> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.dash.fi/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create a bill > Create, submit, and pay a vendor bill in Dash.fi. ## Before you start The vendor must exist in Dash.fi before you can create a bill. See [Manage vendors](/vendors/manage-vendors) if you need to add one first. For ACH payments, the vendor also needs a bank account on file. ## Step 1: Create the bill Go to **Bill Pay** in the left-hand menu and click **New Bill**. You can create a bill four ways: **Upload an invoice** — upload a PDF or image of the invoice. Dash.fi's AI reads the document and prefills the vendor, invoice number, currency, invoice date, due date, total amount, and line items. Review each field and correct anything the AI read incorrectly. The original file is stored with the bill. **Create manually** — fill in each field directly: vendor, invoice number, currency, invoice date, due date, total amount, and line items. **Forward an email** — forward a vendor invoice to your dedicated `@invoices.dash.fi` address. Each attachment becomes a draft bill, with the file stored on the bill and the AI prefill applied automatically. See [Email inbox](/bill-pay/email-inbox) for how to set up the address and track what's been received. **Bulk import via drag-and-drop** — drop multiple invoice files anywhere on the Bill Pay page to create a draft bill for each file in one batch. See [Bulk import invoices](#bulk-import-invoices) below. ## Step 2: Add line items Each bill supports multiple line items. For each line item, enter: * Description * Amount * Spend category (used for accounting platform mapping) Line items let you split a single invoice across different GL accounts when the bill syncs to your accounting platform. ## Step 3: Set the payment details **Payment method** — choose how the vendor will be paid. Methods are shown as a 2x2 card grid; each card displays its eligibility state and, for cash advance, a fee chip with the current rate. | Method | How it works | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **ACH** | Pay directly from a Dash.fi financial account (e.g. Dash Cash) or a connected bank account. | | **Cash advance** | Draw against your credit line to fund the bill. Select a repayment term (typically 30, 60, or 90 days); Dash.fi shows the fee on the card before you confirm. Requires an active credit line with enough available limit to cover the bill total. See [Cash advance](/payments/cash-advance) for details. | | **Single-use card** | Generates a virtual card and emails it to the vendor — no bank account required. The card name and recipient email auto-fill from the vendor record. Optionally select a card type (Advertising, Shipping, Plastiq, or General). See [Payment options](/bill-pay/payments) for details. | | **Off-platform** | Records and tracks the bill without moving funds through Dash.fi — use for wires, cheques, or other payments settled externally. | Cash advance only appears in the grid if your account is eligible. If you've applied but aren't approved yet, the card shows as **Pending**. If you don't see the option, contact [support@dash.fi](mailto:support@dash.fi) to check eligibility. * **Scheduled payment date** — the date you want the payment to execute * **Remittance notifications** — optionally add email recipients to notify when payment completes ## Step 4: Attach supporting documents You can attach additional files alongside the invoice at any point while the bill is in draft, submitted, or returned status. All attachments sync to your accounting platform with the bill. ## Step 5: Submit Click **Submit**. Dash.fi validates the bill before allowing submission: * All required fields are present * The vendor is active * The payment route is valid If validation passes, the bill moves to your approval policy for evaluation. ## Step 6: Approval Your bill pay approval policy determines what happens next: * **Auto-approved** — the bill meets the policy criteria and proceeds directly to payment scheduling * **Routed for review** — an approver receives the bill and can approve, decline, or return it for revision If returned, you'll receive the bill back with notes. Make the requested changes and resubmit. ## Step 7: Payment Once approved, Dash.fi schedules the payment for the date you specified. If you configured remittance notifications, recipients receive a confirmation email when payment completes. ACH payments execute on the scheduled date and typically arrive within 1–3 business days. Single-use card payments are processed when the vendor charges the card. Off-platform bills are marked paid when you confirm the external payment. See [Payment options](/bill-pay/payments) for scheduling rules, cut-off times, and how to cancel or retry a payment. ## Accounting sync After payment completes, Dash.fi automatically syncs the bill and payment record to your connected accounting platform (QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, or Sage Intacct). Line items map to GL accounts via your category mappings. Attached documents upload as attachments in the accounting system. Sync status is visible on each bill. You can trigger a manual re-sync if needed. ## Bulk import invoices When you have several invoices to process, drag-and-drop bulk import creates draft bills for an entire batch at once. Each file runs through the same AI invoice capture as a single-file upload, so every dropped file becomes a draft bill with the vendor, dates, totals, and line items prefilled. **How to use it:** 1. Open **Bill Pay**. 2. Drag invoice files from your file manager onto the page. A full-page overlay appears with **Drop invoices to import** and the per-batch limit. 3. Drop the files. The overlay switches to **Importing N invoices…** while the batch runs. 4. When the batch finishes, a summary toast reports the result and includes a **View drafts** action to jump to the **Drafts** tab. You can also select multiple files at once from the **New Bill → Upload an invoice** picker — Dash.fi runs the same bulk import flow when you select more than one file. **Supported formats and limits:** * Accepted file types: PDF, PNG, JPG, and WEBP. * Up to 25 files per batch (the drop overlay shows the limit). * Each file must be within your workspace's per-file upload size limit. **Results and error handling:** * Successful imports appear as drafts in the **Drafts** tab. Open each one to review the AI-prefilled fields before submitting. * If some files fail, the summary toast persists until you dismiss it and groups failures by reason (for example, *Unsupported file type*, *File too large*, or *Couldn't be uploaded*) with the affected filenames listed under each reason. * If you drop more files than the per-batch limit, Dash.fi rejects the whole batch and creates no drafts — remove some files and try again. * A successful all-files batch auto-dismisses the toast. ## FAQ Yes. Invoice upload is an optional shortcut that prefills the bill from the document — you can fill in all fields manually instead. Not directly. If a bill needs changes after submission, an approver can return it to you. Once returned, you can edit and resubmit. Approved bills can't be edited. Use the off-platform payment method. The bill is tracked and syncs to accounting, but no funds move through Dash.fi. Useful for wires, cheques, or any payment settled externally. Yes. **Cash advance** is a top-level option in the payment method grid alongside ACH, single-use card, and off-platform — you no longer select it from inside the ACH funding source selector. Select the Cash advance card, select a repayment term, and confirm. The advance covers the bill total, and Dash.fi shows the fee on the card and again at confirmation. See [Cash advance](/payments/cash-advance) for details. Only if your approval policy requires it. If your policy auto-approves bill payments, bills proceed directly to payment on submission.