Invoice approval
Detect duplicate invoices before approval
Catch duplicate submissions at invoice intake. Keelstar compares vendor, invoice number, and amount against recent payments before approvers release cash.
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Related: Invoice Approval · Vendor compliance · Invoice three-way match software · Invoice approval automation · Invoice approval software · All solutions
The common problem
Duplicate payments often clear because AP lacks detection at intake. Recovery after pay runs is slow and sometimes impossible.
- Same invoice submitted with slightly different formatting
- No cross-check against recent payments
- Manual review misses duplicates under volume
- Recovery requires vendor cooperation after funds leave
How invoice approval works
Submit
Vendors or internal teams upload invoices with PO and contract references attached to the request.
Route
Approvals follow your rules by amount, department, or vendor so the right owner signs off before payment.
Record
Every approval, rejection, and comment is stored for AP audits and dispute resolution.
Benefits
- Clear approval chains without email forwarding
- Visibility into overdue approvals blocking payment
- Evidence for SOX and internal control reviews
- Ties invoices to vendor compliance status
Detection
Flag duplicates at invoice intake
Keelstar compares new invoices against recent submissions and payments for matching vendor, number, and amount patterns.
Prevention
Hold duplicates before approval
Suspected duplicates route to AP review with side-by-side comparison before any approver releases payment.
- Invoice number and amount matching
- Vendor-level duplicate history
- Hold queue for AP review
Audit trail
Document duplicate resolution
Export duplicate detection logs showing what was flagged, reviewed, and rejected or approved with rationale.
Who it's for
- AP managers reducing duplicate payment risk
- Controllers strengthening disbursement controls
- Shared services AP with high invoice volume
- Audit teams reviewing payment integrity
What good looks like
- Duplicates flagged before approval routing
- AP review queue for suspected duplicates
- Match logic covers number, vendor, and amount
- Resolution documented with timestamp
- Duplicate detection log exports for audit
Need a tracked version? Set up a vendor portal, vendor onboarding workflow, or browse all solution guides.
FAQ
Vendor, invoice number, amount, and date patterns against recent submissions and payments.
Yes. AP reviewers approve documented resubmissions with audit trail.
Keelstar matches on extracted invoice metadata at intake.
Duplicate detection runs at intake; three-way match validates PO alignment before approval.
Keelstar covers W-9, COI, OIG screening, contracts, invoices, and policies on shared vendor records.