Record a purchase in QuickFile for every receipt or supplier invoice your business receives. Once it is saved you can pay it, reconcile it with your bank statement, and use it in your reports and VAT.

You can pay a purchase as you record it, which suits a till receipt, or leave it unpaid and log the payment later.

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Start a new purchase and choose the supplier

1. On your QuickFile Dashboard, click the + button and choose Log a purchase. You can also use Purchases > Enter new purchase.

   

2. Under Supplier Name, start typing and pick an existing supplier from the list. The supplier appears as a yellow tag with a (Modify) link next to Supplier Name.

3. To create a supplier on the spot, click New and type the company name.

The new supplier dialog is called Add a New Supplier. It needs only the Company Name; Supplier Reference is filled in for you. Click Save to create the supplier, and add its other details later from the supplier area.

The purchase form has the supplier on the left, the receipt details on the right, the line items below, and Payment Details at the foot.

Set the Receipt Date and Payment Due date

In the top right of the form, enter the Receipt Date. Payment Due is filled in automatically from the supplier’s payment term, which is the number of days they give you to pay. It is set to the Receipt Date plus that term, and it moves whenever you change the Receipt Date.

To use a different due date, type over Payment Due. You can change the term itself in the supplier’s settings. Dates use the format dd/mm/yyyy.

Receipt Number is filled in automatically (for example QF00028) and can’t be changed. Use Supplier Reference for the supplier’s own invoice number.

Add the items you bought

Each line of the purchase has a Category, a Description and an amount. Choose the category carefully, because it decides where the purchase appears in your reports and in the accounts your accountant prepares.

When you choose a supplier, each line starts with the supplier’s default purchase category, which you can change on any line. The text you type in the first Description also fills Invoice Name.

• Click the green + at the left of a row to add another line below it.
• Drag the blue handle at the left of a row to change the order of the lines.
• Click the red X (Remove row) to remove a line.

The totals under the lines update as you type: Sub Total, VAT, Gross Total, Paid to Date and BALANCE.

Get help choosing a category

1. Click Help me Choose a Category above the line items.

2. Type a description of what you bought, such as computer, and pick a suggestion from the list.

   

3. Check the recommended category and its explanation, then click Update purchase form to use it.

4. If nothing fits, click Can’t find a match?.

The list is a searchable set of common products and services, each with a recommended category. For more advice, see Categorising your purchases. You can also ask on the QuickFile community forum, where accountants and bookkeepers often help.

Log a payment as you record the purchase

If you paid at the time, such as with a till receipt, record the payment on the same form. This keeps the purchase and the payment together.

1. In Payment Details, tick Paid. The Amount is filled in with the full total.
2. Check the Payment Date, which starts as the Receipt Date.
3. Choose the account the money came from in Paid From, and the Method.
4. Add anything useful in Notes.

The payment does not need to cover the whole purchase. Change Amount to part of the total and the stamp changes from PAID IN FULL to PAID IN PART, with the remaining BALANCE shown.

QuickFile creates a matching bank transaction on the account you chose in Paid From. You can log further payments later from the saved purchase.

Save the purchase and view the receipt

1. Click Save Details.
2. A message confirms that the purchase has been saved, for example Purchase #QF00028 has been saved! Use the link in the message to open the purchase receipt.

The purchase page has these buttons:

• Modify to change the purchase.
• Log Payment to record a further payment.
• Print to print the purchase.
• More Options for Credit Note, Make a copy and Show nominal ledger entries.

Further payments are made with Log Payment, and a credit note from a supplier with More Options > Credit Note.

Enter a lot of purchases at once

To enter a whole list of purchases in one go, use bulk purchase entry. See The multi-invoice entry form.

Record a foreign currency purchase

QuickFile supports purchases in other currencies. The currency button, which shows GBP by default, is at the top right of the line items; you can choose EUR, GBP or USD there. Read more in Invoicing in foreign currencies.

Attach the receipt to the purchase

Keep a copy of the original receipt or invoice with the purchase. Scroll down the purchase page to the File Attachments panel, below the purchase and above Recent Events and My Notes.

• To attach a new file, click Browse or drag your file onto the panel.
• To attach a file already in your Document Manager, click the + at the right of the File Attachments heading. In File name, type part of the file’s name and choose the file. The Exclude items already attached to a purchase invoice box is ticked by default.

For more on stored files, see The Document Management Area and Attach files to your invoices.

Related topics

New to QuickFile? Start with Welcome to the Knowledge Base, then try these next:

• Welcome to the Knowledge Base: A guide to finding your way around QuickFile help.
• Add a new supplier: Create a supplier with its payment term and default category.
• Categorising your purchases: Tips on choosing the right category for each purchase.
• The multi-invoice entry form: Enter many purchases or invoices in one go.
• The Receipt Hub: Collect receipts and turn them into purchases.
• How do I record VAT on my purchases if I’m not VAT registered?: What to do with VAT on purchases when you are not VAT registered.
• Search tips - Purchases: Find the purchases you have recorded.