Matching payments to invoices

1 min readUpdated 16 Aug 2026

When a bank transaction pays an invoice you sent (or a bill you received), match it rather than coding it to an income or expense account. Matching settles the invoice, keeps receivables and payables accurate, and — crucially — avoids counting the same income or expense twice.

Why coding it would be wrong

The income was already recognised when you approved the invoice. If you then code the bank payment to an income account as well, your Profit & Loss shows it twice and your receivables never clear. Matching records the payment against the invoice instead: bank goes up, receivables go down, income is untouched.

How matching works

  • Nightbooks automatically proposes a match when the amount and contact line up with an open invoice — you just accept it.

  • You can search for the right invoice manually from the transaction detail when the automatic match is not offered.

  • Part-payments are supported: match the transaction and the invoice stays open for the balance.

  • Multiple invoices paid in one lump sum can be matched together against the single bank line.

Bills work the same way

When you pay a supplier bill that came through the Inbox, the bank payment matches against the approved bill — the expense was recognised at approval, and the match clears the payable.

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