# Duplicate invoice checks in Sage Intacct for builders

Sage Intacct covers part of duplicate invoice checks on its own. Subcontractors resend claims when payment is slow. A resent claim with a new invoice number looks like a new bill and can be paid twice.

## Why it matters for builders

- Progress claims are numbered and often look the same except for the claim number and amount. Duplicates hide in the small differences.
- Plant hire and bin companies bill weekly with similar amounts, so a repeat charge is easy to miss.

## For builders in Sage Intacct

- Set the duplicate rule in Configure Accounts Payable. Choose Show warning or Do not allow transactions to be created. It applies per vendor, so two vendors can use the same bill number. Keep one vendor record per subcontractor.
- If a vendor bills several projects on one bill, build one Purchasing transaction from several documents instead of keying the same bill number more than once.
- The duplicate setting is configured at the entity level or the top level. It applies to bills and adjustments per vendor. For checks it applies per bank account.
- Adjustments follow the same rule as bills, so a repeated adjustment number for the same vendor is caught.

## What Sage Intacct does on its own

Accounts Payable can warn about or block a repeated bill number for the same vendor, through a setting in Configure Accounts Payable. With the AP Automation add-on, incoming drafts that match an earlier bill are flagged Duplicate.

- The Duplicate flag on drafts needs the AP Automation subscription. The Configure Accounts Payable setting does not.

The check is per vendor only. The same number from two vendors is not caught.

What you need and the setup steps: https://www.pulsify.tech/duplicate-invoice-checks-for-sage-intacct/

## Example

Example Formwork Pty Ltd emails claim 5 as INV-0506 for $22,000 ex GST. Two weeks later they email it again as INV-0507 with the same amount and the same job reference.

- Claim 5, formwork level 4: $22,000.00 (Same supplier, amount and job as an earlier bill)
- GST: $2,200.00 (Matches the earlier bill)
- Invoice number INV-0507 (Different from the first number, so a number-only check misses it)

The check flags a likely duplicate on supplier, amount and job. The second bill goes back to the subcontractor instead of the pay run.

## Common mistakes

- Checking only the invoice number, so a resent claim with a new number gets through.
- Paying a final claim without checking it against progress claims already paid.

## Step-by-step guides for Sage Intacct

- How to stop paying a bill twice in Sage Intacct: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/stop-paying-a-bill-twice-in-sage-intacct/
- How to reconcile a vendor statement to your bill records in Sage Intacct: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/reconcile-a-supplier-statement-in-sage-intacct/

## What Pulsify adds

Pulsify checks every invoice for a duplicate, including bills keyed straight into Sage Intacct, and asks before approval. Pulsify connects to Sage Intacct. We set up the connection for you. More: https://www.pulsify.tech/duplicate-invoice-checker/

## Common questions

### Will Sage Intacct block a subcontractor's bill keyed twice?

It can, if Configure Accounts Payable is set to Do not allow transactions to be created. The test is the same bill number for the same vendor. It does not look at amount or date, so keep one vendor record per subcontractor.

### How do duplicates happen on construction claims?

A subcontractor chases payment and resends the claim under a new invoice number. Or a claim arrives by both email and post. Check supplier, amount, job and date range as well as the invoice number.

### Can Sage Intacct stop a duplicate bill number?

Yes. Set the duplicate numbers option in Configure Accounts Payable to Do not allow transactions to be created. A bill with the same number for the same vendor then cannot be submitted or posted.

## Sources

- https://www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Accounts_Payable/Setup/Configure/field-by-field-configure-ap.htm
- https://www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Construction/commitments/commitments-basics.htm
- https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/compliance-and-regulation/security-of-payment/responding-to-a-payment-claim

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/duplicate-invoice-checks-in-sage-intacct-for-builders/ (last checked 2026-10-19)