Invoice Policies Overview
The Invoice Policies page is the Approval Routing configuration page in Emburse AP. Users who are assigned the Manage AP Settings permission can define how invoices move through approvers before payment. You can configure global workflow options and create rules that route invoices to specific approvers based on Amount, GL Code, Custom Fields, and any additional filter types shown in your environment.
This page is available to users with Emburse AP access who are assigned the Manage AP Settings permission.
Access
- Select the System Configuration gear icon in the top-right corner.
- Select Accounts Payable > Invoice Policies.
- On the Approval Routing page, configure Invoice Approval Routing.
Approval Routing Settings
The Approval Routing panel contains two global toggles that apply to all invoices before routing rules are evaluated. Review each toggle and its impact before making changes.
| Toggle | Behavior when turned on |
|---|---|
| Always assign invoices to the submitter's manager before applying approval rules | Invoices first route to the submitter's manager when a manager is available, before any approval rules are applied. |
| Require final admin approval | After all routing rules are satisfied, invoices route to the admin queue for a final approval step before payment. |
Approval Routing Rules
Rules display below the global toggles in the Approval Routing panel. Each rule routes invoices that match a specific condition to a designated approver or group. Rules are evaluated in the order they display in the list.
Select + ADD to create a new rule. The following filter dimensions are available when building a rule.
| Filter dimension | Description |
|---|---|
| Amount | Routes invoices that exceed a specified dollar threshold to a designated approver. |
| GL Code | Routes invoices associated with a specific General Ledger code to a designated approver. |
| Custom Fields | Routes invoices associated with a specific custom field to a designated approver, for example, Department or Location. |
| Approver | Routes invoices based on the approver selected in the rule. |
If additional filter dimensions are visible in your Approval Routing list, you can select them during rule creation and manage them the same way as Amount, GL Code, Department, and Approver filters.
Assign Approvers to a Rule
When you create or edit a rule, open the Create an Invoice Approval Route dialog and assign approvers.
- Select + ADD to create a rule, or select the Edit (pencil) icon for an existing rule.
- In Approvers, select one or more approvers.
- Set rule criteria in Amount, GL Code, and Custom Fields as needed. To add a custom-field condition, select + ADD INVOICE FIELD.
- Select Preview Rule to review the route before you finalize it.
- Select CREATE RULE.
Rule Management
Use the controls on each rule row to manage existing rules.
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
| Drag handle (dotted grid icon) | Drag a rule row up or down to change the order in which rules are evaluated. |
| Edit (pencil icon) | Opens the rule for editing. You can update the filter condition and the assigned approver. |
| Delete (trash icon) | Permanently removes the rule. This action cannot be undone. |
Rule order affects which approver receives an invoice when multiple rules could apply. Review rule priority carefully before saving changes.
Example: An invoice for $8,500 with the Department set to IT can match both of these rules:
- Rule 1: Amount greater than $5,000 routes to Finance Manager.
- Rule 2: Department equals IT routes to IT Director.
If Rule 1 displays above Rule 2, the invoice routes to Finance Manager first. If Rule 2 displays above Rule 1, the invoice routes to IT Director first.