When you import a purchase or sales invoice into Banqup, it may need a validation step before it is ready to be paid and forwarded to your accountant and integrations. This step ensures the invoice meets the European e-invoicing standard. This article explains how to check, complete, and approve your imported invoices.
Good to know: correctly formatted e-invoices (Peppol/UBL) are validated automatically by Banqup, so they skip the manual validation step described in this article. Approving an invoice (the business decision that it is correct and can be paid) is a separate step, and it happens automatically only for suppliers you've marked as Trusted. This article covers PDF and scanned invoices, which go through OCR and need manual validation.
Why some invoices need validation
Banqup treats imported invoices differently depending on their format:
E-invoices (Peppol/UBL): the invoice is automatically validated when its structured data is compliant with the European standard (EN 16931), so it skips the manual validation step below. If the supplier is marked as Trusted, the invoice is then approved automatically; its general status then follows its payment status (usually Unpaid, or Fully paid if it was already paid). Otherwise it waits for you to approve it. A non-compliant e-invoice does not enter your invoice list at all: it goes to your Inbox.
PDF or scanned invoices: the data is extracted by OCR (Optical Character Recognition). OCR may miss some fields or misread others. The invoice is marked Awaiting validation and needs a manual check before it can move forward.
The validation step has two goals:
Confirm the accuracy of the data extracted by OCR.
Complete the required fields so the invoice can be converted into a compliant e-invoice.
Once approved, the invoice is converted to a compliant e-invoice and can no longer be modified.
Validate an invoice awaiting validation
To move an invoice from Awaiting validation to Unpaid:
Go to Purchase Invoices or Sales Invoices.
Open the In review tab to see invoices marked Awaiting validation.
Double-click the invoice you want to validate to open the validation view.
Check the OCR-prefilled fields: supplier, invoice number, issue date, due date, net amount, VAT, gross amount, currency, and so on.
Fix any wrong fields and fill in any missing ones. Fields required by the e-invoicing standard are flagged.
Save or Approve: know the difference
Two actions are available, and they don't do the same thing.
Save
The Save button records your edits but leaves the invoice in Awaiting validation. Use it when:
You're waiting on a missing piece of information (for example a referenced purchase order).
You want to resume the work later.
You want a colleague to take a look before the final step.
As long as the invoice is saved but not approved, you can still modify it.
Approve
The Approve button finalises the invoice. At that moment:
All entered data is committed.
Banqup converts the invoice to a compliant e-invoice.
The invoice moves to Unpaid (general status) and Fully approved (document status).
If you have any document-export integrations active, the invoice is automatically sent to them.
Heads up: approval is irreversible. After approval, the invoice can no longer be edited. Double-check all data before clicking Approve.
What this means for your accountant and integrations
When you approve an invoice in your Business Space, the status change is visible immediately to your accountant in their Partner Space: the invoice moves from Client action needed to Ready to process. To understand how each action on your side affects what your accountant sees and what is sent to your integrations, read Understanding the document flow between your business, your accountant, and your integrations.
Frequently asked questions
Can a received e-invoice ever show up as "Awaiting validation"?
Almost never. Correctly formatted e-invoices (Peppol/UBL) are validated automatically, so an invoice you see in Awaiting validation was usually imported as a PDF or scan. There is one exception: a self-billed document that is missing its self-billing mandate opens in a read-only view with the status Awaiting validation. See Self-billing in Banqup. A non-compliant e-invoice does not appear in your Purchase Invoices or Sales Invoices list at all; it lands in your Inbox.
What happens if I click Approve while required fields are missing?
Banqup blocks the approval and flags the missing fields. You'll need to fill them in before approval is possible.
Can I edit an invoice after I've approved it?
No. Once approved, the invoice has become a compliant e-invoice and can no longer be edited. If you spot a mistake after approval, you'll need to handle the correction with your supplier (credit note, new invoice).
What if OCR misread most of the fields?
Fix the fields manually as described in Validate an invoice awaiting validation above.
Are invoices sent to my integrations before or after approval?
After. Only approved invoices are exported to your active integrations. E-invoices from suppliers you've marked as Trusted are approved automatically, so they are exported automatically too. Other e-invoices are exported once you approve them. A saved-but-not-approved invoice stays internal to Banqup.