How to Submit an Invoice in Tipalti: Supplier Guide

To submit an invoice in Tipalti, open the payer-specific supplier portal from the invitation your customer sent, finish any required legal, tax, and payment onboarding, open the invoice or bills section, choose the action to add an invoice, enter the invoice number, dates, amount, currency, PO reference, and line details, attach the matching invoice PDF, then submit. Track the invoice in the same payer portal and resolve any profile, matching, approval, or payment hold shown there.

Tipalti portals are branded and configured by the payer, so labels and required fields can differ. Use the exact portal link and instructions from your customer. Do not assume a supplier login for one payer automatically exposes another payer's account. For the universal pre-submission checklist, see the procurement portal invoice submission guide.

Complete supplier onboarding before invoicing

Tipalti combines supplier onboarding, tax documentation, payment-method selection, invoice intake, approvals, and payment status. That means an invoice can be complete while the supplier account is not. Finish onboarding early rather than waiting until the invoice due date.

1. Use the payer-specific invitation. Verify the payer name and portal domain from the invitation. Bookmark the confirmed portal rather than searching for a generic login later.
2. Enter your legal identity exactly. Use the company name and address that appear on tax records and invoices. If you invoice through more than one legal entity, confirm which entity the payer onboarded.
3. Complete tax documentation. The portal may request a W-9, W-8 series form, VAT or local tax details, or other country-specific declarations. Answer based on your entity and seek tax advice when unsure.
4. Select and verify the payment method. Availability depends on payer settings, supplier country, and currency. Enter bank or payment-account information only inside the authenticated workflow.
5. Finish verification and approvals. Check for pending validation, missing fields, expired forms, or payer review. A profile that is saved but not approved can still block payment.
6. Record the support route. Know whether supplier questions go to Tipalti support, the payer's AP team, or both. The payer usually owns invoice approval and PO questions.

Protect against payment-detail fraud: navigate from the known payer invitation, use multi-factor authentication where available, and verify any unexpected bank-change request through a separate contact channel.

How to submit an invoice in Tipalti step by step

1. Open the correct payer portal. Confirm the payer name, supplier legal entity, and currency before creating the invoice.
2. Go to the invoice or bills area. Choose the action to add, create, or upload an invoice. Exact labels vary by payer configuration.
3. Enter the invoice number. Copy the unique number from your accounting system. Do not use the PO number as the invoice number.
4. Enter the invoice date and due date. Use the date on the final invoice and payment terms agreed with the payer. The portal or payer may calculate the due date.
5. Select currency and enter totals. Make the subtotal, tax, credits, and total agree with the PDF. Do not convert currency unless the payer instructed you to invoice in a different currency.
6. Add the PO and requester. Enter the purchase order exactly. If non-PO invoices are allowed, include the payer contact, department, project, or cost center required for routing.
7. Enter or confirm line details. Match descriptions, quantities, unit prices, service periods, and tax treatment to the PO and delivered work. Invoice only the accepted portion of a partial order.
8. Attach the final invoice and evidence. Add the matching PDF plus timesheets, proof of delivery, service acceptance, or other payer-required documents.
9. Review and submit. Compare the portal record with the PO and PDF. Save the Tipalti invoice ID or confirmation and the submission date.

If the payer uses invoice capture from email rather than supplier entry, follow its exact AP address and formatting instructions. Do not also upload the same invoice unless AP requests it.

PO-backed and non-PO invoices

A PO-backed invoice should match the order's legal entity, currency, lines, quantities, prices, tax treatment, and remaining uninvoiced balance. If the PO is wrong, ask the payer to amend it. Changing the invoice to fit a stale PO can create a contract and reconciliation problem later.

Some payers permit non-PO invoices, but these need enough routing context to find an approver. Include the payer contact, department, project, and business purpose requested by the customer. Non-PO approval is usually slower because the workflow cannot match automatically.

Understanding Tipalti invoice and payment status

Exact labels vary. Keep invoice approval separate from supplier-account eligibility and payment execution. An approved invoice can still be held by expired tax documentation or an unverified payment method.

