Bill Payments / Invoice Scanner

Farm Focus makes paying the bills on the 20^th a quick and simple process using Bill Payments. This allows you to export a file containing all your invoices due for payment from Farm Focus to import into your online banking.

The first step of the process is to send your invoices into Farm Focus through Invoice Scanner (or manually enter). If you are not already using Invoice Scanner you can set this up by going to >Settings, >Connectors, and click Connect invoice scanner. You will then be given an email address unique to your database (farmname@scan2focus.co.nz) and you can forward your invoices received by email directly into your database, or scan and email any paper copies.

The invoice scanner converts the information from the PDF invoice into data that arrives in Farm Focus ready for coding, with the original pdf copy attached.

To use Bill Payments, the other parties’ bank account number must be saved against the contact. This can be done from within the invoice by clicking Edit next to the contact or Add new if they are not already there. The account number can be copy and pasted from the pdf then saved, so only needs to be done once.

Tip: Make sure the other party has been selected from the list and the bank information has been saved to ensure the invoice is ready to go to the bank.

Once all your invoices are ready it is time to create the file by first clicking the Bill payments tab at the top of the Needs Action screen.

1. Then ensure you have selected the correct bank account from the dropdown menu at the top left hand side of the screen.

Tip: If you have multiple invoices for the same other party you can choose to merge these so all invoices will be paid in one transaction. Just check the box Merge payments with the same Other Party at the top of the screen.

2. Select the invoices you want to pay by ticking the boxes down the left hand side.
3. Once you have selected all the invoices you wish to pay, click Create new batch and select the date you would like these to be paid.

The draft batch is now created.

1. You will see at the bottom the total value of the file.

Tip: This is really useful if you have a banking product such as ANZ’s Flexi facility or BNZ’s CARL loan as you will know the exact value of your bill payments and can transfer funds accordingly.

2. Your expected bank balance after the file has been paid is also shown at the bottom.
3. If necessary, create a pdf of the file to email or print to review or share with your team prior to exporting by clicking Print.
4. Remove individual invoices from the batch by clicking the three dots on the right-hand side of the invoice.
5. Delete the entire batch by clicking the Remove button (and recreate if need be).
6. Once you are happy with the batch, click Export batch file.

You can now simply log into your internet banking and upload the file to pay all your bills.