SAGE 300 CRE · CONSTRUCTION

Invoice approvals in Sage 300 CRE for builders

Short answer

Sage 300 CRE covers part of invoice approvals on its own. Payment claims under security of payment laws run on short clocks. In NSW a respondent has at most 10 business days to give a payment schedule, so a claim stuck in a site manager's inbox can become a debt you owe in full.

Last checked

Why it matters for builders

  • Approvers are on site. Approval has to work from a phone, and it needs a named backup when the project manager is on leave.
  • The right approver depends on the job. A site supervisor can confirm work is done, but the project manager or director usually signs the dollar value.

For builders in Sage 300 CRE

  • Hold payment while paperwork is outstanding. In Select Invoices to Pay choose the vendor and click Hold for current invoices. Use Other > Hold Vendor to hold current and future invoices. Release when ready.
  • Sage Paperless Construction is a partner add-on. It routes invoices with rules based on GL account, vendor, job or other index value, in linear, looped or index based order.

What Sage 300 CRE does on its own

Sage 300 CRE has an Approval System switch in AP Settings. Invoices are entered as pending and do not reach the GL or job cost until approved and posted. Approvers use Tasks > Approve Invoices. It is one approval step with no routing by amount.

  • One built-in approval step; no routing rules.

Invoices must be approved before they can be paid. Pending Invoices alone only hold invoices that are not fully coded.

What you need and the setup steps: Invoice approvals for Sage 300 CRE.

Example

Example Electrical Pty Ltd sends a progress claim of $41,800 ex GST for job 188. The project manager is on leave and the claim arrived 6 business days ago. In NSW the builder has 10 business days to give a payment schedule.

LineAmountWhat the check finds
Progress claim 4, level 3 fit-out$38,000.00Supervisor confirmed 80% of work complete on site
Approved variation VO-12$3,800.00Variation signed by client, needs project manager sign-off
GST$4,180.0010% of $41,800

Only 4 business days are left. Someone else with sign-off authority for the job, set up before the leave started, approves the claim in time.

Common mistakes

  • Sending every claim to one project manager with no backup, so claims sit during leave.
  • Letting a supervisor approve the dollar value when they can only confirm the work.

Step-by-step guides for Sage 300 CRE

What Pulsify adds

Pulsify adds approval steps by vendor, amount, account or job, with approve, reject or send back from a phone. Pulsify connects to Sage 300 CRE. We set up the connection for you. More about invoice approvals in Pulsify or Pulsify for builders.

More help

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-19.

Common questions

Can Sage 300 CRE route a subcontractor invoice to the project manager for the job?

Not in base Accounts Payable, which has one approval step. Sage Paperless Construction, a partner add-on, can route invoices by GL account, vendor, job or other index value, in set sequences.

How should a builder set approval limits?

Split by role. Supervisors confirm work done on site, project managers approve the claim value up to a limit and directors approve above it. Add a backup approver for each project manager so leave does not stall payment.

Does Sage 300 CRE have invoice approval?

Yes, one step. Switch on the Approval System in AP Settings, set Authorization Codes and approve in Tasks > Approve Invoices. Invoices must be approved before payment.

Pulsify setup guides

Want this done for you?

Book a call to see how Pulsify handles invoice approvals in Sage 300 CRE for builders.

Start free trial Book a call