How to Create Vendor Bills in Odoo Accounting?

If you run a business, you probably buy products or services from other companies. When you do, they send you a bill. This bill is called a vendor bill or supplier invoice. To manage these records easily, you can create vendor bills in Odoo 18, which helps track how much you owe and when you need to pay.

Managing these bills is important for keeping your business accounts clear and updated. If you forget to record a vendor bill, your reports may not be accurate.

With Odoo 18 Accounting, you can create vendor bills in just a few easy steps. This feature helps you track what you owe to your suppliers and pay them on time. You can also keep a record of all bills in one place.

In this blog, we will show you how to create vendor bills in Odoo, step by step. Whether you are new to Odoo or just need a quick guide, this post will help you get started.

What You Need Before Creating a Vendor Bill?

Before entering any bill in Odoo 18, you should have a few things ready. This will make the process faster and help avoid errors.

1. Supplier Details

Make sure the supplier (also called a vendor) is already added to your system.

• You can add them through the Contacts or Purchase module.
• Include their name, email, and billing address.

Having correct supplier information is important for managing Odoo 18 accounts payable properly.

2. Purchase Order (If Available)

If you created a purchase order before receiving the bill, Odoo will make things easier for you.

• It will automatically fill in the products, prices, and quantities.
• This is helpful for smooth purchase and billing in Odoo.

3. Access to the Accounting App

To follow this Odoo accounting tutorial, make sure you have access to the Accounting app.

• From there, you’ll find all options related to bills, payments, and reporting.

Once these three things are ready, you can move on and easily create vendor bills in Odoo 18.

Steps to Create a Vendor Bill in Odoo 18

Now that you’re ready, let’s go through the steps to add a vendor invoice in Odoo. This process is simple and can be done in a few clicks.

1. Create vendor bill

• Go to accounting module
• Vendors→bills
• Create vendor bill

2. Add vendor name, products, bill date

• Click confirm

3. Register a payment or click on pay button

• Add journal, payment method, and recipient bank account

4. Create Payment

• After clicking on Create Payment, the status will change to “In Payment”

5. Reconcile the payment

• Now, reconcile the payment with the bill
• Go to accounting dashboard and click on bank transactions

• Add vendor name, price, and vendor bill number
• Match entries and click on validate button

• After validation, the payment status is set to ‘Paid’

6. Print The Bill

• You can simply click the Print button to print the vendor bill

This is how you can easily manage supplier bills in Odoo and keep your books updated.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even though adding a vendor invoice in Odoo is easy, many users make small mistakes that can affect their records. Here are some common issues to watch out for when using Odoo 18 Accounting:

1. Selecting the Wrong Vendor: Make sure you choose the correct supplier from the list. Picking the wrong vendor can lead to confusion later when making payments or checking reports.
2. Forgetting to Add Tax: If your bill includes tax, don’t forget to select the correct tax rate. Missing this step may cause errors in your financial reports and tax returns.
3. Entering the Wrong Dates: Double-check the bill date and due date. These dates are important for tracking payments and cash flow in Odoo 18 Accounting.
4. Skipping the Validation Step: After saving the bill, always click Validate. If you don’t, Odoo won’t treat it as a final record, and it might not show up in reports.
5. Not Reviewing Linked Purchase Orders: If a bill is linked to a purchase order, review the order details. This helps make sure you’re not billed for the wrong items or quantities.

By following this Odoo accounting tutorial, you can avoid common mistakes and keep your business records clean and correct.

Tips for Better Vendor Bill Management

Managing bills properly helps you stay on top of payments and avoid confusion later. Odoo gives you simple tools to organize and track your supplier invoices.

Here are some easy tips to help you manage supplier bills in Odoo more effectively:

1. Use Filters to Track Due Bills

In the Vendor Bills section, use filters like:

• Unpaid bills
• Bills due this month
• Overdue bills

This makes it easy to find what needs attention without checking each record manually.

2. Attach the Original Invoice

You can upload the original PDF or scanned copy of the vendor invoice in Odoo. This way, you always have the bill on hand for reference.

3. Set Reminders for Due Dates

Odoo allows you to track payment due dates. You can set alerts or reminders so you don’t miss a payment and avoid late fees.

4. Keep Vendor Records Updated

Make sure vendor contact details, bank account info, and tax IDs are always correct. This helps avoid issues when recording or paying bills.

5. Review Your Bills Regularly

It’s good practice to check your bills weekly. This ensures all supplier expenses are recorded and matched with your actual purchases.

These small steps can make a big difference when working with Odoo ERP accounting. They help you save time, avoid mistakes, and keep your finances under control.

Conclusion

Keeping track of what you owe your suppliers is an important part of running any business. With the help of Odoo ERP accounting, you can record and manage these bills quickly and easily.

In this Odoo accounting tutorial, we showed you how to add a vendor invoice in Odoo, link it with a purchase order, and avoid common mistakes. We also shared simple tips to help you stay organized and make sure you never miss a payment.

Odoo 18 is built to help businesses of all sizes manage their accounts better. Whether you’re just starting out or handling many vendors, Odoo gives you the tools to work smarter.

Start using these features today and keep your supplier records clean, accurate, and always up to date.

If you need help setting up Odoo or customizing it for your business, our team is here for you. Hire our experienced Odoo experts to get reliable support, smooth implementation, and smart solutions tailored to your needs.