendor prepayments.
What this screen is for
Use Vendor Payments when money has been paid to a vendor, when vendor credit needs to be applied, or when finance needs to review vendor payment history.
This is the canonical documentation page for the shared vendor payment screen. The same screen opens from Finance Payables and Purchasing.
Do not record a payment against a PO when a vendor invoice already exists for that PO. PAX directs those payments to the invoice so invoice status, AP aging, and check-run behavior stay consistent.
Screen paths
- Dashboard > Finance > Payables > Vendor Payments
- Dashboard > Purchasing > Vendor Payments
Vendor selection
The screen opens with Select Vendor.
Search by vendor code or vendor name, then select the exact vendor option shown as:
vendor_code - vendor name
PAX does not load payment history until a valid vendor is selected.
Payment history
After a vendor is selected, PAX shows the vendor payment list.
The table shows:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
Payment ID |
PAX payment record number. |
Date |
Payment date. |
PO / Invoice |
Linked PO, linked invoice, or no PO/invoice for available credit. |
Amount |
Payment amount, with fee amount shown when applicable. |
Method |
Payment method. |
Reference |
Check number, ACH confirmation, wire reference, or other payment reference. |
Type |
Payment classification. |
Payment type badges include:
| Badge | Meaning |
|---|---|
PAYMENT |
Normal vendor payment. |
PO PREPAYMENT |
Payment linked to a PO and treated as a prepayment. |
PREPAID |
Prepaid payment. |
CC PREPAID |
Credit card prepayment linked to a PO before the invoice exists. |
AVAILABLE CREDIT |
Unlinked vendor prepayment available to apply later. |
APPLIED CREDIT |
Existing vendor credit applied to a PO or invoice. |
Available vendor credit
When the vendor has available credit, PAX shows Available Vendor Credit.
Use:
Apply Creditto apply existing credit to an eligible PO or invoice.Add Prepaymentto record a new unlinked vendor prepayment.
Applying vendor credit uses existing available credit. It is not the same as recording a new cash, ACH, EFT, wire, credit card, or check payment.
Payment actions
| Action | Use it for |
|---|---|
Record Payment |
Record a payment against a PO or vendor invoice. |
Apply Credit |
Apply existing vendor credit to an eligible PO or invoice. |
Add Prepayment |
Record a vendor prepayment that creates available vendor credit for later use. |
The payment form supports PO payments and invoice payments. If a PO already has an invoice, PAX blocks direct PO payment and instructs users to pay the invoice instead.
Payment methods include:
CheckACHEFTWire TransferCredit CardCashOther
The Add Prepayment modal supports check, ACH, EFT, wire transfer, cash, and other payment methods. To pay by credit card, use Record Payment on the vendor's PO or invoice.
What happens behind the scenes
Opening the Vendor Payments screen does not change records.
When a vendor is selected, PAX loads vendor payment history and available vendor credit.
When a payment is recorded, PAX:
- Validates whether the payment is for a PO or invoice.
- Blocks direct PO payment if a non-deleted invoice already exists for that PO.
- Stores amount, date, method, reference, fee amount, card selection when applicable, currency, rate, foreign amount, settlement amount, and user.
- Uses configured posting logic to record the related payment accounting.
- Updates payment history and vendor credit behavior through payment and credit-balance logic.
When vendor credit is applied, PAX uses available unlinked vendor prepayments in date order. If only part of a prepayment is needed, PAX can split the payment so the applied amount is linked and the remaining amount stays available as credit.
Troubleshooting
A vendor does not load
Likely cause: The text entered does not exactly match a vendor option.
Safe fix: Search by vendor code or name and choose the listed vendor_code - vendor name option.
Contact support if: The vendor exists but does not appear in the selector.
PAX will not let me pay a PO
Likely cause: A vendor invoice already exists for the PO.
Safe fix: Change the payment type to invoice and pay the invoice directly.
Contact support if: The PO should not have an invoice or the invoice is incorrect.
Vendor credit is available but cannot be applied
Likely cause: The selected PO or invoice may already be paid, the PO may already have an invoice, the invoice may be in a pending check run, or the credit was already applied elsewhere.
Safe fix: Review the target PO or invoice and the vendor payment history before recording a new payment.
Contact support if: The credit balance is shown but no valid target can receive it.