# How to set up purchase invoice approval in Sage 200

In Sage 200, set up authorisation: choose who can approve and their limits, then test it with a real purchase invoice before you rely on it.

Bill approval means a bill is checked and signed off by the right person before it is paid. A setup says who approves what.

## Before you start

- Sage 200 Purchase Ledger
- Invoice authorisation turned on in Purchase Ledger settings (Processing tab)

## The Sage 200 way

Where to find it: Purchase Ledger > Enter Transactions > Authorisation

1. Turn on Invoice authorisation on the Processing tab of Purchase Ledger settings and set the value above which it applies.
2. Mark the invoice Requires Authorisation when entering it. It gets the query flag U and posts to the Unauthorised purchases nominal (or suspense).
3. Authorise: Purchase Ledger > Enter Transactions > Authorisation, pick a single supplier or a range, select the transactions and click Authorise.
4. Postings reverse from the unauthorised account to the real nominal accounts.

## Limits in Sage 200

- An unauthorised invoice cannot be paid or allocated.
- Purchase order authorisation (rules by value and originator) is a separate process.
- Authorisation is one level: no multi-step chain was described for invoices.

## The Pulsify way

1. Connect Sage 200 to Pulsify. We set up the connection for you where needed.
2. Open Approvals. Every company starts with a default rule: any Admin or Approver can approve.
3. Add steps for amounts, suppliers or accounts. Choose a person, a role or a team as approver at each step.
4. Add a review step if someone should check coding before approval.
5. Use Try an invoice to test the rule on a real bill.
6. Add auto-approve rules for small or trusted bills if you want.

Pulsify connects to Sage 200. We set up the connection for you.

What Pulsify does not do here:

- Pulsify does not reassign an approval to someone else.
- Pulsify does not send approval reminders.

## Common mistakes

- Expecting a multi-step approval chain for invoices, when only one level was described.
- Forgetting that purchase order authorisation is separate from invoice authorisation.

## Common questions

### How do I turn on invoice authorisation?

Turn on Invoice authorisation on the Processing tab of Purchase Ledger settings and set the value above which it applies. Then mark the invoice Requires Authorisation when you enter it.

### Where does an unauthorised invoice post?

It gets the query flag U and posts to the Unauthorised purchases nominal (or suspense). Authorising reverses the postings to the real nominal accounts.

### Can I pay an invoice before it is authorised?

No. An unauthorised invoice cannot be paid or allocated. Authorisation is one level for invoices, and purchase order authorisation is a separate process.

### Does Pulsify support multi-step approvals?

Yes. You can set steps by amount, supplier or account. Approvers can be people, roles or teams. A review step is available.

## Sources

- http://desktophelp.sage.co.uk/sage200/professional/Content/PL/AuthoriseSupplierTransaction.htm

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/set-up-bill-approval-in-sage-200/ (last checked 2026-10-19)