Both fields sit at the top of a bill in Bills to Pay, and both are optional. They hold two different numbers that link the bill to other paperwork:
- Reference # is the supplier's own number for the bill, usually the invoice number on the invoice they sent you. Enter it so you can find the bill when the supplier asks about their invoice.
- Purchase Order # is the number from your own purchase order system: the order you gave the supplier before they delivered the goods or service.
Each takes up to 100 characters. Administrators and Finance Managers can fill them in when they create or edit a bill. See getting started with bills.
Where each number shows
Place | Reference # | Purchase Order # |
|---|---|---|
The bill's page in Avaza | Yes, as Reference # | Yes, as PO Number |
The Bills to Pay list | Reference # column | PO # column |
Search on Bills to Pay | Yes | Yes |
The Bills tab on the supplier's company page | Reference # column | No |
The bill's PDF and Web View | No | Yes, when filled in |
Because the PDF and web view are what your supplier sees, only the PO number appears there. To change its label, edit the bill template in Settings › Invoice & Bill Settings, under Bill Templates: on the Layout tab, open Override Bill Labels › Header and change PO Number. See invoice and bill settings.
Good to know
- Avoid entering a bill twice. Avaza doesn't check whether a Reference # is already in use. Before you enter a supplier invoice you might have recorded already, set the status filter on Bills to Pay to All and search for its number. The search only covers the status you've chosen.
- Xero. The Xero integration doesn't send the Reference # to Xero. The bill arrives there with Avaza's own bill number, unless Automatic Bill Number is ticked in the integration's settings. See the Xero integration.
- Payments have their own reference. The Reference # in the Record Payment window belongs to the payment, such as a bank transfer number. It isn't the bill's Reference #.