---
title: "How do I add a bill to Cleo Pay?"
description: "Go to Pay and click New Invoice. Drop the vendor's invoice into the Import invoice box and Cleo Pay fills in the form for you, or type the details in yourself. Pick the vendor, check the fields and click Submit."
url: https://cleo-pay.com/help/add-a-bill
category: "Bills and approvals"
audience: [business]
updated: 2026-10-22
support: support@cleo-pay.com
---

# How do I add a bill to Cleo Pay?

> Go to Pay and click New Invoice. Drop the vendor's invoice into the Import invoice box and Cleo Pay fills in the form for you, or type the details in yourself. Pick the vendor, check the fields and click Submit.

To add a bill, click **Pay** in the sidebar, then **New Invoice**. You can drop the vendor's invoice file onto the form and Cleo Pay reads it and fills in the fields, or you can type everything in yourself. Either way, you check the details, pick the vendor and click **Submit**.

There are three ways to get a bill in:

- Upload the invoice file on the New Invoice form (this article).
- Forward the vendor's email to your Cleo Pay inbox address. See [Forward invoices to your Cleo Pay inbox](https://cleo-pay.com/help/forward-invoices-to-your-cleo-pay-inbox).
- Import many bills at once from a spreadsheet. See [Import bills in bulk](https://cleo-pay.com/help/import-bills-in-bulk).

## Upload an invoice

1. Click **Pay** in the sidebar.
2. Click **New Invoice**. On a phone it's the plus button at the top of the page.
3. Drag the invoice onto the **Import invoice** box at the top of the form, or click the box to pick a file.
4. Wait while Cleo Pay reads it. A panel opens and shows each stage: "Analyzing document", "Extracting invoice fields", "Populating form" and "Mapping categories".
5. Check every field it filled in (see below), then click **Submit**.

| Upload rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| File types | PDF, JPG or PNG |
| Size | 5MB per file |
| Files at once | Up to 50 |

Every file you drop is attached to the same bill. If an invoice runs over several pages saved as separate files, drop them all together. To add separate invoices as separate bills, start a new invoice for each one, or use the email inbox or the spreadsheet import.

If the fields come out wrong, click **Re-analyze this bill** above the line items. It reads the attached files again and rebuilds every field on the bill.

## Type a bill in by hand

Skip the Import invoice box and fill in the form yourself:

- **Contact**: the vendor you're paying. You need one to submit the bill.
- **Number**: the vendor's invoice number.
- **Issue Date** and **Due Date**.
- **Priority** (optional).
- Line items: add one row per charge with **Add item**.

You can also add **Tags** and **Notes**, and open **Expenses**, **Deductions** or **Attachments** from the links under the line items. Some of these fields only show if your admin has them turned on for your account.

## Check what Cleo Pay filled in

Look over what Cleo Pay filled in before you submit:

- The vendor. Make sure the right contact is selected.
- The invoice number, issue date and due date.
- The line items and the total at the bottom of the form.

If the line items don't add up to the total printed on the invoice, you'll see "Total doesn't match the invoice". A page, charge or discount may be missing. Fix the lines before you submit.

## If the vendor isn't in your contacts yet

When Cleo Pay finds a vendor on the invoice that doesn't match any of your contacts, it shows "New vendor found" next to the **Contact** field with the name, email, phone and address it read. You have two choices:

- **Save as contact** adds the vendor with those details, and you manage their payment details yourself.
- **Invite as connection** emails the vendor an invite so they can add their own bank details.

If you close that box, click **Suggested vendor** to bring it back. You can also pick any existing contact from the **Contact** field instead. See [Add or invite a vendor](https://cleo-pay.com/help/add-or-invite-a-vendor).

## Save a draft and finish later

Click **Save as Draft** to keep a bill without submitting it. A draft doesn't need a vendor or an amount yet. Drafts sit in the **Draft** tab on the Pay page, along with bills that came in by email.

To finish a draft, open it from the **Draft** tab and click **Accept**. If the bill came from an unknown sender, you'll see "Vendor not mapped" and you'll need to pick the vendor before you click **Accept Invoice**.

## What happens after you submit

You'll see "Invoice created successfully". You can't submit a bill with a total of $0. If your account has an approval workflow that fits the bill, it goes to Awaiting Approval first. Otherwise it's ready to pay. See [How bill approvals work](https://cleo-pay.com/help/how-bill-approvals-work).

If a bill looks like one you already have, Cleo Pay flags it. See [Duplicate bill warnings](https://cleo-pay.com/help/duplicate-bill-warnings).

## If it doesn't work

If a file won't upload, check that it's a PDF, JPG or PNG under 5MB and try again. If it still fails, or the fields keep coming out wrong after you re-analyze, email support@cleo-pay.com with the vendor's name, the invoice number and the file attached.