Common Tipalti rejection and delay causes

• Onboarding incomplete: legal identity, address, tax details, or payer-required questionnaires are missing.
• Tax form invalid or expired: the requested form is incomplete, inconsistent with the legal entity, or needs renewal.
• Payment method not verified: bank or payment-account details are pending validation or do not support the selected country or currency.
• Duplicate invoice number: the number already exists for the payer, including a prior failed attempt.
• PO mismatch: wrong PO, closed PO, price or quantity variance, wrong currency, or insufficient remaining balance.
• Missing receipt or approver: goods, service entry, or the responsible requester has not been recorded.
• Portal data and PDF disagree: invoice number, date, tax, or total differs from the attachment.
• Missing supporting document: the payer requires timesheets, acceptance, or delivery evidence.
• Compliance review: sanctions, banking, tax, fraud, or payer-specific controls require additional review.
• Payment cycle timing: the invoice was approved after the payer's cutoff and moved to the next payment run.

Troubleshooting Tipalti invoice submission

You cannot access the portal

Start from the payer's invitation and verify the email address used for onboarding. Ask payer AP to resend the invitation or confirm whether a different supplier administrator owns the account. Avoid entering credentials on a portal reached only through search.

The invoice section is unavailable

Finish all required onboarding tasks and check whether the payer enabled supplier invoice entry. Some payers use email capture or another intake method even though Tipalti manages payment.

The invoice is on hold

Open the hold reason and classify it: supplier profile, tax, payment method, PO, receipt, duplicate, attachment, or approval. Profile and payment issues may require portal action; PO and approval issues usually require payer AP or the requester.

The invoice was rejected

Compare the reason with the PDF and PO before creating a replacement. Correct the supplier record or invoice if your data is wrong. Ask the payer to amend the PO or receipt when theirs is wrong. Follow the payer's rule on whether the corrected submission needs a new invoice number.

The invoice is approved but not paid

Confirm the payment-run date, payment method, currency, tax-profile status, and any compliance hold. Ask for remittance when payment is issued, then allow for the delivery time of the chosen rail.

The paid amount differs from the invoice

Review remittance for tax withholding, fees, credit offsets, currency conversion, or partial payment. Ask payer AP for the reason code and preserve the remittance with the invoice record.

Supplier security and bank-detail changes

Supplier portals are a frequent target for payment-diversion fraud. Use a shared finance-owned admin, strong unique credentials, and multi-factor authentication. Restrict who can change payment details. When the payer or platform reports a bank change, verify it through an established AP contact—not through the same email thread that requested the change. Keep an audit record of profile and payment-method updates.

Related portal procedures

If another customer uses a different platform, follow its workflow instead: Coupa invoice submission, SAP Ariba invoice submission, or BILL invoice submission. The category guide provides one cross-platform checklist.

When to automate Tipalti and other portal submissions

Tipalti's supplier workflow is manageable for occasional invoices. The work compounds when one AR team has many payers across Tipalti, Coupa, Ariba, BILL, and custom portals. LedgerUp procurement portal automation matches invoices to POs, submits through payer-required workflows, monitors status, and surfaces exceptions. See the procurement portal documentation for workflow and setup details.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a separate Tipalti account for every payer?

Tipalti supplier access is payer-specific. Use the invitation and portal link each payer provides, and do not assume one payer relationship automatically appears in another portal experience.

Can I submit an invoice before onboarding is complete?

The portal may let you save information, but incomplete legal, tax, or payment onboarding can block submission or payment. Complete and verify the profile as early as possible.

Why does Tipalti ask for tax forms?

Payers use supplier tax information for reporting and withholding obligations. The required form depends on your legal entity, country, and payer setup. Provide accurate information and consult a tax professional when uncertain.

Can I email a Tipalti invoice?

Only if the payer gives you an approved invoice email or explicitly instructs you to use email capture. Otherwise submit through the payer's supplier portal. Avoid sending the same invoice through both methods.

Why is my Tipalti invoice on hold?

Common causes are incomplete onboarding, invalid tax documentation, unverified payment details, a PO mismatch, missing receipt or approver, duplicate invoice number, missing attachment, or compliance review. The hold reason determines whether you or payer AP must act.

How do I update bank details in Tipalti?

Use the authenticated supplier portal and the payer's approved verification process. Never send full bank credentials by ordinary email. Expect re-verification or a temporary hold after a change.

How do I know when a Tipalti invoice will be paid?

Look for approved, scheduled, processing, or paid status and the expected payment date where shared. If only approval is visible, ask payer AP about the next payment run and any account hold.

What should I do if the payment amount is short?

Review remittance for withholding, fees, credits, currency conversion, or partial payment. Ask payer AP for the deduction reason and decide whether to accept it, issue a credit, or collect the remaining balance.